Desktop Virtualization | Desktop As A Service | Microland

The market for enterprise IT typically demands solutions that will help cut costs and connect workforce across diverse locations. This enables greater flexibility while improving productivity. Desktop virtualization has become popular because it reproduces enterprise systems remotely and provides seamless access to data. This allows companies to employ globally, while their workers may be diversely equipped, with mobiles, laptops, and tablets, which use a variety of local platforms and operating systems. Thus, desktop virtualization is the foundation for a well-connected enterprise.

Access to business data and applications are vital for every worker. Business leaders feel they need to manage the workflow smoothly without increasing complexity especially as the organization scales up.

VDI helps companies shift from a high-cost, high-risk environment to a secure, low opex one.

How VDI is delivered to you

The solution is provided in the form of a software product that includes local and remote implementations. The single-product approach reduces the complexities of maintenance and operations. It is beneficial to organizations, as equipping workers with expensive installations is not a necessity anymore. Besides, the remote-access concept is making virtualization the most important part of IT transformation strategies. The CXO community naturally feels more comfortable when they are able to transform any complex IT asset as per the needs of workflows and customer requirements. Thus, ease of management tops the list of why companies are adopting VDI solutions in larger numbers.

How it has improved over the years

The baseline architecture used to be a huge cost component before one was able to deploy a virtualization solution. It was the only way to ensure that users will feel comfortable. However, in recent years, with shorter time to deploy and reduced risks, VDI has become more widely accepted. Another attractive outcome of VDI is lower opex, which people realize will improve the bottom line of their organizations. Therefore, what used to be "not so user friendly", now has gained momentum due to more workers demanding such a technology.

Are there any challenges?

While VDI makes deployment and implementation simple, some feel they still need a way to ensure it is used efficiently. It is natural to have different user groups under an organization. They may include customers, third parties, vendors, partners, and other stakeholders. The question is how to deploy desktop virtualization for all of them simultaneously.

Besides that, some CIOs are faced with the question if the technology can be deployed on demand as per the requirements of different user groups. Other doubts in the mind of business leaders pertain to licensing, the growing trend of BYOD, and security.

Recent developments

VMWare recently announced[1] they will collaborate with M1 Limited to empower Singapore’s digital start-ups and SMEs in an increasingly app-driven and cloud-based world. It will improve time-to-market and the ability to innovate within enterprises.

According to another report[2] published in October 2017, cloud-based VDI is a concept rising in popularity amidst companies in multiple countries. Thus, wide acceptance is almost inevitable.

Market needs

Brands must take a route that makes improving customer experience easier. Thus, providing customers access to new features seamlessly can be a capability that makes or breaks brand affinity in some categories.

The usefulness of a flexible deployment strategy cannot be exaggerated. Therefore, companies need to ensure that while they make investments in VDI, big data, and cloud, they are able to leverage what they have by delivering the tools customers need, as and when their needs evolve.

How to go about it effectively

Like any implementation, VDI solutions should be backed up with strategy. It involves identifying what customers, workers, and business partners need, aligned with the organization's vision and offerings. The guidelines should also be well planned according to service level agreements.

A complete strategy will lead to holistic improvement. It should include a roadmap—not just to ensure quick service delivery, but also for responsiveness across the board. Without that, benchmark responsiveness can be difficult to achieve. 

Centralized desktop management

The advantage end users have with VDI is seamless connectivity with a centralized server. This leads to the capability that a company can equip workers to perform anywhere, anytime, as the need may be and thereby respond to requirements within and outside of the organization, more swiftly. It also means that new clients and workers can be assimilated seamlessly into the brand's operational environment.

Perhaps, the most attractive part of VDI is robust security. Virtual desktops can be destroyed as easily as they are created, causing the technology to be highly efficient as well. This is particularly true in environments where the user set is constantly in flux.

[1] https://www.networksasia.net/article/vmware-accelerates-enterprise-transformation-southeast-asia.1511493120

[2] https://nbherard.com/pr/cloud-based-vdi-market-2017-us-share-trend-segmentation-and-forecast-to-2021/7459