Everyone wants to get the most out of every choice they make, every dollar they spend and every hour of the day that goes by. The concept of virtualization has been part of the tech field for quite a while and is essentially about getting the most out of the IT resources you have at hand.
You may have already implemented some virtualized servers and seen some improvements by consolidating your server space and reducing the amount of server-related problems. Desktop virtualization can enable some similar benefits, and a virtual desktop infrastructure (VDI) is a pathway for allowing these benefits to take place.
The benefits of VDI: Flexibility, Security & BYOD
Before embarking on any new IT plan, it’s important to become familiar with the benefits of a software or infrastructure package to assess how well it would fit with your organization. VDI provides some clear advantages to users through the company. If employees will need to access, update and share data remotely, a virtual desktop infrastructure provides users with anywhere, anytime access. This also leads to greater opportunities for collaboration across departments since everyone can view the same information and stay current on any new developments.
When it comes to an IT department, the benefits are also clear and attractive. With a virtual infrastructure, a central database is established, which means that many IT concerns are diminished or eliminated. Problem solving with only one database is faster and can be done with little to no downtime, and server management is much easier. Rather than several individual upgrades for users, a new implementation to the virtual desktop will mean an instant upgrade for everyone.
Security’s always a concern, no matter what kind of an IT infrastructure your organization may have and any means of reducing threats to your information will be welcome. With VDI, no data is stored on individual devices, as it all remains in the central database. A lost laptop or mobile device won’t mean a dangerous breach in security. Employees can also access the central database from devices of their own in a BYOD strategy. When employees are traveling, the chances of any sensitive information being hacked are much lower than in previous systems available.
Basic Assessment Steps to Take
Once you’ve taken a general view of what VDI has to offer, your company can assess if any of these benefits will be applicable to your business functions. Primary among these will be addressing the question of how this system will integrate with your existing infrastructure. With a central database, will your network be able to handle the traffic that will occur once a VDI system is in place? Your first step should be to analyze your IT processes and reach a definitive answer.
Furthermore, will the advantages be beneficial to enough employees to make VDI worth adopting? Change is not something everyone’s enthusiastic about, and unless your employees see some direct advantages for their day-to-day responsibilities, they may not be open to adopting a whole new approach. VDI isn’t cheap, so making sure that your employees’ productivity will be improved will have to be taken into account.
Beginning your virtualization strategy with VDI
If all the signs point to VDI being a worthwhile decision, the next step is finding a dependable vendor for your VDI hardware implementation. Many companies are adopting a desktop virtualization strategy and many more are considering doing so as it increases in importance for many industries. VDI can help your organization get the most out of its tech infrastructure, with benefits in security, storage and flexible access. If your company is considering a BYOD policy, VDI will be the means for implementing such a program. Once you’ve taken a thorough analysis of your company’s requirements, you may find that you’re able to achieve more with what you already have in place and reach some new levels of efficiency for both your IT department and employees.