Updated September 8, 2020
As was true in 2016, one of the biggest trends in IT (outside of cloud and increased security measures) is still virtualization. Whether it’s network virtualization, storage virtualization, server virtualization or more, this strategy enables a company to do more with less. For instance in the case of server virtualization, administrators can run the same number of applications as virtual machines on far fewer servers. That is a strategy that every company should adopt at least in some capacity for some or all areas of the business.
Elsewhere in the tech sector, there’s a more specialized type of virtualization with a unique appeal. Virtual Desktop Infrastructure solutions, such as Citrix Xendesktop and VMware Horizon View, virtualize the desktop itself. Users are able to access a consistent desktop experience regardless of device, and administrators are able to spin up new desktops as quickly as virtual machines.
VDI has proven to be effective in a wide range of situations, but it is particularly successful in a few key use cases.
VDI Use Cases
- Shift Workers
For companies that staff primarily shift workers, VDI provides a convenient way to manage multiple desktop accounts on fewer end points. Shift workers that require a PC to fulfill their job duties often do not need a designated computer, and providing them one adds a significant amount of complexity and cost.The IT department can streamline this process, maintain fewer endpoints in the company, and still provide all the necessary tools for their shift workers by leveraging a VDI deployment. With VDI, workers on each shift will log into the same few endpoints, access their own virtual desktop, and work as normal. At the end of the shift, they log off, head home, and can access their own unique desktop the next day.
- Healthcare
VDI enables the administration team to customize rules and permissions based on the individual virtual desktop. This becomes extremely convenient in healthcare settings where privacy and HIPAA are concerns. By designating specific permissions, each medical professional can have their own virtual desktop that only allows them to see their relevant patient records. Furthermore, they can move from device to device throughout the day, boot up their virtualized desktop, and access the records they need.
- Educational Institutions
School environments align perfectly with the benefits of VDI. In a school, students are in the building during predictable hours and only attend the institution for a finite amount of time. Plus, students should have strict restrictions on what they can and cannot do with their school-provided PCs and laptops.With VDI, the IT team can provide each student their own virtual desktop with any necessary restrictions for the duration of their enrollment. Then when they graduate, the IT team can delete the virtual desktop with just a few clicks.
- Users with Multiple PCs
For one reason or another, some positions in the business world may require a professional to regularly work on more than one PC. VDI allows that professional to consolidate their desktop experience and maintain the same desktop across both devices.
- Remote Users / Sales / Field Technicians
Employees on the road, whether they are simply working remotely, in sales, or field technicians, need to have a reliable way to access their applications and tools. VDI offers a secure way to enable anytime, anywhere, and any device access to a consistent, high-performing desktop experience. Regardless of the circumstance, a complete VDI solution enables your remote workforce to operate effectively. VDI can even be used in this circumstance to enable BYOD capabilities.
Virtualization and Centralization
Centralization as an IT strategy streamlines a number of processes. Administrators no longer need to interact with end points individually and can enact sweeping policy changes across the entire environment at once. This saves both time and money for the department, and it’s easy to see why VDI has become popular. While these use cases certainly showcase the efficacy of the solution, they are by no means the only ways to make use of VDI. Contact a Mindsight consultant today to learn more about VDI and the developers that offer it.
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For Further Reading
VDI Adoption Trends Towards Growth From BYOD, Cloud, And Remote Work: An Infrastructure Report