VDI virtual desktop technology is becoming an essential feature for businesses across industries. Here’s what you should know about VDI virtual desktop services. GCSIT specializes in integrating VDI Desktop-as-a-Service for businesses across sectors.

Desktop virtualization (virtual desktop infrastructure, or VDI) involves running a desktop operating system - usually Microsoft Windows - in a data center and managing it remotely. The operating system and applications are accessible through the virtual desktop, delivered over the network to an end-user device or endpoint. Mobile devices, thin client devices, and traditional PCs may be endpoints.  

There are a number of factors contributing to the growth of the VDI virtual desktop market, including increased adoption of BYOD (bring-your-own-device) initiatives and the need for more flexible work options. VDI provided by the cloud, or VDI Desktop-as-a-Service (DaaS), is extremely popular. According to Allied Market Research, the market for cloud-based VDI was worth $3.6 million in 2016 and is expected to reach over $10 million by 2023.  

Due to the sudden need for users to work from home during lockdowns, the COVID-19 pandemic has created a significant demand for DaaS. As a result of desktop virtualization's adaptability, DaaS was quickly deployed, making it extraordinarily helpful while stay-at-home orders were in place.  

VDI requirements are an important part of building the future-proof infrastructure for organizations embarking on their journey to the cloud. DaaS is expected to be quite popular in the future since it's a subscription-based Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) model, the same model many software developers have moved toward.  

It makes sense for vendors, too, to subscribe to the cloud. Subscriptions provide a steady, reliable revenue stream instead of creating irregular revenue bumps by performing one-off transactions. Due to the advantages of subscription-based services, such as lower upfront costs and maintenance fees, vendors can more easily sell them.  

In essence, end-user computing (EUC) is the concept of offering virtualized desktops and applications to users. VMware first introduced the term VDI, and it has since become the standard abbreviation for virtual desktop infrastructure.  

VDI virtual desktop technology can be accessed in multiple ways depending on the organization's configuration. Some are automatic, such as presenting the virtual desktop at logon, while others require the user to select the virtual desktop, then start it. Virtual desktops grab the user's attention and have a look and feel comparable to a normal workstation as soon as the user opens the desktop. Applications can be selected and the user can start working immediately.  

• Flexible devices. By adapting otherwise redundant PCs as VDI endpoints, IT departments may extend the life of legacy PCs. If organizations need new devices, they can choose less powerful, less expensive options when the time comes.  
• Improved security. VDI offers significant security benefits because all data is stored in the data center, not the endpoint. If a malicious user steals a laptop, there are no files on the endpoint device, so the thief cannot take any data with him.  
• Experience of the user. The VDI virtual desktop environment provides a familiar, user-friendly interface, and users become accustomed to a consistent desktop. Whether the user utilizes VDI virtual desktop technology using a home computer, smartphone, laptop, or tablet, the user interface is the same, so there is no need to adapt to an unfamiliar interface. Compared to physical workstations, the VDI user experience is comparable or superior because the virtual desktop has centralized system resources and is closer to databases on the back-end, storage, and other system resources. Additionally, remote display protocols compress and optimize network traffic to provide a local desktop's responsiveness, which allows screen paints, keyboard and mouse data, and other interactions to emulate.  

• The ability to scale. An organization can expand its VDI environment quickly when its workforce grows temporarily, such as when seasonal call center agents are hired. By enabling contractors to access virtual desktop workloads and their app counterparts within minutes, they can be fully functional compared to days or weeks spent procuring endpoint devices and configuring applications.  
• Mobilization. Another benefit of VDI virtual desktop technology is that it makes it easier for remote and mobile employees to collaborate. In addition to mobile workers, more and more companies employ remote workers. This remote workforce needs secure access to their apps regardless of their job title and duties. Engineers in the field, sales representatives, project management teams, and executives can all access their work product seamlessly. The virtual desktop available to the remote workforce makes it possible for them to work as productively as possible if they were in the workplace.  

GCSIT partners with organizations across industries to integrate VDI virtual desktop technologies into their information technology infrastructure. Please contact us to discuss your business’s IT needs with a GCSIT representative to schedule an in-depth consultation. To discover the many advantages of agile infrastructure, please download our whitepaper.

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