There is a tremendous value proposition in desktop virtualization for reducing operational expenses through centralizing desktop image management in the data center. In fact, after about 12 years in the doldrums as a “promising” technology, there finally is growing interest in VDI (Virtual Desktop Interface) as an alternative to traditional client-server enterprise deployments. As a result, a number of high-profile companies—along with some high-quality but lesser-known newcomers—are competing for that business. In standard VDI setups, IT is able to manage one copy of Windows and one application copy centrally, instead of a separate copy of Windows and a copy of each application on thousands of individual PCs. However, as they look deeper into a potential VDI deployment, enterprise customers are discovering that there are some issues with it that are preventing efficient widespread deployment. Thus, it’s a good idea for organizations considering deploying VDI systems to look into all the implications for and against. Caveat: The information in this slide show comes from virtual desktop software provider Wanova, which takes an unusual approach to desktop virtualization. Wanova's Mirage client enables all computers on a network to be virtualized and managed through one centralized, on-premise server portal. Read on.
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Addresses Only a Small Market
VDI technology generally assumes users will work on a high-speed LAN that has relatively static desktop images with a limited number of applications and are using thin-client devices. Analysts report that 410 million PCs were shipped in 2010 as opposed to 6 million thin clients.
Doesn't Use Power of a PC
Conventional VDI does not take advantage of the native performance of a personal computer. Business users usually prefer the access to multiple applications, speed and power provided by full-featured PCs.
Some Systems Still Dogged by Latency
Issues with low bandwidth or high latency networks still cause issues, although this is becoming less common.
Not the Best for Multimedia
Applications requiring multimedia (video, voice, Flash) and high performance and 3D applications are a challenge—especially over a wide-area network.
Upfront Cost Is Non-Trivial
VDI is capital expenditure (CAPEX)-intensive: 20 to 40 users per server plus expensive storage and additional networking equipment.
It's Resource-Intensive in the Racks
VDI comes with significant data center power and cooling costs.
Not Simple to Install and Maintain
It is often complex to deploy, configure and manage VDI infrastructure and protocol.
There Are Trade-offs if You Want to Personalize
Personalization either requires expensive third-party software or sacrificing storage and image management efficiencies.
Bandwidth Hog?
Virtual desktops consume a significant amount of network bandwidth.
Single Point of Failure
Due to its single connection to the data center, there is only one point of failure for employee productivity if the network fails due to a natural- or human-created disaster.
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See All Slideshows
There is a tremendous value proposition in desktop virtualization for reducing operational expenses through centralizing desktop image management in the data center. In fact, after about 12 years in the doldrums as a “promising” technology, there finally is growing interest in VDI (Virtual Desktop Interface) as an alternative to traditional client-server enterprise deployments. As a result, a number of high-profile companies—along with some high-quality but lesser-known newcomers—are competing for that business. In standard VDI setups, IT is able to manage one copy of Windows and one application copy centrally, instead of a separate copy of Windows and a copy of each application on thousands of individual PCs. However, as they look deeper into a potential VDI deployment, enterprise customers are discovering that there are some issues with it that are preventing efficient widespread deployment. Thus, it’s a good idea for organizations considering deploying VDI systems to look into all the implications for and against. Caveat: The information in this slide show comes from virtual desktop software provider Wanova, which takes an unusual approach to desktop virtualization. Wanova's Mirage client enables all computers on a network to be virtualized and managed through one centralized, on-premise server portal. Read on.