Virtual Desktop Infrastructure (VDI)
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The Challenges
These are some of the challenges facing many companies with traditional PCs:
- Traditional PCs take up space at the desk and
generate heat and noise
- Managing remote PCs in satellite offices or users homes
- Securing customer information and intellectual property in offshore call centres and development sites
- PC Installs, Moves, Adds and Changes - 'IMACs' - often need to be done out of office hours
- PC Disaster Recovery and Business Continuity is expensive and a waste of assets
- Total Cost of Ownership (TCO) - the true cost of a PC is not the initial capital expense but the support and maintenance of the over its life time
The Solution
Virtualisation technology is changing today's IT industry by enabling more effective use of existing computing assets. While server virtualisation has seen widespread adoption over the last several years, desktop PC virtualisation is now the de facto way of enabling higher asset utilisation and better PC management, without compromising the experience of the end user.
In a VDI, users access their complete desktop environment in a virtual machine located in a secure data centre. The desktop virtual machine running on a Server or Blade is an image of a complete PC (e.g. Vista, XP or Linux) - operating system, applications and configurations.
The Thin Client used to access the virtual desktop image on the server only needs to run a Remote Display Protocol (RDP). The virtualisation of a pool of PCs enables organisations to provide a true virtualisation solution by fully utilising both the physical and virtual resourcesavailable within the organisation.
Benefits
- 99.9% availability, i.e. PC user uptime
- Full XP, Vista application compatibility, unlike Citrix
- Hardened security for data (IP and customer records) and hardware assets
- Ease of managing the end user desktop - no more trips to the desk to fix
- 30% lower operating costs
- Capital cost per user similar to standard box PC
- Reduction in TCO
The BSG Approach
The BSG approach provides a framework and a set of deliverables to adapt to inevitable changing requirements throughout any project life cycle. By adhering to methodologies that it has developed through experience gained from similar engagements, BSG can offer the following benefits:
- Risks are minimised and made more manageable
- Focused deliverables are established
- Realistic results are delivered
- Flexible adjustments can be made to new or modified requirements
- High degrees of systems acceptance and knowledge transfer are delivered
BSG has been working closely with organisations across many industries to improve the ease of management of their desktop environment. Therefore, when planning for a VDI solution BSG have developed a structured approach using the following process:
- Customer planning workshop
- Full audit/assessment of your current environment
- Controlled evaluation
- Pilot implementation and review
- Scalable Infrastructure design and deployment
Why BSG?
Incorporated in 1987, BSG is an integrated IT practice, designing, deploying and operating IT solutions for its customers.
As a managed services provider BSG has the ability and skills to manage and support Virtual Desktop Infrastructure (VDI) for a range of clients. BSG provides an end to end VDI solution for its customers including technical support via its call centre, providing 24x7x365 1st and 2nd line telephone support, as well as a fully hosted managed service meeting the standards required by ISO27001. This means that by working with BSG customers are able to access and leverage the knowledge and expertise of an organisation that designs, deploys, and operates virtual desktop infrastructure on a daily basis.
In addition BSG has partnership with many of the leading virtualisation and virtual desktop vendors in the industry today, including:
VMware
IBM
Wyse
Microsoft
ClearCube
HP/Neoware
Sun
If you are interested in learning more about how BSG can help resolve the many desktop issues businesses face today, simply click here to contact us.