Everything You Need to Know About Virtual Desktops

Virtual desktop technology isn’t what it once was. Modern virtual desktop infrastructure creates a faster, smoother, more user friendly environment that largely erases the lag time and other complaints early adopters encountered.

These advancements are just in time to help IT teams adjust to shifting workforce trends that make data foot prints wider and security more difficult. Today’s VDI delivers on the promise that employees anywhere can securely access the data and applications they need using any device. Want to know specifically what has changed to make VDI a better solution than in the past? Check out It’s Time to Revisit VDI.

When considering VDI, there are a few things to keep in mind to identify the best uses cases and configurations for your needs. Here’s a primer with some additional resources so you can understand the basics of VDI before diving deeper into solution vetting and project planning. These resources cover:

• Ideal use cases
• Common VDI terms
• VDI configuration considerations
• Why you need a VDI expert
• How to sell VDI to executives and the business

Ideal Use Cases

While some companies implement virtual desktops organization-wide, many find it easier to start with one or two select departments or use cases to ensure it’s a good fit and they have the right solution. Common places to start are remote employees, third party contractors and any employees handling data protected by a compliance standard like PCI or HIPAA. All these roles present heightened risk that the increased security of VDI helps address.

Other organizations opt to implement virtual desktops when there’s a compelling driver, such as an impending M&A, opening a new branch or when increasing security and compliance prior to an audit or following an incident. If you’re facing any of the needs or risks outlined in these articles, it’s a good time to consider virtual desktops:

• 2018 Tech Stack Planning
• Top 5 Reasons to Evolve Your Desktops
• Ideal Use Cases for Virtual Desktops

Common VDI Terms

Many (if not all) IT professionals will be familiar with most of the terms commonly used when discussing VDI, but it’s worth reviewing the terms you’re sure to run up against when researching virtual desktops.

Check out our VDI Glossary.

Configuration Considerations

Configuring your specific virtual desktop environment is critical to success. Not only do you need to know who is getting a virtual desktop and what type of security controls that user group needs, you also need to decide what type of desktop they’ll have, how it’ll be delivered, the right desktop sizing and other key considerations.

Here are detailed dives on a few of the most common and critical configuration decisions you’ll need to make:

• Virtual Desktops: Per User or Per Device
• Persistent vs. Concurrent Virtual Desktops
• Understanding Virtual Desktop Sizing

Why You Need a VDI Expert

With enhanced technology comes an enhanced skillset required to build, implement and maintain a virtual desktop program. This is one of the major reasons that desktop as a service (DaaS) is an increasingly popular way to implement virtual desktops. Designing, building and maintaining the infrastructure required for virtual desktops in-house requires in-demand experts or the project risks poor user experience, insufficient scaling and ultimately failure.

DaaS gives organizations the option of implementing virtual desktops while leaving environment building, support, infrastructure maintenance, and updating to an outsourced company dedicated to that one task (depending on the solution provider you select).

For a better understanding of what a VDI expert does and what you get from a desktop as a service company, check out these resources:

• What Exactly Does a VDI Expert Do?
• 4 Things Fully Managed DaaS Makes Easier for IT
• 10 Most Common Questions I Hear as a DaaS Engineer

Selling VDI to the Business

You may be 100% bought into the idea and benefits of virtual desktops, but depending on how much decision making power and budget control you have you may still need to convince executives that it’s the right move. Even if you have final say, implementing virtual desktops can be a big culture shift for your organization. Being armed with the right arguments and benefits can help the approval and roll out process run a lot smoother.

Learn how to convince required parties that VDI is a good idea:

• Understanding the Benefits & ROI of DaaS
• Making the Business Case for Virtual Desktops
• Chain of Buy-In: The Key to Successful DaaS Implementation

Be sure to check back often for more resources regarding virtual desktops. Dizzion is constantly updating its blog and Resource Library.