It\u2019s been a long-running joke in the IT industry that every year is going to be \u201cthe year of VDI,\u201d the year when IT organizations finally recognize the full value of virtual desktops and applications and adoption accelerates.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
But while industry watchers have been laughing, use of VDI\u2014and its cousin Desktop-as-a-Service (DaaS)\u2014in the real world has been rising steadily. According to Gartner[1]<\/sup>, the global market for infrastructure to run VDI software in 2019 is $7.58B, and the VDI\/DaaS software market is $5B. And spending is growing more than 11% annually\u2014much faster than IT spending as a whole.<\/p>\n\n\n\n VDI and DaaS are two of the primary technologies in the end-user computing (EUC) stack. If your organization has been contemplating either adopting EUC technologies or expanding an existing deployment, you\u2019re probably wrestling with some tough decisions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n This blog\u2014the first in a series dedicated to VDI and DaaS\u2014addresses why companies should consider adopting these technologies in the first place. Later blogs in the series will dig into the specifics of VDI and DaaS\u2014including pros, cons, and important deployment considerations for each\u2014to help you make more informed decisions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n So there\u2019s no confusion, in this series when we talk about VDI and DaaS, we are referring to the full spectrum of technologies for delivering virtual desktops and\/or virtual applications. This encompasses well-known solutions such as Citrix Virtual Apps and Desktops (formerly XenApp and XenDesktop), VMware Horizon, and Microsoft Remote Desktop Services.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n Successful EUC projects typically deliver benefits for end-users and IT teams\u2014and for the company as a whole\u2014such as:<\/p>\n\n\n\n Companies implementing VDI or DaaS are often hoping to drive down CapEx and OpEx. However, if that\u2019s your only goal, you may be disappointed. Here are three of the main reasons why organizations should consider VDI or DaaS.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Every organization has end-users that need access to apps and data to get work done and be productive. Supporting these end-users has negative impacts on IT in terms of cost, complexity, and time required. Both VDI and DaaS can centralize management and reduce these impacts, making it easier to manage a large number of desktops and end-user applications, thereby simplifying daily operations.<\/p>\n\n\n\n With physical desktops and laptops widely distributed across the company, tasks like installing new applications and managing, patching, and updating operating system software are extremely difficult. It\u2019s almost impossible to keep everything current. With VDI and DaaS, these tasks are managed and executed centrally; processes can be automated to ensure your environment stays up to date. If a problem arises, it is much easier to roll back to a known-good configuration.<\/p>\n\n\n\n With DaaS, the platform to deliver applications and desktops is part of the service so much of the work is done by the provider, further reducing the administrative burden and lowering risk. In most services, your IT team remains responsible for managing specific user applications.<\/p>\n\n\n\n When a new user comes onboard, with traditional systems it often takes a long time to procure, configure, and deliver a suitable device with the necessary applications. With VDI and DaaS, new users can be onboarded much faster and new applications can be provisioned quickly, so users are immediately productive.<\/p>\n\n\n\n When a user changes roles or leaves the company, he or she can be de-provisioned just as quickly. This is ideal for modern businesses, especially companies that have large seasonal swings in their workforces. It is also extremely valuable during mergers and acquisitions.<\/p>\n\n\n\nWhy Do Companies Adopt VDI and DaaS?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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Reason 1: Centralize Desktop and Application Management<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Reason 2: Enhance Security and Protect Intellectual Property<\/h3>\n\n\n\n