Boosting User and IT Productivity through Desktop Virtualization

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1 Boosting User and IT Productivity through Desktop Virtualization Virtual desktop infrastructure (VDI) solution can grant or restrict network access with more granularity, allow users more flexibility, and affordably streamline high-availability and disaster recovery (HA and DR). By Travis Brown Modern desktop virtualization has evolved dramatically since its early days when the technology simply allowed task workers to access text-based applications. Advances in virtual desktop infrastructure (VDI), particularly in the areas of access control and user/device policy setting and enforcement, have enabled a range of compelling security features along with the ability to affordably streamline high-availability and disaster recovery. As bandwidth and protocols have improved with each successive generation, desktop virtualization has been able to deliver a nearly frictionless experience complete with multimedia and local printing. The technology has extended into use cases beyond the basic needs of task workers and powering customer kiosks into more comprehensive use cases and deployments. retail, and government. Today, given the growing awareness of the threats to data security, other sectors are considering the benefits of desktop virtualization, which inherently keeps data highly secure within datacenters, since user files and workloads never reside on endpoints or client devices. Broader Business Acceptance More recent advances in networking and desktop virtualization protocols have made VDI solutions even more capable. Today, businesses are using VDI to increase employee productivity, enable mobility, and facilitate device flexibility that users increasingly feel is not only a boon but a right. Historically, adoption was limited to organizations where security and compliance were a top priority. Indeed, nearly 70% of those adopting VDI solutions between 2011 and 2013 were sectors with strict regulatory mandates such as healthcare, financial services,

2 Daughters of Charity Health System (Healthcare US) Benefit: Clinicians can spend more time with patients each employee has a dedicated virtual desktop that runs independently of end devices. Justin Johnson, network design senior advisor at DCHS, says, What sets our Dell Wyse VDI solution apart is its integration with Imprivata OneSign, because it allows us to provide users with one-click access to a virtual desktop that runs in the Dell Cloud. Employees can tap their badge on a scanner and within 8 to 10 seconds, they have their virtual desktop presented to them anywhere in the hospital and it appears just as it did when they left the previous location. Increased productivity for users and IT According to a 2104 IDC survey, 138 IT managers reported their primary motivation for VDI adoption was simplifying desktop management. Other important factors included enhancing security, enabling flexibility and achieving cost savings. Our end-toend VDI solutions leveraging integrated appliances or traditional enterprise solution stacks make this possible. Simplicity: Desktop virtualization decouples data from its historic devicecentric paradigm. This allows users to access apps and enterprise workloads from nearly any fixed or mobile device, including tablets, thin/zero clients, PCs and laptops. In this modern era of smart devices and flexible schedules, users demand the ability to shift workspaces between work, home, and wherever they can get a decent wi-fi signal. They want to be able to log in from any device and access applications and data from anywhere. For example, the ability to access targeted workspaces from almost anywhere, and from almost any device, has enabled productivity gains in medical environments. Session persistence adds flexibility because it allows instant access from a range of endpoints allowing doctors to move more quickly between patient exam rooms. Our cloud client-computing architectures and endpoints limit downtime and increase productivity in non-medical environments as well. Users are not slowed down by break/fix issues at the edge since data is stored, saved, and backed-up in the data center; facilitating high availability. With faster boot times and less downtime, virtual desktops improve productivity. Desktops can be provisioned within minutes by simply reassigning a master image, which is especially helpful after an endpoint failure. AeroMexico (Transportation LATAM) Benefit: Delivers fast access to business tools when and where staff need them Employees communicate and collaborate anytime, anywhere, with a unified communication and collaboration solution that provides telephony, and web portals via Microsoft Lync 2013, Exchange Server 2013 and SharePoint Server Ramon Sanchez Ortega, IT infrastructure manager at AeroMéxico Delta TechOps, says, Communication and mobility are very important. With our Dell and Microsoft solution, our users stay connected and communicate whether they re at their desk or on the go. This centralized management also accelerates upgrades, patches, installation, and other maintenance to be performed quickly at any point during the workday without affecting productivity. This is completed without user intervention or interruption. Previously, the regular upgrade and patching cycle often led to downtime as users were required to sit idle as their software was patched or as they conducted their own irregularly scheduled backups. Still others were sidelined waiting for IT support. Going forward, users no longer have to stop working during updates, or waste time on IT housekeeping tasks that slow productivity. All enhancements can be done quickly and centrally. This is a win for IT professionals as they no longer have to physically maintain devices and can be redirected toward more strategic projects. 2

3 Desktop virtualization allows enterprises to provision a smaller range of virtual desktops to their users, reducing the need to configure a spectrum of desktops for each employee. Master versions of specific departmental virtual desktops can be created to accelerate provisioning, departmental mergers, or employee onboarding. The use of master images helps companies grant access to applications or data to new hires or contractors using just a few mouse clicks. Arvato (Outsourcing services EMEA / France) Benefit: Happier customers because staff gain quick and easy access to each customer environment It s easier to retain our best staff since we moved to our virtualized desktop. Clients are happy because data is just as secure, and personnel are happy because they can work from home. User satisfaction with our Dell Wyse solution is extremely high. Gerald Eve (Professional Services) We have gone from having to manage 300 plus PCs to five desktop images, making a huge saving in time and energy that we can devote elsewhere. Previously we had to worry about regular software patches. Now when we need to introduce applications or services for our end users, the roll out simply involves adding a new short cut on the desktop. Flexibilty: Greater flexibility in accessing critical data and applications from many devices and from nearly any location leads to employees that are happier, more productive and efficient. Since the desktop experience is delivered through a more manageable platform, the wired-mobile professional, connected consultant, part-time telecommuter and remote based employees can increase their productivity. This capability could further empower crucial client-facing roles such as customer service. Desktop virtualization delivers a higher level of control to both the individual, mobile worker and broader IT department. Security: With desktop virtualization, access to corporate apps and data can be protected and managed from one location. This allows IT to achieve a higher level of security and identify and mitigate potential gaps. Companies can promote a higher level of security hygiene, reining in use of third-party data lockers among employees, so that data is better protected. Security issues impacting one virtual machine can be contained before proliferating to others. Additionally, the technology allows IT managers to be more effective in protecting endpoints from viruses. Virus updates can be pushed out to all users simply by updating a single master (gold) image, without having to physically go to each individual PC. Thin clients specifically offer a more resilient environment against viruses. Rebooting a thin client returns it to its original state, thereby eliminating any potential threat. Additionally, Wyse thin and zero clients from Dell, running the Wyse ThinOS are virus and malware immune since they have zero attack surface. Israel Electric Corp (Utilities /EMEA) Benefit: Employees boost productivity with less disruption Because the endpoints don t store data, desktop security is tighter. Shai Levy, Head of VDI project at Israeli Electric Corp says: We had hundreds of security alerts with our PCs each day, but now we get maybe eight a month, maximum. First Choice Emergency Room (Healthcare / US) Benefit: Security We have really narrowed the scope of our security footprint and increased our redundancy by deploying the Dell Wyse thin clients and the Dell SonicWALL appliances, and by virtualizing our environment with VMware. Now, our securitysensitive data is all housed in our new data center, rather than in each ER facility. Dave Duclos, Senior Director of Technology, First Choice Emergency Room 3

4 Cost savings: These benefits accrue to your bottom line, in the form of reduced costs. The bulk of desktop virtualization savings come from reduced OpEx spending over time, but there are often CapEx benefits that can be captured as well. This is especially true with institutions with multiple remote sites. Since virtual desktops can be remediated and updated from the data center, engineering teams do not need to be onsite for break/fix or modernization. CapEx savings are derived from significantly extending the legacy endpoint refresh cycle. Additionally, Dell s cloud client-computing appliances come at a reasonable cost of entry for pilots or proof-of-concept deployment. China Power Complete (APJ / China) Benefit: Virtualized platform delivers 80 percent consolidation Implementing the desktop virtualization platform has meant our desktop terminal acquisition costs have reduced by 70 percent, and IT maintenance staff have tripled their efficiency. We can reallocate resources towards continued technology innovation rather than support and maintenance. Thin and zero clients have no moving parts, extending mean time to failure to an average of 30 years. The minimal I/O requirements tied to processing KBD inputs of thin and zero clients also help keep onboard processor and memory needs consistent. Desktop virtualization allows for a more flexible choice of hardware, providing more secure thin/zero clients which are typically less expensive than legacy PC s. This translates to a thin or zero client refresh interval of 5-7 years versus a 3-5 year refresh interval of a traditional PC. Finally, because the software licensing requirements are smaller, desktop virtualization allows for more streamlined management of software licenses. IT can track and pay for those licenses being consumed by specific users vs. purchasing a block of endpoint software licenses which ultimately may not be used. Banco De Brasilia (Finance / LATAM) Benefit: Reduced operational expenses by $60,000 a month, cut energy use by 98 percent After a 16-month payback, we re now realizing approximately $60,000 a month in operational savings with Dell s cloud client-computing model and the Wyse thin clients. 4

5 For additional information about the vworkspace virtualization software and the reference architecture for Wyse Datacenter for Microsoft VDI and vworkspace, visit or contact us. Dell is the global leader in Cloud Client-Computing. The Wyse portfolio includes industryleading thin, zero and cloud PC client solutions with advanced management, desktop virtualization and cloud software supporting desktops, laptops and next generation mobile devices. Wyse has shipped more than 20 million units and has over 200 million people interacting with their products each day, enabling the leading private, public, hybrid and government cloud implementations worldwide. Dell partners with industry-leading IT vendors, including Cisco, Citrix, IBM, Microsoft, and VMware as well as globallyrecognized distribution and service partners. For more info, please visit Travis Brown Dell Cloud Client-Computing Sr. Product Manager Travis Brown is a senior product manager at Dell, specializing in desktop virtualization. He has been in the virtualization delivery industry for 12 years and regularly speaks to customers about client virtualization projects in Dell s Executive Briefing Center, in one to one conversation with enterprise customers, and at industry trade shows. 5 Whitepaper-Dell CCC-Wyse Boosting User and IT Productivity through Desktop Virtualization CO:02