Whitepaper: How the Cloud is Reshaping Virtual Desktops

Transcription

1 Whitepaper: How the Cloud is Reshaping Virtual Desktops A TIME WARNER CABLE COMPANY

2 Table of Contents EXECUTIVE SUMMARY ` 3 DESKTOPS: RIPE FOR CHANGE 4 IS VDI THE ANSWER? 5 CLOUD-HOSTED DESKTOPS MAKE SENSE 6 OPTIMAL USE CASES FOR CLOUD-HOSTED DESKTOPS 8 THE NAVICLOUD ONE SOLUTION 9 CONCLUSION 10 ABOUT NAVISITE 10

3 Executive Summary: Physical desktop computer infrastructures no longer make sense for the corporate world. Not only are they expensive, insecure, and maintenance-heavy, they also cannot effectively support the rapidly changing business IT landscape. The groundswell of Windows 7 migration plans, an expanding virtual workforce, the growing popularity of mobile devices, and tighter IT budgets each point to the need to reevaluate desktop strategies. While virtual desktop infrastructure (VDI) seems like a promising alternative, in reality, it s too costly and complex for most companies to implement successfully. Cloud services, however, are helping mitigate many of the challenges of traditional virtual desktop infrastructure at an increasing rate. In a recent webinar, Brett Waldman, Research Manager for IDC s Cloud and Virtualization System Software, he forecasts the hosted workspace-as-a-service market, which includes virtual desktops, to grow at a compounded annual growth rate of 84.6% from 2011 through By moving virtual desktops to the Cloud rather than implementing an internally deployed and managed data center, companies can realize the benefits of virtual desktops including: Centralized management Improved data security Simplified deployment Cloud based virtual desktops achieve these benefits without the excessive costs, limitations, or hassles of VDI. There is, essentially, no reason to migrate the complexities and costs of managing physical desktops to another complex and expensive infrastructure. In this whitepaper, we will explore: The reasons behind changing traditional desktop computing strategies Why cloud-hosted virtual desktops are a compelling solution for many businesses How to leverage cloud-hosted desktops for Windows 7 migrations, mobile and departmental workers, and disaster recovery scenarios. 3

4 Desktop: Ripe for Change Desktop computing has become a burden for IT departments. While it is essential for delivering necessary applications and services to end users, IT managers are encumbered by the tremendous amount of time, complexity, and cost inherent to managing and securing physical PCs. Furthermore, a progressively tech-savvy user base is becoming more frustrated by computers which don t have the flexibility and capabilities today s workforce has come to expect. While businesses have been aware of these issues for years, many are, only recently, reaching the tipping point for change. Today, companies are facing a perfect storm for desktop computing change, staring down three main challenges to enterprise IT: MIGRATION TO WINDOWS 7: With Microsoft ending support for Windows XP, most companies have undertaken a migration to the Windows 7 operating system. Forrester notes that in June of 2012, more than 50% of corporate computers were running Windows XP. * A substantial number of older PCs, however, aren t equipped to run Windows 7; many firms will find themselves confronting the decision to purchase new computers in order to migrate workers. For several businesses, a significant portion of their PCs will be replaced before the end of the machines lifecycle in order to accommodate Windows 7 migrations.* Conversely, organizations that decide to upgrade existing computers (instead of replacing them) will fail to realize substantial savings due to the new parts and labor required for memory, hard disks, and/or video adapters, among other upgrades GROWING MOBILE ACCESS: IN 2012, THE NUMBER OF EVER-CONNECTED INFORMATION WORKERS, WHO OPERATE FROM MULTIPLE LOCATIONS, GREW TO REACH 29% OF THE GLOBAL WORKFORCE: This mobile workforce will be accessing business applications and services from a variety of devices, including ipads, Android tablets, and smartphones each increasing in prevalence significantly year-over-year. Companies need a way to enable secure and controllable access anywhere, anytime to the tools, data, and resources necessary to maintain enterprise-class performance. STRINGENT IT BUDGETS: PCs can consume up to 10 percent of IT budgets, yet often fail to provide any significant competitive advantage. With ongoing economic volatility, businesses are keeping a tighter rein on IT expenditures wholesale PC refreshments and Windows 7 upgrades are no longer feasible, and the cost of supporting an increasingly dispersed user base needs to be reduced. 4

5 Is VDI the Answer? BECAUSE DATA IS NOT STORED ON THE LOCAL DEVICE, COMPANIES REDUCE THE RISK IF PCS OR MOBILE DEVICES ARE LOST OR STOLEN. The need to reevaluate desktop strategies is driving many companies to consider virtual desktop infrastructure (VDI) and with good reason; VDI has promised to solve many traditional challenges of physical desktops. Because virtual desktops are centralized onto virtual machines that run on corporate datacenter servers, VDI makes day-to-day tasks such as deploying new desktops or applications, and supporting distributed workers, much easier and less laborintensive. Users access their virtual desktops via PC remoting technology, making it possible for IT to finely control the movement of data into and out of the datacenter. Because data is not stored on the local device, companies reduce the risk if PCs or mobile devices are lost or stolen. However, in spite of these benefits, VDI has failed to grow in popularity. The question to ask is: What are the barriers to VDI adoption? COST: Although VDI is noted as being less expensive than fleets of physical computers, companies frequently find themselves spending much more than originally anticipated; the up-front CAPEX required to start a VDI deployment is tremendous. To illustrate, simply moving hard drives from the desktop to the datacenter can potentially increase storage costs more than 100-times. When combined with compute density challenges and increased datacenter expenses for power, cooling, and floor space, the cost of moving desktops to the datacenter can quickly become prohibitive. COMPLEXITY: The technologies needed for VDI (i.e., servers, storage, networking, thin clients, and virtualization software) are provided by many different vendors, causing considerable confusion among IT staff about which technologies to adopt. Once the infrastructure is built, companies are left with vendor lock-in, which can be detrimental in a market where technology changes are fast and furious. Additionally, VDI technologies are often managed by different internal IT groups, which makes coordinating virtual desktop initiatives a logistical nightmare. With VDI, organizations need additional dedicated virtualization experts to manage their virtualization infrastructure. SCALE: VDI solutions are not designed to scale. While it is far easier to deploy virtual desktops than physical desktops, IT must first have the capacity to deploy them. This becomes a notable operational barrier when companies need to scale up quickly to support employees or consultants on time-sensitive or temporary projects. Furthermore, due to latency issues, performance is greatest when users are located near the datacenters, an often unattainable goal considering most companies don t have the datacenter footprint needed to ensure optimal, or even adequate, performance. STRATEGIC GOALS: When implementing a VDI solution, companies still need to construct and to manage infrastructure to support desktops, and most IT departments do not want to be in the business of desktop management. 5

6 Why Cloud-hosted Virtual Desktops Make Sense Cloud computing has become a hot topic, largely due to the flexibility and cost savings it can deliver. In much the same manner as virtualization, cloud computing started on the server side and has begun moving to the desktop; the cloud is now ripe for desktop infrastructure. By moving desktops to the cloud rather than an internally deployed and managed data center, businesses can realize all the promised benefits of virtual desktops centralized management, improved data security, and simplified deployment without VDI s costs, challenges, limitations or hassles. REDUCED DESKTOP COSTS: Because the physical infrastructure powering virtual desktops is outsourced, IT organizations are immediately able to achieve a positive ROI. Not only do cloud-hosted desktops eliminate VDI s up-front CAPEX outlay and potentially three-to-four year depreciation schedule, businesses also convert desktop computing CAPEX into OPEX. Virtual desktops can be subscribed to at a set per desktop, monthly rate, and businesses only pay for the virtual desktops that are needed. All of this translates into reduced desktop total cost of ownership (TCO), achieved at the beginning of a cloudhosted desktop deployment as opposed to a goal with an 18- to 24-month lead time. Companies can now budget for a set monthly fee without any hidden costs or surprises. supporting virtual desktops are gone. Cloud-hosted virtual desktops are easy to buy and implement. The physical infrastructure is already available from the provider, and companies outsource all deployment and operations. This saves a significant amount of money that was traditionally spent on physical desktop maintenance, while minimizing the technical expertise businesses would otherwise need to leverage virtual desktops. Additionally, because desktops are delivered by a provider over a secure network and supported by a Service Level Agreement (SLA), end users can expect better availability of their desktops than could be delivered with physical PCs, which often require a desk-side visit when things go wrong. DEVICE AND LOCATION INDEPENDENCE: Businesses can embrace next-gen workers by providing device and location independence. Device Independence: End users can work and access corporate applications and data from any device, without compromising data security or resource availability. Location Independence: Because the service provider has multiple locations, datacenter challenges due to proximity are eliminated. Users can work from anywhere. SIMPLE MANAGEMENT, ONE-TOUCH SUPPORT: The complexities associated with designing, implementing, and 6

7 Why Cloud-hosted Virtual Desktops Make Sense (CONT D) FLEXIBILITY: No Vendor Lock-in: With a cloudhosted virtual desktop solution, IT no longer has to worry about selecting the appropriate virtual desktop-related technologies, implementing technologies that may become obsolete, or being restricted to particular vendor roadmaps. Fast Ramp Up and Down: Businesses can quickly scale up or down by adding or removing virtual desktops to the monthly subscription, taking only minutes to do so. This enables IT to deliver on many projects (both shortand long-term), traditionally viewed as challenging, such as scaling up desktop environments for seasonal work or quickly deploying desktops for offices in new geographic markets. Geographic Agility: Corporate datacenter footprints won t constrain virtual desktop deployments. Cloudhosted desktops can be deployed by service providers on a global scale. This allows users to gain access to their virtual desktop from just about anywhere, and businesses to expand the regions from which they source talent, since they are no longer limited to corporate offices and a limited internal infrastructure. Easy to Try and Buy: Because there is no infrastructure or software to deploy, businesses can quickly and easily try cloud-hosted virtual desktops before buying. This allows companies to more clearly visualize the real-world implications of such a powerful solution, and quickly proceed to implementation with minimal delays 7

8 Optimal Use Cases for Cloud-hosted Desktops Businesses can realize a substantial impact on their operations by leveraging cloudhosted desktops for key scenarios. Just a few of the ideal use cases for desktops in the cloud are. CLOUD SAVVY ORGANIZATIONS: Companies are looking to leverage the benefits of the cloud down to the employee level. Virtualization is not just at the server level any more. SMALL AND MEDIUM BUSINESSES: Businesses that don t have the endless IT resources required to deploy and manage physical or traditional virtual desktops. With cloud based virtual desktops, new users can be added quickly and easily from anywhere and within minutes through an intuitive, web-based secure portal. devices and employees can access their desktops when they re at home or on the road even when they don t have their own computer. Overseas workers can be granted access to the corporate network without concern that sensitive data will be at risk since it is not stored locally. ELASTIC AND FLEXIBLE DEMANDS FOR DESKTOPS: Many companies need desktops for unique tasks or one-off projects. For example, developers need environments for building and testing applications. The flexibility of cloud-hosted desktops enables rapid scaling of desktops to accommodate evolving needs, even just temporarily without major infrastructure changes or upgrades. WINDOWS 7 MIGRATIONS: Instead of having to replace or upgrade desktop computers in order to run Windows 7, businesses can use their existing hardware. Not only will they save money that would have been spent on near-term PC refreshes, with cloud-hosted desktops they can extend the life of their existing fleet beyond what would have been possible. When they do decide to replace their rich desktops, they can do so with less-costly and more power-efficient thin client devices. REMOTE WORKERS: Whether they are telecommuting, offshore, or contracting, virtual workers are becoming a larger percentage of the corporate end user population every year. With cloud-hosted desktops, businesses can support geographically dispersed workers in a very cost-effective and secure manner. Contractors can easily access the corporate environment from their personal DESKTOP DISASTER RECOVERY: Many companies have DR strategies for their server infrastructure but not for their desktops. However, if a disaster occurs, the impact on end users and the business can be disastrous. Cloudhosted virtual desktops provide a costeffective desktop disaster recovery solution that can be implemented easily and rapidly. 8

9 The NaviCloud ONE Solution NaviSite, an early provider of desktop-as-aservice, leveraging technology from Desktone, offers a scalable, flexible and robust cloud-hosted virtual desktop solution designed with enterprise needs and requirements in mind. interface. Desktops in the Cloud look and act as part of the corporate IT environment, even though they are running at a secure remote datacenter. This is because the desktops are connected to the corporate IT environment through a private, and secure, network connection, and access to the desktops is based upon the existing Active Directory. Businesses can quickly add, remove or modify desktops as needed, from any location, through a browser-based, easy to use portal. SIMPLE TO TRY AND BUY: Because no infrastructure is required, businesses can pilot a virtual desktop immediately with a free trial or enter into a more formal proof-of-concept, testing their own resources in their own way. NaviCloud ONE provides businesses with a virtual desktop that is accessible from any device, anywhere. It has standard packaging sizes that can be configured to meet end users performance requirements, with variables including OS, RAM, CPU, and disk space. With NaviCloud ONE, virtual desktops can be up and running in days, not months. The NaviCloud ONE solution is: AFFORDABLE: With no infrastructure investment, businesses only pay for what they need, and pricing is consistent, enabling a predictable IT budget, with a service that scales to your dynamic requirements. SIMPLE TO DEPLOY AND MANAGE: Managing virtual desktops is simplified through a single, web-based, intuitive INSTANT ON EXPERIENCE: Users can stop working in one location, or on one device, and pick up where they left off seamlessly. DEVICE AGNOSTIC: Users can access their virtual desktops from an ipad, iphone, ipod Touch and Android-based tablets and smartphones. They can also use thin clients, or extend the life of their current PCs for cloud access. DESKTOP FLEXIBILE: Desktops can be set up for different use cases, or groups of users, quickly and easily. The solution presents a variety of options to tailor performance and functionality to suit you best, including performance, OS, features, applications and remoting protocol. 9

10 Conclusion FOR MORE INFORMATION To learn about cloud services from NaviSite, visit: The desktop market is ripe for change. Windows 7 migrations, new flexible business models, the need to reduce desktop TCO, and demand for mobile device support are driving organizations to reevaluate their desktop strategy. VDI was supposed to address many of these challenges; instead, it created formidable new issues. Due to VDI s inherent complexity and typically large upfront CAPEX, virtual desktop adoption has stalled and is impossible for many organizations. Cloud-hosted virtual desktops eliminate barriers to adoption, delivering a complete desktop from the Cloud, providing all the benefits of VDI without the hassles. Businesses can mitigate the cost and complexity of deploying and managing desktops, while enabling the flexibility that users require all without compromising corporate security. And, by transforming desktops from the CAPEX outlay inherent in onsite VDI and physical PC refreshes, businesses benefit from a predictable, easyto-budget OPEX-based desktop environment. NaviSite s NaviCloud ONE solution makes it easy to take advantage of cloud-hosted desktops. With NaviCloud ONE, you can accelerate and reduce the costs of Windows 7 migrations, simplify support for mobile and departmental workers, and improve desktop disaster recovery. ABOUT NAVISITE NaviSite, Inc., a Time Warner Cable Company, is a leading international provider of enterprise-class, cloud-enabled hosting, managed applications and services. NaviSite provides a full suite of reliable and scalable managed services, including Application Services, industry-leading Enterprise Hosting, and Managed Cloud Services for organizations looking to outsource IT infrastructures and helps lower their capital and operational costs. Enterprise customers depend on NaviSite for customized solutions, delivered through a global footprint of stateof-the-art data centers. For more information about NaviSite s services, please visit All logos, company and product names may be trademarks or registered trademarks of their respective owners. 10