IDC – “there will be a
virtualization revolution on the client.”
Background:
The market has continued to see an accelerated growth and use of virtualization software to help consolidate servers with a great deal of success. Firms that have adopted and deployed x86 virtualization solutions have realized the enhanced cost savings, manageability, reliability and flexibility this form of infrastructure can provide. As a result of this success, it has given rise to the idea of applying the same type of concept to the desktop, resulting in a set of new solutions that virtualize the PC environment. Industry analysts IDC predicts the worldwide revenue growth for virtual hosted desktop computing software to grow from just under $400M in 2008 to $1.1B in 2011.
The PAIN: Desktop Challenges Today The common decentralized computing environment initiated in the early 90’s with the advent of the fully-featured “thick-client” PC has traditionally become the standard workhorse of desktop computing. For many scenarios this model at one time offered the best available combination of price, performance, and capabilities. However, for a growing many the use this model has become less than an ideal solution. A few common challenges associated with a decentralized computing model:
Low PC utilization rates. Just as with servers, desktop resource utilization rates are alarmingly low with average resource utilization rates well below 5%.
Total cost of ownership (TCO). Ongoing PC management including hardware, maintenance, deployment of software, updates, and patches along with desktop support and unplanned downtime are labor-intensive and raise support costs.
Data loss and Security issues. Ensuring that data on PCs is successfully backed up and can be restored when PCs fail or files are lost is a significant challenge. Even when data is successfully backed up, the risk of PC theft threatens the security of important data.
Productivity loss. Like data loss, lost productivity is directly tied to the reliability of the desktop. Every time a PC crashes, no matter what the reason, the worker whose job relies on that PC is unproductive.
Regulatory compliance difficulties. Governments, driven by the need to protect consumers, businesses, and government agencies have struggled to enact laws designed to protect sensitive data. Many of these regulations are a result of the drawbacks of a decentralized computing environment. These regulations are often complicated to comply with and cost corporations millions.
User demands. Users have become increasingly impatient when technology issues come in the way of getting their work done. Users are demanding higher levels of fault tolerance and shorter downtimes. These demands areexceedingly difficult to meet in a decentralized environment.
With an approximate 496 million PCs distributed across IT environments, these costs as well as the opportunity for implementing a new centralized desktop model - is very substantial.
The Solution: VMware Virtual Desktop Infrastructure (VDI)
VMware Virtual Desktop Infrastructure (VDI) is an end-to end solution for server-based virtual desktop computing that improves control and manageability while providing end users with a familiar desktop experience. VMware VDI gives customers the proven power of VMware Infrastructure 3, along with VMware Virtual Desktop Manager (VDM), an enterprise-class connection broker that manages user access to centralized virtual desktop environments.
VMware VDI allows for the consolidation of client PCs as virtual desktops that run on servers in the data center using VMware Infrastructure 3. VMware VirtualCenter manages the virtual infrastructure, while VMware Virtual Desktop Manager (VDM) manages user access to centralized virtual desktops from a wide range of devices, including Windows®, Linux® and Mac® computers, as well as standard thin clients and new innovative “zero client” technology such as the PANO by Pano Logic.
Pano Logic is the first zero client architecture built around industry standard virtualization technology. The PANO solution enables a totally new approach to the traditional PC-centric desktop architecture, and provides a superior end-user desktop experience with lower TCO, simplified client set-up, support for the latest OS capabilities, client roaming and mobility capabilities, and self-help for users. Working with VMware virtualization technology, the PANO provides a compelling offering of a pure VDI experience - allowing enterprises to take full advantage of the total benefits of VDI.
Customers who have implemented a desktop solution using a VMware virtual desktop infrastructure have seen benefits
that include
the following:
Improved manageability: VMware VirtualCenter makes it possible to centralize and streamline provisioning, configuration, resource management, and workload management for desktop environments.
Streamlined deployment: Desktop administrators can deploy new standardized, hardware-independent desktop virtual machines from templates in minutes and can automate more of the deployment process.
Increased flexibility: Users can access multiple desktop environments from a single client. They can also access their desktop environment from any connected client. Administrators can instantly archive or discard inactive desktop environments to reclaim resources for immediate reuse.
Improved data protection: Desktop recovery is dramatically simplified by the hardware independence of virtual machines. Ensuring data security is also simplified because all data resides in the datacenter.
Better resource utilization: Running multiple desktop environments on a single server allows customers to pool hardware resources effectively.
Reduced costs: VMware VDI can help lower the cost of operating corporate desktops by streamlining administration, reducing energy costs and extending the useful life of PCs.
Familiar end-user experience: End users get flexible access to a personalized virtual desktop that behaves just like their normal PC.
A server-based desktop solution, built with a VMware virtual desktop infrastructure and innovative products such as the PANO, offers a true alternative to the traditional thick-client PC. This solution enables organizations to improve manageability, reduce desktop total cost of ownership, improve utilization, and better protect critical data. VMware VIP partners can expand on their extensive skills in x86 server virtualization and extend into the desktop. By aligning with Avnet, partners can leverage value add offerings around marketing, services, supplier alignment and finance to build out a comprehensive VDI solution and readily take it to market.
