One of the benefits of a VDI/DaaS for organizations is that data is never saved locally to devices. For mobile devices/laptops that can suddenly turn up missing, information can’t be compromised, because it is only displayed as pixels on a screen. The very nature of remote data/local presentation inherent to VDI/DaaS is especially valuable if there is a failure to a desktop or other device. Because end users can access their virtual desktop from another device, they can be more productive – especially in the architectural and construction field – where mobility can be of significant value.
On the other hand, virtual desktops are not simple to deploy and building out the infrastructure is expensive. There is no guarantee that the project will be successful, because you can’t predict user experience. Lack of comparable desktop performance was once a major inhibitor to adoption. Solid state back-end storage is now the standard to provide the burst I/O required, which has solved most performance concerns. Employees aren’t always on board when new technology is implemented, so it’s important to anticipate that user acceptance will vary. Even still, approval can fluctuate depending on the ease with which they can gain access. Because different environments may provide better accessibility and functionality, moving from device to device could be frustrating for employees.
How should an organization weigh the cost/benefit of a VDI/DaaS implementation?
Pricing for VDI/DaaS can present sticker shock for some organizations. I sometimes see this being a go/no go for the project overall. It’s important to note that cost is not and should never be a driving force for DaaS. Simplicity, Security, Scalability and efficiency of the workforce are the keys. In addition, a successful implementation of DaaS will relieve some of the resource demand placed on you IT support team.
When is it time to grow your DaaS environment?
For organizations that use a combination of technologies for mobile access, they may want a more comprehensive desktop delivery solution. In addition, geography plays a role in considering whether to grow your DaaS environment. Companies with a distributed employee base might have distributed offices that require desktops but doesn’t warrant an IT team on premise. This is especially true with virtual, home-based employees.
When those locations extend internationally, the additional concern of securing data and intellectual property comes into play. Risk mitigation and loss of intellectual property must be considered as part of the ROI. International travel also presents a security risk, in terms of devices being lost or stolen. And the broader the workforce, the more an organization has to plan for transporting and protecting data and determining on which devices that information can be safely stored.
How to boost ROI?
The DaaS option allows an organization to experience the benefits of a virtual desktop, without the overhead cost of building the infrastructure. DaaS offers a variety of solutions to meet the demands of your organization, and Connection can assist in the migration of data and structuring of the virtual environment to ensure optimum performance.
