VDI: Past and Present

There have been a lot of changes in desktop virtualization in the past year or so. Where once we were pretty happy if we could deliver a virtual desktop directly to a client that had specific software for receiving a virtual desktop, today we have so many more options. In reality, the VDI story has changed to the EUC story. VDI is certainly one of the important use cases (for users that are well-connected to the network), but end-user computing now addresses the other aspects, from a disconnected user to a modern application delivery system that gives us SSO access to apps, SAAS, content and desktops, through devices with a HTML5 browsers—all managed with an Enterprise Mobility Manager.

Today I’d like to talk about the top changes in the world of desktop virtualization and share how they change the way your organization functions.  

1. Evolution of application management: The most important change has come in the area of application management. VMware has recently released a product called App Volumes. App Volumes is a real-time application delivery and lifecycle management tool. Enterprises can use App Volumes to build real-time application delivery systems that ensure that applications are centrally managed. Applications are delivered to desktops through virtual disks. There is no need to modify desktops or applications themselves, and the App Volumes solution can also be used to address user installed apps.

2. User profiles: Using VMware View persona management, we can easily remove the user profiles from living in the actual desktop, store them separately and attach them to the users’ desktops as they log on. This is a real-time delivery of their profiles to their virtual desktops, even a brand new desktop that they are logging into for the first time.

3. Increased graphics capabilities: Today, we have the ability to get very good graphic capabilities in virtual desktop. We can put graphic cards in servers and deliver a slice of the GPU to multiple virtual desktops.

4. Access your virtual desktop through a browser: This is a new and exciting change to come to virtualization. Now you don’t need any specialized hardware and supported client to access your virtual desktop—you can access your virtual desktop from any modern browser, making it possible to check in to work from anywhere.

Deliver data center excellence with Cisco UCS for VDI—watch the first video, VDI Past and Present, and then continue with the rest of the series to see where virtualization is taking us today.