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Vietnamese Most IT organizations are locked into a desktop computing (including laptops and monitors) refresh cycle of 3-5 years. Enterprise refresh cycles appear to be out of sync with industry norm when it comes to technology refresh and this continues to drive a wedge between IT and the business units as both grapple with the need to continually innovate business processes using technology as an enabler.
One technology that has the potential to reduce the gap is Desktop virtualization or client virtualization. Based on the same principles as server virtualization where multiple virtual machines (VM) are created off a single physical server and applications are created and run off these VMs concurrently with others without impacting performance and availability.
According to Neville Burdan, General Manager for Virtualization & Microsoft solutions, Dimension Data Asia Pacific, desktop virtualization is the separation of a personal computing desktop environment from the physical machine allowing a user to access his desktop from virtually any device – phone, iPad, laptop, even an older desktop. "From an IT perspective, desktop virtualization promises to save money over the long term because you will only need to manage one standard desktop (virtual yes) regardless of the physical attribute of the access device the user is using at the time of access," he adds.
Gartner notes that desktop virtualization is not a single market category, but rather is made up of four distinct markets that address different requirements – virtualization software, hosted virtual desktops, application virtualization and portable personality solutions. It provides mechanisms for centralizing a thick-client desktop PC without the need to re-engineer applications for centralized execution. It is made of server virtualization software to host desktop software, a session management software layer to connect users to their desktops, and tools to provision, monitor and manage the HVD environment.
A Forrester Research survey on desktop virtualization (commissioned by Dimension Data) found that more than 50 per cent of surveyed companies ranked desktop and application virtualization as a critical or major initiative over the next 12 to 18 months. Respondents predict deployment levels to grow from 27 per cent to 46 per cent, taking the number of virtual desktops in organizations from hundreds, to tens of thousands over the next two years.
The survey cites a shift in the type of technologies used in the enterprises as well as its ownership (Bring Your Own Device or BYOD) with up to 22 per cent of organizations now providing support for employee-owned laptops, tablets and smart phones. The trend indicates this to continue with a further 16 to 21 per cent planning to do so over next two years.
Cloud computing presents a new opportunity for IT to push the desktop virtualization story. According to Forrester Research, new applications, more efficient remote access for mobile devices and quicker time to deploy are driving organizations to question whether deployments always need to be in-sourced and on-premise.
Cloud-hosted and managed applications and infrastructure services are helping companies realize CAPEX savings. And because many organizations still have legacy infrastructures in placed, it is likely that a hybrid approach will be the norm as companies balance their legacy infrastructure with new capabilities and investments.
Technology virtualization has matured to the point where companies are sufficiently comfortable to deploy the technology. Overall, 40 per cent of organizations view investing in, or implementing desktop and application virtualization as a high priority. A further 12 per cent believe this is a critical priority over the next 12 to 18 months.
