Virtualization and Cloud executives share their predictions for 2015. Read them in this VMblog.com series exclusive.
Contributed article by Emanuel Pirker, CEO, Stratodesk
Corp.
More Companies Will Turn Legacy PCs into VDI Thin Clients at Up to 90 Percent Savings
Many organizations are entering a new year with old desktops and
laptops that they don't want to replace. They have better, more strategic uses
for scarce IT funds than upgrading their PCs.
We see a growing trend: Organizations are deploying virtual desktops
while repurposing their traditional PCs and laptops as virtual desktop
infrastructure (VDI) thin clients. They get the advantages of virtual desktops
while saving up to 90 percent compared to the cost of buying new thin
clients.*
As part of this change, we expect the following mini-trends to continue:
Windows is disappearing from
re-purposed PCs
When a PC is repurposed, it's possible to keep Windows on it and make it
automatically launch the Citrix or VMware virtual desktop client on boot-up. The
drawback, however, is that any version of Windows on the endpoint still needs
to be maintained and updated, and protected with security software.
Instead, we're seeing organizations get rid of Windows on endpoints. Windows
can be more efficiently maintained on the server that hosts centralized virtual
desktop images. Why should organizations have two versions of Windows? Instead,
they are replacing Windows on the endpoint with a low profile operating system
such as Linux that converts the PC into a zero or ultrathin client, with no
local software or storage.
It's simpler to test repurposing
Look for repurposing software that can boot from a USB memory stick, enabling
easy testing without affecting Windows or installing any software on your hard drive.
If you like what you see, your repurposing software should have a
write/overwrite option that deletes Windows when you install it, along with a
secure erase/overwrite capability that removes all content on hard drives.
It's easier to avoid vendor
lock-in when repurposing PCs
Many in IT are wary of any change that locks them into proprietary
technology. Buying a PC didn't involve vendor lock-in-you could choose any
model, and vendors had to compete for the business. But many thin client
vendors offer proprietary management software that restricts an organization to
buying from a limited list of thin clients going forward.
Some thin client vendors also offer PC-repurposing software. This is an
entry point for them to talk with prospective customers, whom they will try and
upsell to their higher-margin thin clients.
We're seeing more organizations examine any repurposing software's specifications
closely. If it comes from a hardware vendor, it often has restrictions on the types
of thin clients that can be bought once repurposed PCs need replacement-and
they eventually will need replacement.
There's a growing trend toward thin client management software that is
vendor and hardware agnostic. This enables an organization to repurpose its old
PCs as well as incorporate any other
type of thin client it would like to introduce.
Customers want PC-repurposing software
to support Wi-Fi
PC-repurposing software should enable users to connect easily to an
enterprise Wi-Fi network, as well as other Wi-Fi networks in the field. It
should have an easy-to-use interface that enables this.
A solution should support
multiple monitors
Many workers benefit from more than one monitor. Organizations want a PC-repurposing
solution that supports a multi-monitor mode. Also, some solutions support just
standard VGA drivers. Organizations want more flexibility, and they're seeking
out solutions that support CRT, VGA, HDMI, DVI, and DP monitor interfaces.
PC-repurposing is quickly
growing in popularity
The funds that organizations save by repurposing their PCs can be
reinvested-one organization saved $30,000 a year by not
having to refresh laptops, enabling it to purchase an all-flash storage array
that maximizes VDI performance. Because of the array, they can host
compute-intensive applications on user laptops that they didn't have the power
to run before. Repurposing PCs and deploying virtual desktops can add
tremendous value to an organization. It makes business sense and will continue
to grow as a trend.
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About the Author
Emanuel Pirker, founder of Stratodesk, is an entrepreneur
with a technical background and a passion for creating systems and solutions
that can be shipped and multiplied and that scale up well. Pirker has a master's
degree in computer science from Klagenfurt University, Austria, and worked for
Silicon Graphics, Inc. (SGI) in Mountain View, California, and LISCON, an
Austrian thin client manufacturer, before founding Stratodesk.
