Virtualization and Cloud executives share their predictions for 2015.  Read them in this VMblog.com series exclusive.

Contributed article by Henning Volkmer, CEO, Cortado Inc.

2015 - The Number of Virtual Desktops Being Added at Any Given Moment

2015 will bring a significant step forward for the virtual desktop. Why? What will be different from last year? Well, all of the players in the virtual desktop space have stepped up their game like never before.

Acquisitions and significant investments into development have created a landscape more competitive than ever. Much respected executives have returned or assumed new, influential roles to help drive adoption of the virtual desktop. The virtual desktop has never been a more attractive proposition to the enterprise than today.

It is powerful, customizable, accessible and cost effective. So why am I writing about it? The concept already seems to have a lot going for it.

It is because it offers a unique possibility to improve upon one of the most expensive, disliked, yet critically needed enterprise technologies: office printing.

It is impossible to do without office printers, but they are too expensive, too complicated, too inefficient to assign to users and not really friendly towards "new" devices like tablets and smartphones. In short, something is always wrong and consuming valuable resources that could otherwise be used to truly grow businesses.

Why is the virtual desktop such a great opportunity to dispense of printing headaches? It brings the majority of our applications into the same data center as print servers. It's an opportunity to provide printing as a true enterprise service, independent of a user's workstation, device or printer.

Who does an enterprise need to talk to when it comes to printing? Generally, not printer manufacturers or printer leasing companies. Alternatively, there are a few smaller, yet globally present companies that have specialized in reducing print data volume, especially across WANs, bringing the huge flock of printer drivers under control with a simple, consistent interface to users and more.

What kind of benefits can enterprises expect to see from temporarily spending even more time on printing? There is quite a wide array but here are a few: 

• Reduce the impact of printing on the infrastructure by more than 90 percent
• Reduce the time spent administering printing by more than 60 percent
• Reduce the number of print-related help desk calls by 80 percent
• Add printing as a true enterprise service, not a per desktop hassle
• Add security to legacy technology
• Add support for tablets and smartphones with or without virtual desktops

Virtual desktops will be more popular than ever in 2015. So why not use the unique opportunity to revolutionize more than just the desktop? It's an investment that will pay off within a few months.

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About the Author

Henning Volkmer is the president and CEO of Cortado, Inc., driving the execution of the company's strategy as the leading innovator of the business class of cloud desktop services across the Americas.

Volkmer has established a broad technological background and has been at the forefront of mobile technology trends for the past seventeen years. In addition to holding various positions within the Cortado group, Volkmer served as part of a project team focused on reducing costs in the network infrastructure division with what is now Nokia Siemens Network.  Under Volkmer's direction, the ThinPrint brand has increased its lead as the premier print management software, while Cortado brand has become recognized as a pioneer business solution, shaping the future of the cloud desktop as a complete solution of MDM and productivity. 

Originally from Berlin, Germany, Henning currently resides in Denver, CO.