By
Tyrone F. Pike, CEO, FileShadow
Today we're enjoying a computing
renaissance with IT departments enlisting both the simplicity of virtual
desktops and the reliability of cloud storage solutions. Specialists in two
distinctly different areas-creators of virtual desktops and storage
platforms-are mastering their offerings to make them necessities in the office
and at home. However, you wouldn't go to your virtual desktop provider to meet
your storage needs, no more than you'd rely on your storage provider to meet
your virtual desktop needs.
Digital asset
management solutions empower experts to do what they do best and focus on
making constant improvements to their respective fields. By taking advantage of
data synchronization, thin provisioned storage, and security measures, users
can enjoy the best of both worlds by seamlessly combining virtual desktops with
massive archives of data.
Constant
Data Synchronization
Since 2005, the
number of non-self-employed individuals who regularly work from home has grown
by 173 percent. One
of the significant advantages of using a virtual desktop is the mobility and
convenience of accessing applications and files from anywhere. Reachable from a
variety of hardware options (e.g., laptops, desktop computers, tablets, and
smartphones), users need only a modern web browser, Wi-Fi, and the proper
credentials to access their desktop.
The challenge then
is for this virtual desktop to experience consistent cohesion between the
desktop instance and users' storage locations. We all have files stored in
multiple places, such as Google Drive, Dropbox, external hard drives, etc. The
virtual desktop cannot be expected to be the primary-and only-holder of your
content. The best way to synchronize your storage between the virtual desktop
and your other storage areas is through a digital asset management application.
By using a digital
asset management app, any modifications a user makes to files on virtual
desktops-or in any of their storage locations-are instantly synchronized to the
Cloud. With a single search, this data synchronization makes it possible for
users to generate results from content stored throughout their virtual desktop
and storage solutions universe.
Thin-Provisioned
Storage on Demand
The cloud storage
market is forecast to reach a value of $88.9 billion by
2022. That monumental figure represents a sum total of the data stored by users
all around the world. While digital asset management systems make it possible
for individuals to access and search all their data at once, there may never be
an occasion that requires a user to synchronize their entire stockpile of
content directly to their virtual desktop. Doing so could easily exceed the
capacity-and budget-of a user's virtual desktop instance and storage space.
Thin-provisioned
storage gives users immediate access to all their content without impacting the
desktop computer. Only when a user elects to edit or modify their content will
those exact files be downloaded on demand to their virtual desktop, changed,
then uploaded back to the Cloud.
In the big picture,
this means that users can take advantage of the archiving, aggregating and
searching capabilities of a digital asset management tool while keeping the
files stored in their respective cloud vault. It also helps to cut costs for IT
departments who won't have to generate space on local storage devices.
Peace-of-Mind
Security
According to Gartner contributor Laurence Goasduff, "Ransomware families
have grown by more than 700% since 2016". As of August 2019, the New York Times
reported that more than "40 municipalities had been the victims of cyberattacks...from major cities such as
Baltimore, Albany and Laredo, Texas, to smaller towns including Lake City,
Florida".
Unfortunately,
virtual desktop users remain susceptible to the perils of ransomware. Should a
hacker penetrate the defenses of a user's machine, they can compromise, deny
access to and possibly destroy all of that person's stored content. This threat
becomes a serious security issue and costly problem for the ransomware target.
Cybercrime Magazine Editor-in-Chief Steve Morganto predicts that global
ransomware damage costs will reach $20 billion U.S. dollars by the year 2021.
However, if a
digital asset management provider protects that user's data, they'll be able to
recover all of their files instantly from a secure cloud vault. Even if a
hacker is holding their records hostage, users can still access the latest
versions-with full tracking of all revisions-from their desktop app.
Data portability
has become the new norm. There has never been a higher demand for creators of
virtual desktops and storage platforms to develop envelope-pushing products and
services. With data asset management, thin provisioned storage, and built-in
security measures, these services play a pivotal role in uniting virtual
desktops and multiple cloud storage sources together to give users instant
access to all of their content.
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About the Author
Mr. Tyrone F. Pike is the Founder of
FileShadow, Inc. and serves as its Chief Executive Officer and President. With
more than 35 years of experience in the high-tech sector, Tyrone has held
numerous top executive positions in software, software systems integration and
networking infrastructure companies, including Solid Instance, Sparxent Inc.,
Bravara Communication, Inc. and InterNAP Network Services Corporate. In 1996,
he founded VPNX.com and served as its President and Chief Executive Officer. As
Founder and Chairman of LAN Systems, he guided its successful product line and
then negotiated the sale of LAN Systems' software division to Intel Corporation
and its systems integration division to RR Donnelly & Sons. His expertise
spans across a wide range of domain areas: cloud computing, messaging,
archiving, disaster recovery, networking and Web services. He serves as the
Chairman of the Board of Solid Instance, Inc. He has served as a Director of
Citrix Systems, Inc. and Sparxent Inc. Mr. Pike holds an AB in Architecture
from Princeton University.