Why Do We Need Virtual Desktops?
More than a decade ago, when desktop virtualization technology first emerged, personal computers were still relatively expensive and management costs were high, so reducing usage costs was an important reason for enterprises to deploy desktop virtualization. However, with the rapid development of hardware technology, personal computers have become increasingly affordable, and procurement costs are no longer a justification for desktop virtualization. The control of employee desktops has become the primary driving force behind desktop virtualization.
First, desktop virtualization helps improve the management efficiency of the work desktop environment. Standardized virtual desktops can be deployed quickly and flexibly, making it easier for IT HelpDesk to quickly identify faults and resolve issues, thereby increasing employee satisfaction with IT services. The improvement in management efficiency also significantly reduces the management costs of enterprise desktops. Secondly, from an information security perspective, the characteristics of virtual desktops make them inherently more secure than traditional physical desktops. Whether it is the isolation of workspaces or the protection of corporate intellectual property, virtual desktops can more easily implement various security control measures. Therefore, virtual desktops are welcomed by various industries, including government, finance, software development, and engineering design. New Technologies in Desktop VirtualizationTraditional desktop virtualization technology is called VDI (Virtual Desktop Infrastructure). It is a centralized technology that runs all virtualized desktops on backend servers, with users accessing remote desktops located in data centers through thin clients. The benefits of centralized management include unified desktop management, operation in data centers, and professional operation and maintenance management, which enhance reliability and security. Although centralized virtual desktops have advantages in reliability and security, they require high network bandwidth for communication between clients and virtual desktops. If network congestion occurs, it can lead to a decline in user experience. A significant portion of enterprises that have implemented desktop virtualization projects have faced challenges due to this issue. In response to this situation, a distributed desktop virtualization technology has emerged in recent years, where virtual desktops run on users’ laptops, requiring minimal network bandwidth. However, these virtual desktops are still centrally controlled by backend servers, allowing users to benefit from the security advantages of centralized virtual desktops. The trend of technology suggests that separation leads to reunification; distributed desktop virtualization technology can be seen as a response to this trend. With the advancement of laptop hardware, computational power is now sufficiently robust, and the vast majority of daily office operations consume only a small portion of hardware resources, allowing for effortless operation of a virtual machine on top of that. Compared to centralized technology, distributed desktop virtualization technology has the following advantages:1Lower CostsUnlike centralized technology, distributed technology does not require powerful servers and expensive storage resources; all computing is moved to the client side. The backend server only needs to provide desktop image downloads (a one-time operation) and manage virtual machine policies, eliminating the need for traditional VDI server clusters. Generally, only one server is required. From a software licensing perspective, distributed technology is also significantly less expensive than centralized technology. For instance, with Microsoft’s Windows 10, users can not only save on Microsoft Virtual Desktop Access (VDA) licenses (approximately $100/year), but also avoid the licensing costs of the virtual desktop Windows operating system (Windows 10 allows up to 4 instances to run on the same machine).2High SecurityDistributed technology encrypts virtual desktops, ensuring that even if a laptop is lost, the virtual desktop cannot be accessed without a password. Additionally, there is a complete set of security policies for managing virtual desktop security, controlling various behaviors of the virtual machine, such as whether to allow access to USB devices or data exchange with the laptop. Therefore, distributed technology can also meet corporate requirements for office desktop security management, supporting typical business needs like dual network isolation and data not being stored locally.3Wide ApplicabilityDistributed technology overcomes some limitations of centralized VDI, making it more flexible. For example, distributed technology requires very little network bandwidth and can even work offline for periods, making it more suitable for various mobile office scenarios (such as business trips). Some desktop virtualization projects that were previously stalled or abandoned due to network speed issues can be revived using distributed technology.4Better User ExperienceDistributed virtual desktops run on laptops, eliminating network latency. Applications that are sensitive to network latency, such as video editing and CAD design, will experience better performance. Furthermore, distributed technology aligns with employees’ desire for personalized office computers, allowing employees to bring their own devices to work or choose personalized laptops; the office desktop remains standardized, making IT support straightforward. Distributed technology divides laptops into personal (local machine) and office (virtual desktop) spaces, allowing for unrestricted installation of personalized software in the personal space while maintaining a standardized and compliant office environment. In conclusion, while many advantages of distributed technology have been discussed, it will not completely replace traditional centralized technology. They are simply two branches of desktop virtualization technology, each with its strengths. We must choose a specific technology for implementing desktop virtualization based on actual application scenarios and business needs. For more information on the specific implementation of distributed desktop virtualization technology, please refer to “Distributed Desktop Security Container Horizon FLEX.”