Virtualization 301: So Your Virtualized, Whats Next? Bring Your Own Device

Location: Sovran, Inc. 2915 Commers Drive, Suite 100, Eagan MN 55121

Presenters: Patrick Gibson

For more than 30 years, the PC prevailed over mainframe computing. Now, thanks to a technology called Virtual Desktop Infrastructure (VDI), the desktop is moving back to the data center.
The idea behind VDI is to place desktop operating systems and applications on virtual machines that are created on servers inside the data center. Users access virtual desktops from their PC or thin client via a remote display protocol. The user experience is nearly identical to that of running applications from a PC. In addition to the benefits of central management, VDI is also an efficient way to replace problematic and end-of-life PCs. The advantages of VDI include:

Simplified desktop administration and management
Centralized security and data protection
Easy access by remote users
Efficient use of CPU and memory resources
Desktop downtime is reduced or eliminated
Patches and upgrades are quickly performed in the data center
Data and applications are centralized and secure
Operational expenses are reduced

During this event, we will present and demonstrate:

Building a virtual desktop infrastructure with VMware View and/or Citrix XenDesktop
Comparing costs of desktop ownership vs. VDI solutions
Hands-on user experiences