Private Cloud Desktops: An Emerging Trend?
One of the easiest methods of rolling out new desktop interfaces is to deliver the computer’s desktop using Virtual Desktop Infrastructure. Technical research firms agree that the cloud VDI market will grow at an exponential rate in the next couple of years. The term VDI has been made popular by Citrix however the term can be applied to many different types of cloud desktop offerings.
Before deploying private cloud desktops, it is important to have a game plan for how you are going to manage this infrastructure. Many technical operations teams believe that they can deploy cloud desktops the same way that virtual servers are deployed. The differences are stark and since end users will be using these services, it is imperative that you provide a desktop experience that is both productive and better than what they already have.
Managing your Private Cloud Desktop Deployment
Microsoft’s System Center and Configuration Manager 2012 is currently the gold standard for managing an end user’s enterprise experience. In SCCM 2012, you can seamlessly integrate into your already existing corporate domain and active directory schema to provide desktop services and apps to your user base. With a simple GPO, you can enable certain users to have remote desktop privileges which will allow your users to connect to your corporate network using a method such as VPN in order to access their desktop workspace securely.
SCCM 2012 can completely manage a user’s experience. You can provide Software as a Service, manage mobile devices and run queries that can tell you more about your user’s needs. The best part of SCCM 2012 is the amount of support available for the suite. The SCCM 2012 interface is extremely agile and can be leveraged for a variety of different tasks. The most powerful feature of SCCM is the ability to manage the back end of your private cloud desktop deployment in conjunction with Virtual Machine Manager. SCCM 2012 is available from Microsoft as a 180 day evaluation. This try before you buy model will help you realize the true functionality of this suite without paying upfront for licensing.
Private VDI isn’t just a trend. It is here to stay. People have grown accustomed to the desktop experience and with the emergence of mobile devices that function better than many of the thin clients on the market today; it makes sense for businesses to make the investment in these services in order to save on hardware and IT staffing costs.
