Trend

Virtual Desktop Infrastructure to fuel thin client sales

Taking a cue from the benefits derived from server and storage virtualization, businesses are starting to look at simplifying desktop management by deploying thin clients incorporating VDI. By Mohd Shariff PA

A few years ago desktop virtualization was a concept. Today this concept has become reality in India. Taking a leaf out of the server and storage playbooks where virtualization has been the mantra for quite a while now, something similar is taking place vis-à-vis thin clients as well. This has become a major focus area for companies in the IT/ITES segment. Thin client vendors such as Neoware, NEC, HP and Wyse are putting their weight behind Virtual Desktop Infrastructure (VDI) wherein companies can host desktops inside virtual machines running on centralized servers and users access their virtual desktops remotely from a thin client using a remote display protocol.

Sowinder Singh, Director, Parrus IT Solutions [strategic partner for NeoWare in APAC] says, “VDI in thin clients provides the user with a richer client-based operating environment such as Windows XP, while overcoming the limitations of a conventional server-based computing environment. With VDI incorporated in a thin client, the user enjoys better application compatibility and a familiar user interface.”

NEC even offers smooth video playback and IP telephony capabilities in its Virtual PC centre solution.

Recent announcement by vendors represent yet another step in the long and winding road to thin client nirvana. These solutions have come a long way in the past few years, but have managed to do so without attracting undue attention. Vendors have promoted the use of both thin client service delivery architecture and VMware Enterprise Desktop Virtualization, as the combination of the two is potent.

Business drivers

The VMware Virtual Desktop Infrastructure (VDI) solution is a result of the collaboration between vendors and VMware to make the Thin Client OS aware of key VMware VDI technologies. The end result, Thin OS-VDI Edition, is designed to enhance the user experience and functionality. Arun Rao, Business Manager – Client Virtualization, Personal Systems Group, Hewlett-Packard India says, “Delivering all the qualities associated with VMware VDI in a single ‘push the power button to work’ device, the solution incorporates the new Thin OS-VDI edition software and is delivered on the thin client appliance.”

According to a NEC official the major driving factors VDI in thin clients are security, manageability, reliability, availability and, last but not the least, a reduction in overall TCO. With NEC Sigma System Centre (SSC) featuring system provisioning and deployment manager, it is easy to manage the IT infrastructure more efficiently. Enterprise Desktop Virtualization allows organization to deploy small, secure thin clients on the user’s desktop and then link them to their own virtual desktop machines residing on centrally managed servers. This provides an organization with the opportunity to utilize a totally stateless desktop device as the user access platform. These thin clients are simple in nature with no moving parts and, more specifically, no user accessible local operating system software to accidentally corrupt. The end result? The near elimination of IT support for desktop users. Singh says, “There is no way that any business information will be stored on the device, as the thin client lacks local storage, thereby greatly enhancing enterprise security. Similarly if a device fails, a new thin client device can be plugged into the power outlet and the network cable connected and it is ready to use. Indeed, any user can log into a desktop from any thin client system in the enterprise.”

NEC believes that in today’s IT environment the most valuable component is an organization’s ‘Intellectual Property’ (IP). With data stored in centralized storage and the end user having no option for using removable devices, chances of data theft are zeroed. Additionally with NEC’s VPCC Solution, a customer’s resources can be dynamically allocated to virtual machines leading to better resource utilization and the advantage of being able to move data away from PC silos securely to the data centre. Jim Lenox, general manager, Asia South, VMWare says, “VDI integration with thin clients solution allows users to securely access applications and information anywhere, anytime while being easily scalable to meet growing business demands and reducing the cost of upgrades, updates, running and support costs. VDI, or virtual device infrastructure, is a relatively new scheme pushed by VMware, among others. It runs your desktop remotely as a VMware virtual PC and you log on as a thin client. As a testimony we have the top five Indian BPOs using our VDI solution.”

Desktop virtualization ensures the consolidation of all resources in a centralized controlled environment without affecting performance. With thin clients on desks the power consumption is also dramatically reduced leading to a reduction in TCO. Adoption of these devices is not limited to medium businesses. Singh believes that it is the bigger companies that are demanding thin client technology as it gives complete control over usage for organizations. Jim also points out the issue of attrition that is haunting Indian BPOs. With a Thin Client VDI setup in place a new user can handle the system without any obstacles that a previous user may have created. Even the installation and upgrades can be done without the involvement of the user boosting productivity.

Greater scope for thin clients

Vendors believe that thin clients have a fair presence in the market and that VDI integration addresses those issues (software testing, software applications, IM etc) that traditional thin clients have been unable to deal with. The only rub is that the concept of virtualization is still in its early stages. That said, there is potential for the technology to take off with vendors, notably VMware, offering software packages that offer a richer end user experience on a thin client platform. Perhaps, all thin client vendors are looking for VDI integrated thin clients encompassing software and hardware packages that can lead to a rethink about how a company’s fleet of PCs can be better controlled. Rao says, “As companies grow they are looking at thin clients, and VDI integration adds value to that concept. As a leading vendor HP believes that this market will grow and that more companies will adopt this model.”

Sify and NEC have already announced a strategic partnership to promote thin client computing in India. The collaboration is said to enable thin client computing in India with NEC supplying virtual PC centers to Sify, which utilize them to provide thin client systems to customers as an outsourced service. According to NEC officials this partnership aims at the installation of 100,000 terminals and 6,000 servers within the first three years of business in India. NEC says that business and economies worldwide are evolving from a PC based computing model to a network-centric computing model.

So will thin clients replace PCs? The answer is ‘not likely’. However, they will prove popular with select segments of the industry where attrition is an issue or where security is all important. Other than IT/ITES, BFSI and telecom are other likely prospects for this technology.