Q&A with Jim Curtin of Virtual Bridges - Page 2

VSM: Can the end user tell the difference between Gen1 and Gen2?

JC: VDI Gen2 solutions use the SPICE, RDP and NX protocols. Essentially Gen2 delivers the best performance using the appropriate protocol for the situation. It’s a true “provision-by-purpose” experience. SPICE in particular is a hi-def multimedia protocol that distributes graphics rendering between the client and server to deliver a good experience over the WAN. It works for both Windows and Linux desktops, and WAN and offline users. In addition, VDI Gen2 tackles some very frustrating things like universal printing that have long bothered users of VDI Gen1.

VSM: A lot has been made about the limited ROI associated with VDI?

JC: This was true. But it’s no longer an issue with VDI Gen2. Many first-generation VDI solutions required a heavy investment in expensive shared storage and third-party tools/configurations. VDI Gen2 tackles this by keeping capacity requirements in check and reducing the IOPS driven to the storage platform as well, whether DAS, NAS or SAN. In addition, cached I/O leverages local disks to optimize both read and write activities. VDI Gen2 customers experience real ROI, quickly.

VSM: What verticals are a good fit for VDI Gen2?

JC: Really any industry can benefit from VDI Gen2. In particular, we’re seeing very strong interest and results in the education vertical. Across the U.S., K-12 districts schools are facing some of the most aggressive budget cuts we’ve ever seen. VDI Gen2 is helping many districts simplify desktop virtualization, extend PC lifecycles, lower hardware acquisition costs, reduce desktop management overhead, and more. And the results have been substantial. On average, our K-12 organizations are saving up to $400 per desktop and reducing support costs by up to 50 percent.

VSM: What are you seeing as key drivers for VDI Gen2 purchases?

JC: Currently, the biggest drivers are security and Windows 7 migrations. In terms of security, it really boils down to the ever-growing list of devices that IT has to support. How to give employees access while protecting the network – from both intentional and unintentional breaches. VDI Gen2 allows organizations to place desktops on the server. Because the OS is separated from the applications and data, organizations can easily provide their users with a fully personalized desktop, while protecting data on the server. User personalization such as documents, settings and bookmarks are stored separately and automatically blended into each user session to deliver a fully personalized desktop.

As far as Windows 7 migrations, the countdown is on. With support for Windows XP formally ending in April 2014, the decision is no longer “if” a company should migrate to Windows 7, it’s a question of “how” and “when.” Especially when you factor in deployment cycles. The clock is ticking. Upgrading to Windows 7 is a major undertaking. VDI can streamline the process and minimize the burden. According to Gartner, the worldwide hosted virtual desktop market will accelerate through 2013 to reach 49 million units, up from more than 500,000 units in 2009. There’s a huge market opportunity here.