The traditional PC as the corporate ‘thick client’ has long been at the forefront of desktop computing. It has represented a favourable compromise between functionality, performance and cost. However, a number of challenges remain: 

Desktop Management: Centralising desktop management is an extremely difficult task in the face of a broadly distributed computing environment and the corporate workforce, who increasingly require secure on-demand access to their desktop environment from anywhere. Furthermore, desktops are notoriously difficult to standardise because of the variety of PC hardware and users’ needs to modify desktop environments.

Total Cost of Ownership: The relatively low cost of PC hardware is often more than offset by the high cost of PC management and support. Ongoing PC management including deployment of software, updates and patches can be labour-intensive and time consuming because of the need to test and validate deployments for a wide variety of PC configurations. Likewise, the lack of standardisation and the need for support personnel to troubleshoot issues in person and on-site raise support costs dramatically.

Data Security: Ensuring that data on PCs is successfully backed up and can be restored when PCs fail or files are lost is a significant challenge. Even when data is successfully backed up, the risk of PC theft threatens the security of important data.

Low Resource Utilisation: The distributed nature of PCs makes it difficult to pool resources to improve utilisation and reduce costs. As a result, PCs are often less than five percent utilised, remote offices require duplicate desktop infrastructures, and remote desktop solutions may be required for mobile workers. 

According to Wikipedia, Virtual Desktop Infrastructure (VDI) is a server-centric computing model that borrows from the traditional thin-client model but is designed to give system administrators and end users the best of both worlds: the ability to host and centrally manage desktop virtual machines in the data centre while giving end users a full PC desktop experience.

This form of desktop virtualisation provides many advantages, including:

·        Instant provisioning of new desktops

·        Near-zero downtime in the event of hardware failures

·        Significant reduction in the cost of new application deployment

·        Robust desktop image management capabilities

·        Normal 2-3 year PC refresh cycle extended to 5-6 years or more

·        Existing desktop-like performance including multiple monitors, bi-directional audio/video, streaming video, USB support etc.

·        Ability to access the users’ enterprise desktop environment from any PC, (including the employee’s home PC)

·        Desktop computing power on demand

·        Multiple desktops on demand

·        Self provisioning of desktops (controlled by policies)