Server virtualization can help customers reduce costs by consolidating servers and containing their sprawl. Virtualization also makes it easier to provision and manage a server farm, and it can facilitate business continuity and reduceenergy consumption.

These user benefits are matched by an excellent business proposition for solution providers. Virtualization, according to IDC, is expected to account for sales of $22 billion in servers alone by 2011, with much additional revenue coming from sales of software, network storage and professional services.

Now another monster opportunity is emerging -- virtualizing the desktop itself. Called virtual client, virtual desktop, virtual hosted desktop or virtual desktop infrastructure (VDI, our preferred term), the solution uses virtualization software to create multiple virtual machines on an x86 server. Each virtual machine is an isolated desktop environment, complete with OS and applications, that can be customized for each user. Diskless thin clients provide access via connection-broker software, linking users to either their unique desktops or a shared desktop pool.

The user experience, ideally,would be similar to that of a conventional PC, while IT staffers would gain more control and lower costs through centralized security, storage, user provisioning and management. IDC expects client virtualization software to be worth $1.7 billion by 2011 -- a boon for virtualization practices now able to target the desktop.

“I see VDI solutions starting to gain traction,” says Jon Busshart, technology solutions engineer and leader of the Virtualization Help Desk at Ingram Micro. “Solution providers see the value that server virtualization brings, and they start looking to bring that value to the desktop. That is the catalyst.”

Executives at VMware agree. “A lot of our partners have started with server consolidation and server containment,” says Julie Eades, director of channel marketing at VMware. “They like the opportunity to extend their practices to desktop use-cases as well, using the same VMware tools and technologies they know today and further extending their services.”

Active Vendor Support
The vendor community has been active in providing elements of the total VDI solution:

• VMware has introduced Virtual Desktop Manager, a connection broker and management platform, as well as ACE software for mobilizing virtual desktops on portable storage devices or notebook PCs.
• Citrix Systems, a leader in application virtualization through terminal services, offers XenServer and XenDesktop virtualization software from its acquisition of XenSource, the open-source ISV.
• Microsoft’s Virtual Server 2005 technology can be used in VDI solutions, and the new Hyper-V hypervisor software should enable VDI as well.
• Hewlett-Packard and IBM support VDI with hardware and software solution bundles.
• Wyse Technology, HP and others offer wired and wireless thin clients.
• Niche software players such as PlateSpin, recently acquired by Novell, and Vizioncore add pieces to the VDI puzzle.

Worth a Careful Look
Solution provider Zunesis uses products from VMware, HP and others in its VDI deployments. The company began looking into the technology a year ago for its potential as a value-added solution.

"VDI and other alternative client technologies. enable solution providers to offer more integrated services," says Travis Brown, product manager, Thin Client Solutions, HP Personal Systems Group."In addition to client infrastructure, they can provide security services, systems administration and complete life-cycle management,"

Because x86 server virtualization itself is fairly new, VDI is generally at the request-for-information or proof-ofconcept stage, but that may be changing. Zunesis has VDI proposals out for thousands of seats, as does Mainline Information Systems, a large IBM solution provider."Our view is that 2007 was the year of looking into VDI and testing it out, and 2008 is the year when proof-ofconcepts will roll into production," says Bill Nemesi, vice president at Mainline. "We’re seeing that early on."

VDI’s Customer Benefits
The best prospects are in industries such as financial services, government, education and healthcare -- "wherever they have data that they don't want getting into other people's hands, "Nemesi says." Every time you hear about someone losing a hard drive that contained critical information, it really strengthens the argumentfor centralized solutions like VDI."

Tighter data security and easier regulatory compliance are core selling points. Centralized storage protects sensitive information from theft and unauthorized distribution, as do diskless thin clients.And each virtual desktop includes security applications under centralized control, reducing the threat from rogue end points.

VDI also assists in disaster recovery and business continuity planning. Although VDI servers are a single point of failure, virtual desktops can be easily migrated to another server, and application data can be replicated off-site. In a disaster users can access their desktops from home using the Remote Desktop Protocol found on every PC.

IT staff (and managed services providers) can profit from the ease of provisioning and maintaining virtual desktops -- "the greater ability to change and update the virtual machine at any given time," says Jerry Chen, senior director, enterprise desktop, at VMware. Administrators can simply replace a failed device with a new thin client, and centralized, templated provisioning can streamline "adds, deletes and moves," as well as patching and updating software. Energy efficiency and environmental friendliness add to the value proposition.

To some customers, such benefits are priceless. More typically, however, solution providers will need to cost-justify the move. VDI promises initial costs similar to a PC upgrade -- about $800 per user for a 300-user package, says Nemesi -- with operational efficiency delivering significant long-term savings. "When you factor in the reduced ownership costs due to easier management, lower upgrade costs and power savings," he says, "VDI offers a compelling argument."

Getting Help from Ingram Micro
Want to jump-start your VDI practice? Ingram Micro offers a Virtualization Help Desk, as well as licensing desks for VMware, Citrix, Microsoft, Vizioncore and PlateSpin. To reach the Virtualization Help Desk, Ingram Micro’s customers can call technical support at (800) 445-5066, ext. 76237.