The In's and Out's of Virtual Desktops

There are many parts that cloud computing encompasses. One of those is Virtual desktops. A virtual desktop is one of many operating systems that are run off centralized servers that pool their resources together. A user would connect to the virtual desktop remotely from a device that has an internet connection. The VDI (Virtual Desktop Infrastructure) uses the server's hardware to do all the processing and saving of data. Therefore, your own device is only used as a gateway to your virtual computer where all the work is done. How can they benefit me? A virtual desktop can benefit you in many different ways depending on your requirements. Below is a list of ways explaining how:

Cost:

One way they can benefit you is by saving you money on electricity. By using a virtual desktop you save your computer from having to do all the processing that it would usually do. Therefore, you will save money on electricity. Tied in with the last point is saving money on computer maintenance. With all the processing moved to the cloud, your computer will be running on minimal process. This would mean that your hardware will not get worn out as fast as a normal computer's would. Also, being that a VDI is on a centralized server means that it can be easily accessed by a computer technician. This means they can diagnose and fix the problem faster than fixing conventional problems.

Flexibility

A great reason for using a virtual desktop is to extend the capabilities of what you can do on your PC. What I mean is that, unless you have a top of the range PC then you won't be able to run everything and even then, depending on the operating system you are using, you won't be able to run OS specified applications. For example, Say your computer is running Windows 7. It does the majority of things that you want to do. However, for work you need to use an application that you can only use on Apple Mac's to get your work done. With a virtual desktop you could have VDI with Mac OS installed on it in a short period of time. Also, with a VDI, they can be changed on the fly. Things like memory, upgrades, applications etc. can all be added while VDI is in use. This means there is far less down time is needed for maintenance and to upgrade the VDI.

Connectivity

A great thing about Virtual Desktops is their ability to be used anywhere. By having your virtual desktop in the cloud, all you need to access it is a PC with an internet connection. This would be very handy for someone who works from home or moves around a lot for work. As long as they have a PC and an internet connection they would be able to access all their documents, emails, and applications etc. from the virtual desktop.