Best Virtual Desktop Infrastructure (VDI) Software

In the present scenario, IT infrastructure has become a competitive differentiator for businesses. Organizations apply innovative digital strategies and deploy futuristic technologies to stay competitive, relevant, and profitable. One such technology that unleashes digital transformation for modern organizations is the Virtual Desktop Infrastructure (VDI). The virtual desktop infrastructure addresses challenges of emerging security concerns due to remote workforces. When physical infrastructure becomes inaccessible due to remote workspaces, organizations have to implement technological solutions to ensure business continuity. VDI software technology brings centralization, speed, cost-efficiency, productivity, performance, and control to virtual desktop environments. It mitigates all challenges that businesses face in managing desktops and provides them a central point to run, optimize and manage their desktops and application data. 

However, with several VDI solutions offering high-end capabilities, managed operations, and flexible deployments, picking the most suitable and cost-efficient VDI software vendor is a challenging task. This buyer's guide, therefore, aims to assist businesses in selecting the most suited, trustworthy, and affordable VDI software solution for their businesses. This guide details all essential aspects, elements, and criteria that are of paramount importance to select the best virtual desktop infrastructure solution. 

Most employees have their own PCs/Laptops in the offices and applications that are installed locally on the desktop. In case a PC stops working or gets stolen, or an employee deletes files or drive-by error, it becomes very difficult to restore the data, including the application settings. Also, when all applications are installed on a particular computing device, the employee has to mandatorily use the same device for accessing files or applications. Virtual desktop infrastructure is a top-of-the-technology solution that mitigates this challenge by moving all apps and data to a secure, and central data server. 

Virtual Desktop Infrastructure (VDI) is a type of desktop delivery module that hosts the applications and desktop components from a centralized server, and therefore, even if the device or hardware is lost, the desktop data can be retrieved by logging in from another device. Users can access desktops from their office, home, remote locations, etc. Before the advent of virtualization technology, any computer hardware failure caused the operating system to crash. Most of the time, users lost all their data. VDI  separates OS and the hardware through software installed in the virtualization server. 

VDI works by creating virtualized desktop environments on remote servers. The operating system and applications are not installed on the endpoint devices but only displayed while being hosted from a centralized server. With centralized applications and computing environments, desktops don't need a separate application installation. Employees are given access to the apps and their desktop version through secure client login. With VDI, any user can access his or her desktop from anywhere with the internet. This means any desktop can run in no time. It frees the desktop experience from the hardware. Users can log into their desktops from anywhere and with any device while retaining the settings, customization, and user experience across devices.

Hypervisor: The software known as hypervisor creates multiple virtual servers with unique configurations and operating systems. In Virtual desktop infrastructure, the hypervisor creates various desktops that can be assigned to users via secure client login and password. Hypervisors can individually manage virtual desktops. 

VDI software: VDI software is an application system that connects users to connect virtual desktops, authenticates the users, and keeps track of active/inactive users. 

Virtual Machine: It is a tool that comes with all the applications that will be hosted on virtual desktops. 

Desktop Pools: Desktop Pools In virtual desktop environments, there are certain desktops that can be configured with similar types of settings, OS, and applications. 

How do these components work together?

VDI starts with a server on which the hypervisor creates more virtual servers inside the physical server. With adequate server capacity, a hypervisor can create as many virtual servers as required by the organization. A VDI software is used to create a 'virtual machine' connected with the 'virtual server.' The virtual machine consists of a golden image that has all the applications required by the users. The VDI software then hosts virtual machines outside the server environment.  Laptops, mobiles, tablets, PCs, etc., can be used to access the virtual machine in what is called a 'session hosted environment.' 

Virtual desktop technology is critical for modern business environments where organizations allow employees, especially gig workers, to work remotely.

Organizations that use VDI can:

• Let employees work from home without compromising organizational security
• Protect servers and data from cybersecurity risks, disasters, etc. 
• Access business applications on the mobile devices
• Restrict and control access of organization’s system to outsiders, contractors, and outsourced companies
• Scale storage, capacity, specifications, and features easily

IT Managers that Use VDI can: 

• Stream, remotely manage, layer, and virtualize desktop consoles
• Add a cross-platform compatibility
• Replace aging hardware without heavy investment
• Support remote users from their dashboards without a physical presence or need of remote access software
• Meet high security and backup requirements
• Ensure 99.99% uptime and connectivity

VDI software is a set of applications that manage, optimize, streamline and centralize the desktop infrastructure of the organizations. It transits desktop management from the local environment to a virtual one. VDI software can manage multi-client environments from a central system. IT admins need not go and touch the endpoint devices for maintenance, upgrades, or any other new app installation. The software can upgrade desktop versions remotely, and also, there is no need to manage desktops individually. Admins can group update the software, and endpoints will receive them automatically in the next login.

Employees no longer work in the secured circumference of physical offices. The shifting of modern workforces to home/remote environments has rendered traditional security models obsolete. While office desktops, networks, and servers are secured with enterprise-grade IT security deployments, the remote environments are vulnerable to cyberattacks and data misuse.Virtual work environments also pose a lot of challenges in terms of availability, deployment, interoperability, scalability, and maintenance of desktops.  

Challenges related to Desktop Management: 

Organizations have to manage desktops efficiently to provide a hassle-free virtual work environment.Some of the desktop management challenges include: 

Dynamic Demands: The demands for desktops never remain the same throughout the year. Employees leaving and joining an organization or need for short-term desktop resources due to a new project creates uneven demand for desktop resources. 

Remote access Demands: In modern organizations, employees work from the office, home, remote places, sites, offshore offices, etc. Many employees may work from home and also come to the office when required. Some may need remote access while traveling for business purposes. Managing the demand for remote access to desktops and maintaining security protocols for such resources is challenging. 

Other Crucial Challenges:  

• Providing employees safe access to on-premise infrastructure in virtual form
• Eliminating the vulnerability associated with accessing enterprise data on remote devices
• Reducing technological complexity to meet operational efficiency

Apart from the above-mentioned challenges, organizations also have to ensure uninterrupted connectivity.  Poor connectivity can be devastating while working remotely with virtual machines. As the applications are not installed on the physical devices, and users access them with server connection, poor connection leads to application inaccessibility. In virtual work environments, most employees work with their own devices. Monitoring those devices for secure access, performance, and control is also quite challenging.

Some of the major benefits of Virtual Desktop Infrastructure Software are:

Centralized Management: Managing company systems becomes easier with centralized patching, upgrades, and new application installations from the main server. Without VDI software, IT admins will have to install patches individually to each network computer. 

Resource Sharing: Centralized server-based resource distribution increases an organization's capabilities to deliver optimal resources based on usage and functionality.  For instance, a server with a capacity of 1TB RAM can host 500 virtual desktops with 2GB RAM each. However, this distribution need not be uniformly distributed. A designer may need more RAM than marketing people. Therefore, the IT admin can allot 6GB RAM to the designer's system. Also, the admin can turn off the virtual desktop when the user is not using it. This way, you can take in more users than the actual capacity of the server. For instance, for 50 GB RAM, you can create 60 users with 1 GB of RAM each, assuming not all the users are active at the same time. 

Saves Cost and Time: VDI software reduces the hardware deployment costs for desktops and laptops at the office. Also, whenever high-end software upgrades are installed, the office hardware may get outdated. With server-client configuration-based virtualization, this is no longer an issue. VDI  saves costs, as IT professionals need not travel or physically go on-site to monitor and manage the desktops. Troubleshooting, updates, and security upgrades can be done virtually, and it saves employee time. 

End-User Protection: The virtual desktop environments protect the end-user by preventing application errors, malware infections, and operating system crash from other users to take a toll on other end-users systems. Without VDI based separate resource allocation and distributed computing, heavy workloads and instability on one user’s system can cause issues for multiple users. 

Stability and Robust Performance: Server-based computing models harness more stability and performance for user sessions. High-speed shared storage increases end-user capacities and reduces any downtime scenarios. The virtual desktop infrastructure software allows its user to use multimedia without sacrificing functionality and performance. Therefore, if you use video and audio, both run pretty smoothly with VDI.

Quick Backup and Recovery: Virtual desktop infrastructure setup has quick recovery functionality and backup features for continuous performance. 

Eases Remote Work: Virtual Desktop Infrastructure disengages workplaces from systems that access it. When organizations use the VDI approach, they don’t need employees to mandatorily work on office devices only. 

Power Control: There might be a threat to your personal data; with VDI software, you can restrict anyone from using a USB to your host desktop. VDI executes and distributes the sessions used by the user from a centralized infrastructure. The IT departments can control who is using what application.

Flexibility: A hybrid VDI provides centralized management services to the IT management without compromising on end-user experience. It manages the OS from the cloud and eases management with the flexibility to host workloads in the datacentre or cloud.

Universal Desktop Access: VDI technology allows users to access their work desktops from anywhere with any device. 

Data Security: VDI tools prevent sensitive data from getting leaked via third-party applications on remote users’ systems. 

Speed: VDIsoftwareenhances the speed of resource-intensive tasks for the end-user because each virtual desktop uses its own set of dedicated resources, thus reducing the lagging. 

Replacement: Replacement of endpoint devices such as laptops, desktops, tablets becomes easier with VDI.

Before you deploy virtual desktop software, consider the availability of appropriate and sufficient network, servers, and storage.In the context of the digital workspace, VDI provides superior productivity. However, the benefits to IT departments and users will vary on the type of deployment: 

On-Premise

Businesses that want to house their VDI system on their own in-house servers and IT infrastructure deploy the on-premise virtual desktop infrastructure software. Companies have to purchase the license to use the software, and their IT admins handle the maintenance part. 

Cloud-based

Organizations that use cloud-based VDI software deploy a third-party VDI service provider to host the system for them. The costs of cloud-based VDI software deployment are lower than the other types of software deployment. The cloud VDI solutions come in monthly and annual subscription pricing models. Organizations can effectively buy and further scale up the system anytime, depending on the overall VDI usage and desktop requirements. Data can be backed up regularly, and organizations have highly secure resources.  For international organizations and large companies that have a remote work base at the national or global level, cloud-based virtual desktop infrastructure deployment is the best option. 

Open Source

Open source VDI software lets the organizations access, modify, and reconfigure the source codes to meet their specific needs. Companies can install the open source virtual desktop infrastructure in their l local servers, and their IT team can manage the updates, configurations, settings, and maintenance. 

Web-based

Web-based virtual desktop infrastructure software is a pre-configured system that is ready to use immediately once the organization subscribes to it. The services are provided by a third-party company that provides VDI services. Furthermore, only computers, mobile devices, and online connectivity are required to use this type of software.

Desktop Management: VDI solutions take care of all desktop-related workflows such as deployment, upgrade, security, and more. 

Remote usage: Accessibility and management become easier with VDI. Irrespective of your location, the deployment and maintenance of devices from a data center becomes easy. The key benefit of VDI software is accessibility; no matter what your location is, you don't have to worry about long-distance end users, and IT administrators can access the endpoints--thin (or zero) clients, laptops, tablets, mobiles, etc.

Sharing: The VDI client can share the desktop, applications, and a portion of the desktop. Also, it can share multiple applications at once.

Enhanced Graphics: VDI enhances the graphics and supports the utilization of the same image by multiple workstations. It has default installation features to give excellent graphics. One can create, enhance, and deploy the image from the central station.

Cloning: VDI supports cloning; the desktop image can be mirrored from the host desktop to all the other servers. VDI has two types of cloning: Linked cloning and full cloning.  In linked cloning, all other desktops are linked to the master desktop, and data of all users is saved separately, only if all computers are linked to the host at all times. In full cloning, there is no need to link to the host desktop; each desktop functions independently.

Security: VDI software protects all endpoint devices with stringent security protocols, intrusion prevention, real-time patching, etc. 

Web Filters: While using the virtual desktop, your browser limits your access to websites that are safe and secure. The safe search feature doesn’t allow users to access risky websites, blacklisted web pages, etc. 

Customer Support: The best VDI software solution providers offer round-the-clock customer support via call, chat, email, etc. 

Industry-wise Customization: You can choose virtual desktop services software customized as per your industry and business requirements. 

With an increase in work from home models and advancements in end-user computing (EUC) technologies, cloud-based VDI is all set to power the future of work. The usage of cloud-based IT infrastructure has increased significantly after the pandemic.  The demand for software solutions that ease remote work, ensure enterprise security, and provide sustainable remote working environments has witnessed a sharp surge. One such technology that powers the future of work is virtual desktop infrastructure. VDI, especially the cloud-based model,  is gaining huge traction among modern organizations due to multiple benefits that include easy administration of all applications and OS, quick scaling, impenetrable security, robust access controls, and cost savings. In the future, the VDI market is expected to register tremendous growth owing to digital transformation and flexibility at workplaces, and the increasing adoption of cloud-based virtual technology.

Consider the following factors about the VDI software if you are planning to invest in one :

• Does it provide all essential features as required for your business purpose?
• Can the software work smoothly with normal internet connectivity?
• Is the system scalable to accommodate more users, features, and storage? 
• Is the system capable of hosting from all devices such as desktops, laptops, tablets, mobile phones? 
• Whether the software provides robust client-server encryption to prevent any security breach?
• Is the software user-friendly, sophisticated, and easy to use?
• Does the software vendor provide reliable, 24/7 customer support?
• Does the software ensure regulatory compliance for protecting organization data?
• Whether customization, automatic updates, and free upgrades available?
• Does the software provider provide a free version or free trial/ live demo of its functionalities?

The cost of the best virtual desktop infrastructure system depends on a large number of factors such as:

• Features
• Configurations
• Type of software framework and deployment
• Customer support
• Browser Session limit 
• Client-server protocol

These variations decide the pricing estimations of the VDI software. 

VDI software such as  Ace Cloud Hosting will cost $33 per user per month for its light plan, $ 44 per user per month for the medium plan, and $74 per user per month for the heavy plan. V2 cloud’s plans start from $40 per month for one administrator (Founder Plan) and go upto $560 per month for one admin (Company Plan). You can buy Parallels RAS for $99.99 for one year. 

If you are looking for free VDI software, check out the free version of the Kasm server software. If you need free and open source VDI software, then go for Vagrant or Oracle VM VirtualBox. For other VDI management solutions such as Nutanix, riverbed, Maxta Hyperconvergence, DMG Mori,  Hive Fabric, and many others, you need to contact the software vendor for detailed pricing information. Get the updated list of VDI software solutions from the product section.

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