Easing the juggling act with client virtualization

In IT's never-ending search for efficiency improvements, client virtualization and its subsets -- presentation, application and desktop virtualization -- must be considered.

Client virtualization reduces IT management costs by centralizing applications in a data center, enabling employees to use them from their desks or while on the road. Typically more efficient and secure than applications housed on end-user devices, client virtualization also enables greater flexibility for workers. Implementation can be complex, however, so a well thought-out plan is a must.

In January, CDW released the Client Virtualization Straw Poll which found that 90% of businesses are considering or implementing at least one form of client virtualization. Despite the initial complexities of implementation, the payoffs are worth the effort and can lead to reduced costs, improved security and an enhanced ability to deploy new applications to users quickly and efficiently. The report also found the following:

To continue reading, register here to become an Insider. You'll get free access to premium content from CIO, Computerworld, CSO, InfoWorld, and Network World. See more Insider content or sign in.

In IT's never-ending search for efficiency improvements, client virtualization and its subsets -- presentation, application and desktop virtualization -- must be considered.

Client virtualization reduces IT management costs by centralizing applications in a data center, enabling employees to use them from their desks or while on the road. Typically more efficient and secure than applications housed on end-user devices, client virtualization also enables greater flexibility for workers. Implementation can be complex, however, so a well thought-out plan is a must.

In January, CDW released the Client Virtualization Straw Poll which found that 90% of businesses are considering or implementing at least one form of client virtualization. Despite the initial complexities of implementation, the payoffs are worth the effort and can lead to reduced costs, improved security and an enhanced ability to deploy new applications to users quickly and efficiently. The report also found the following:

➢ Respondents believe that client virtualization will lower costs, with 62% percent saying they think client virtualization will improve their organization's bottom line.

➢ Of the respondents who have implemented client virtualization and track return on investment (ROI), many are saving more than 20% of their total IT budget.

➢ Of those considering or implementing client virtualization, 97% noted that they experienced challenges during implementation, with their top obstacles being training end-users, ensuring the technology works on an individual level and estimating ROI.

TECH DEBATE: Desktop virtualization: niche solution, or new desktop standard?

With 59% of businesses reporting that client virtualization goals are equally or more important than server virtualization goals, the report shows the rise of client virtualization and points to a need for increased up-front analysis, education and testing to enable businesses to take full advantage of the technology -- as well as a need to ease the challenges associated with implementation.

One of the challenges of client virtualization is understanding the full scope of the solution. Understanding the different types of client virtualization can aid this challenge and lead to a more successful deployment. Client virtualization is classified into three primary subsets:

➢ Presentation virtualization: A Web-based portal provides users (usually remote workers) access to the organization's network and specific applications. Of the people surveyed, 61% of those implementing/maintaining presentation virtualization are measuring ROI and have realized an average savings of 24% of their annual IT budget.