W:
www.ie-today.co.uk
INNOVATION | VIRTUAL DESKTOP INFR ASTRUCTURE | 35
“VDI MAKES THE IT INFRASTRUCTURE EASIER TO MANAGE, REDUCING DOWNTIMES AND SUPPORT COSTS”
REMOTE CONTROL A
TOP LEFT: installing VDI. TOP RIGHT: working from home. ABOVE: Toby Skerritt
Toby Skerrit looks at the benefits offered to schools by virtual software technology
headteacher: “It has been responsible for a change in our IT culture … This is having a positive impact on
the curriculum and administration.” A teacher: “I will be lost without it!” An IT director: “It’s given the school a secure,
reliable and flexible infrastructure.” So what is the mysterious phenomenon
which is having such an impact on schools? It’s called virtual desktop infrastructure (VDI). VDI is helping IT departments to shift from
support to service improvements, but it’s also enabling headteachers to enhance the curriculum and allowing teachers to work from home. Having worked with a number of schools and colleges across the UK, Foundation IT has seen the popularity of VDI rising. There are numerous benefits to implementing a VDI solution.
Simplified management VDI makes the IT infrastructure easier to manage, reducing downtimes and support costs. Talking about its VDI solution, the IT director of one school said: “We were recently able to virtualise and roll out a software application to 180 desktops in under half an hour. In the past this would have taken days, and the team use the time gained to progress other projects.”
Improved security VDI provides beter security for the information and data stored within it. Everything is located centrally, rather than saved on local machines, so schools have greater protection against unauthorised access and malware atacks. One headteacher explained: “There is now seamless continuity between being able to access data and
applications in school or from any location with a good broadband connection. This is having a positive impact on the curriculum and administration. In addition, it adds robustness to our security as everything is kept secure in the school’s data centre.”
Cost-effectiveness Besides reduced support costs, a VDI solution also offers reduced running costs. One of Foundation IT’s clients said: “Many of the hot, noisy, power- hungry machines were replaced with new thin- clients, which consume less power, are silent in the classroom and produce less heat, which in turn requires less air conditioning.”
Secured investment If you decide to implement a VDI solution, it doesn’t have to mean investing in new hardware. There are solutions available that enable you to continue using your existing PCs and bridge the gap, securing the investment you have made in your existing hardware.
Staff choice One of the biggest benefits for teachers is that a VDI solution provides them with greater flexibility, so they can work wherever and whenever is convenient. One teacher explained: “I cannot stress enough how important it is for me to have remote access from home. As a working mum, my hours in the school are more limited than before … Having remote access allows me to work in the same capacity I would do if I was in school. It allows me to carry on planning and teaching at a high-level standard and I will be lost without it!” iE
Toby Skerrit is head of consultancy services at Foundation IT W:
www.foundation-it.com
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