There are millions of people around the world working virtually and making it more and more sensitive to cyber attacks. IT departments have found keeping these users safe to be more and more challenging, and giving each employee a laptop that’s fully protected can be expensive. This is where Virtual Desktop Infrastructure can be an easy option for everyone involved. Read more below on how a VDI can help with your network security while also giving people access to communicate, share, or collaborate online. Companies like Fognigma can help you set a new standard in protecting your digital workspace.
What is Virtual Desktop Infrastructure (VDI)?
Are you confused as to what VDI really is? Virtual Desktop Infrastructure is a new technology that helps host desktop operating systems on one big server or one centralized server. It can help deploy these servers to end-users on request. For instance, instead of running a full OS on their local machine, users access their work desktop through a network connection from any device, such as a laptop, tablet, or thin client. This creates a secure and consistent flow and experience, as all the data and applications live in the data center, not on the endpoint device. This approach also helps prevent hackers from getting into an individual’s system and trying to access all of the organization’s data because it’s not on a physical device.
VDIs Helping with Remote Work Environment Security
The biggest benefit a VDI can bring to any organization or company is if it’s in a remote work environment. It’s a dramatic improvement in security, especially for teams that aren’t physically in an office or only come in part-time. Traditional remote work models, where employees use personal or company-issued laptops, create a wide attack surface. Each device is a potential entry point for malware and data breaches.
So, where can you start? Luckily, Fognigma can help install and implement a VDI system and make it the central control center for your organization. With cloud-based desktops, your sensitive corporate data never leaves the secure server environment. Employees stream a visual representation of their desktop, but the actual processing and data storage happen within your protected infrastructure. If an employee’s device is lost or stolen, no corporate data is compromised because none of it was stored on the device in the first place. This centralized model simplifies remote workforce security by allowing IT teams to manage and patch a single, golden desktop image rather than thousands of individual endpoints.
Move Towards a Zero-Trust Policy and Architecture
The best way you can have a successful and modern cybersecurity system in place is to incorporate a zero-trust architecture. This policy means to never trust and always verify, no matter what. It looks at every access request as a potential threat, regardless of its origin. VDI aligns perfectly with this model. Fognigma’s VDI solution is built on zero-trust principles. Every user must be authenticated and authorized before gaining access to their virtual desktop. Access policies can be granularly controlled, restricting users to only the applications and data they absolutely need to perform their jobs. This minimizes the risk of unauthorized access and lateral movement by malicious actors within your network.
Better Adaptability with a Flexible IT Infrastructure
As much as the market changes, modern businesses are expected to adapt quickly. One way to do that is to have a flexible IT infrastructure. A rigid IT setup can hinder growth and slow down innovation. VDI provides a highly flexible IT infrastructure that allows your organization to pivot on demand. Are you needing to onboard a team of new contractors for a short-term project? With Virtual Desktop Infrastructure, you can provision dozens of fully configured desktops in minutes, not weeks. Once the project is over, you can de-provision those desktops just as quickly, avoiding the logistical nightmare of shipping and retrieving physical hardware. This agility enables your business to scale its workforce up or down seamlessly without being tied to lengthy hardware procurement cycles.
The Power of Scalable Virtual Desktop Infrastructure Services
As your company grows, your IT needs to grow with it. Scalable VDI solutions are designed to handle this expansion effortlessly. Whether you are adding ten new employees or a thousand, the infrastructure can be expanded to meet the demand. This scalability extends to performance as well. If certain users require more processing power or memory for resource-intensive applications, their virtual desktops can be easily reconfigured without any physical intervention. Companies like Fognigma make sure that your VDI environment can grow alongside your business, providing the performance and capacity you need, exactly when you need it.
Making Sure There is Data Protection and Compliance Across the Board
Everyone needs to be on the same page as far as being safe and secure. This can include compliance, regulations, how you’re protecting data, and more. With a VDI, this makes it easier. You’re able to centralize everything within one secure data center, and you maintain complete control over it. This makes it easier to enforce security policies, monitor for suspicious activity, and conduct audits. With all data in one place, you can make sure that sensitive information is not being copied to unauthorized devices or stored in insecure locations. This is how a lot of high-profile companies, including military organizations, run things and continue to have strong data governance strategies in place. You’re also able to save some money on things like costly penalties and more. Read below for what cost savings a VDI can bring to your infrastructure.
Realizing Significant Cost Savings with VDI
Anonymous Virtual Desktop Infrastructures are all about being flexible, secure, and all in one place. With this in mind, your organization could be seeing some major financial advantages when it decides to go this route. Cost savings with VDI can then positively impact your company’s bottom line, and you have more money to budget for other things like overhead or more up-to-date technology.
Reduced Hardware Expenses
Multiple laptops and other software systems can get expensive over time, not including the repairs or replacements that might be involved with a remote team. However, since a lot of computer work is done on a server, you no longer need to purchase expensive, high-performance laptops for every employee. Users can connect to their powerful cloud-based desktops from low-cost thin clients or even their existing personal devices (BYOD). This dramatically reduces the amount of money needed on endpoint hardware and extends the refresh cycle for user devices.
Lower IT Management Overhead
Managing a ton of different laptops and physical desktops can be overwhelming and super time-consuming if you have a lot of people in your organization already. IT employees already spend tons of time doing things like updates, network security, software installation, patching smart firewalls, and more. The last thing anyone wants is to spend even more time monitoring data in different spots rather than all being centralized. With VDI in place, an IT administrator can update a single master desktop image, and the changes are instantly rolled out to all users who use that image. This frees up your IT team to focus on more strategic initiatives instead of routine maintenance.
VDI vs. Remote Desktop – What’s the Difference?
Let’s break it down – Virtual Desktop Infrastructure seems pretty identical to a remote desktop, but there are differences that are important to know. With a VDI, think of your office and all the data you deal with in the cloud. So things like apps, files, messaging, etc., are all on one cloud server.
Key features of a VDI:
- Each user gets their own virtual desktop.
- Centralized management and high levels of control.
- More customizable and scalable, but also more complex and expensive to set up.
However, with remote desktops, it mainly means connecting to a physical computer (like your work PC) from another device. You’re essentially controlling your existing computer remotely. This way is usually great for small businesses or individuals working internationally.
Key features of a Remote Desktop:
- Connects to an already existing physical or virtual machine.
- Often used for one-off access or small-scale setups.
- Simple to use and less resource-intensive.
Is VDI Difficult to Manage?
Some may say a VDI is difficult to manage, especially if you’re considering scaling it to a big organization that includes a lot of employees. The main issue with scaling is that to add more users, you usually need more money to invest in more infrastructure, which can take time and manpower. This can quickly add up, and it’s not just about buying more hardware. You need a reliable IT team to manage and maintain everything so it all goes smoothly. This is where companies like Fognigma can help. We’re able to help set up a VDI and help your organization manage cloud-based remote access services like this, so it’s all ready to go when you want it. So then, things like scaling can be less of a headache and easier.
What are the Downsides of Using Virtual Desktops?
Virtual desktop infrastructures have their place, but like a lot of things, there are some downsides. It’s important to know what they are before you decide to implement it within your organization. First off, they can get quite expensive, depending on how many users you currently have and how much data you deal with on a daily basis. You need powerful servers, reliable storage, and a solid network setup that can add up fast. And even after it’s all set up, you’re still dealing with ongoing maintenance and the cost of having the right IT folks to manage it. Then there’s the complexity. VDI isn’t something to just install and walk away. It takes planning, especially if you’re trying to scale it for a growing team. Every new user means more resources, more configuration, and more potential for things to go wrong. Then, finally, since everything is running over the network, if your internet connection isn’t fast or stable, users are going to notice. Lag, slow loading times, and even issues with things like video playback or connecting devices like printers or external drives can all impact the VDI experience. With all this being said, if you are interested in Virtual Desktop Infrastructure, it’s important to team up with a company that knows how to handle all these downsides. With Fognigma, you’re able to do just that or at least know what you need to get everything up and running smoothly.
Summary
There are actually a lot of solid reasons to consider moving to virtual desktops. For one, you get improved security and compliance, plus the flexibility for employees to work from anywhere, all while potentially cutting costs. With a VDI setup, your team can securely access everything they need, no matter what device they’re using or where they are. What sets Fognigma apart is how we’ve built zero-trust architecture directly into our VDI solution. That means your organization stays protected without sacrificing usability. By centralizing desktops, you get tighter control over your data, easier management, and a much more adaptable IT environment that’s ready for the way people work today and in the future.