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Citrix Virtual Desktops 5 reasons organisations love desktop virtualisation

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Citrix Virtual Desktops5 reasons organisations love desktop virtualisation

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And why Virtual Desktops is the smartest way to do it.

5 reasons organisations love desktop virtualisation

Citrix Virtual Desktopsincrementalgroup.co.uk

» Updating and managing all of those devices is harder

» Your team has a tougher time switching between devices

» All the data and apps on those devices end up being less secure

Physical desktops tie your organisation down Work does not just happen at work anymore. It occurs on the road, and it occurs where remote workers live. And it happens after business hours – especially when your clients and colleagues are in different time zones.

Nowadays, work happens wherever and whenever your team needs it to happen. It is why workers need all of their files and applications to be easily accessible across all of their devices.

The more devices that your team uses to work, the more complex your IT becomes. If you allow your staff to use their own devices at work – also known as a bring-your-own-device (BYOD) – that complexity is compounded, for example:

This guide covers:

» What is desktop virtualisation?

» An introduction to Virtual Desktops

»5benefitsofVirtualDesktops

» Citrix health check for Virtual Desktops

Those are critical issues. However, the good news is that Virtual Desktops from Citrix, a desktop virtualisation solution, removes the complexities of remote working, managing multiple devices, and security challenges.

This guide discusses Citrix Virtual Desktops, and the benefits it offers in allowing the user to access their desktop from anywhere, on any device and, from any network connection. The guide is aimed at any organisation that offers remote working or BYOD and is looking to create a seamless and secure working environment.

Introduction

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Citrix Virtual Desktopsincrementalgroup.co.uk

Desktop virtualisation (also known as Desktop-as-a-Service), makes your desktops more flexible, easier to use, easier to manage, and easier to secure. It also lowers your IT costs.

Desktop virtualisation separates your desktop from the physical hardware, which enables your users to access their virtual desktop from anywhere, and on any device, delivering benefits such as: » The ability to easily access your desktop on any device

» Being able to manage everything centrally, instead of manually updating devices individually

» Security for all apps and data on your virtual desktop hosted in the cloud and ready for action, at any time.

If you are on a journey to the cloud, desktop virtualisation is a big win. It brings all of the benefits of the cloud to your users.

What is desktop virtualisation?

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Virtual Desktops from Citrix is the industry-leading standard for desktop virtualisation. Virtual Desktops lets you access and run your users’ Windows desktops from any device. Virtual Desktops can do that because it puts those desktops (the operating system, apps, and data) in a centralised location in the cloud. It separates the environment from the hardware (smartphones, tablets, laptops, computers) being used to access them.

The outcome is that you get all of the centralised control, bank-grade security, and ease-of-use that come with the cloud, but you can apply them to your desktops.As a Citrix gold partner, we can help with every step of your desktop virtualisation journey.

An introduction to Virtual Desktops

Part of your cloud journey

Moving your desktops to the cloud is one step in a journey that millions of organisations all over the world are taking today.

Thejourneyincludesmovingyourfilestothecloud,thenyourapplications,thenyourusers’desktops–sothateventuallyyourentireITexperience is delivered and supported from the cloud.

Wecanhelpyoutaketherightstepsonyourowncloudjourney–starting with a Citrix Health Check Assessment that looks at your entire ITset-up,reviewsyourneedsandmakessensiblerecommendations.

Citrix Virtual Desktopsincrementalgroup.co.uk

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5 benefits of Virtual Desktops 1. You make security more scalableUpdates are the foundation of the most stringent security strategies. One of the main advantages of the cloud is that as soon as a vulnerability is detected, you receive the latest patches and fixes, delivered to you, automatically.

With Virtual Desktops, you get quick updates to protect your desktops from new threats (like the WannaCry attack). However, you will not need to update each desktop individually, as updates are managed centrally.

Another way that Virtual Desktops simplifies security is through back-ups. With Virtual Desktops, if someone loses their laptop, you can quickly get that user back up and running with precisely the same desktop set-up, but on a new device.

The benefit here is that apps and data become easier to rescue, and any security issues cause a lot less damage.

2. You lower your costsMaintaining distributed desktops is very expensive. There is also a massive opportunity cost when your staff are stuck on outdated PCs, but you cannot afford to get them an upgrade.

There is also the cost of migrating to a new operating system (OS). According to Citrix, the average cost of a migration from Windows XP to Windows 7 was £663, and the move to Windows 10 is going to cost even more.

Virtual Desktops drastically reduces the time and cost of migrations because it lets you roll out the new OS centrally. You get more control, and your users get the new OS faster than they would have the old way.

Savings depend on your organisation. But some organisations have reported savings as high as 70 per cent by switching to desktop virtualisation.

Citrix Virtual Desktopsincrementalgroup.co.uk

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Citrix Virtual Desktopsincrementalgroup.co.uk

3. You make remote access and mobility a lot easierRemote working is part of everyday working life now. People need more mobile ways to work. Even if they are not always remote, they need access to their desktops wherever they are, whenever they need it.

Virtual Desktops enables access to their desktops – with all of their settings, preferences, files – on any device.

You can deliver real-time access to 3D professional graphics apps used by designers and engineers, on any device. That is a big win for remote work, especially if workers are bringing their own devices to work.

What happens when you are offline?Ifyouhaveuserswhoneedaccesstotheirdevicewithoutaninternetconnection,doesvirtualisationmakesense?

Itdoes.Userscanhosttheirvirtualdesktopslocallyiftheyneedto.Andonceconnectedagain,alltheirinformationandupdatesarereinstated.

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5. You get all the support you needWhen you choose Virtual Desktops, you get two kinds of support:

» Not only is Virtual Desktops easy to use and understand, but it also gives you peace of mind that your organisation is more secure and your users more mobile

» You get all the support you need from Incremental Group. We will help you get started and be there when you need us to tackle issues

Your team needs the freedom to work effectively, no matter their location. To enable this, they need to be able to access their files, apps, and desktops wherever they are.

Virtual Desktops gives them that freedom. It gives you an easier way to manage complexity and continuously improve the security of your organisation — all for a lower, predictable cost.

If you are already on your journey to the cloud, or if you would like to move to the cloud, this is an excellent opportunity to free yourself from unnecessary IT administration.

4. It eases the burden on ITVirtual Desktops makes your organisation more secure and your users more mobile. But it also makes life a lot easier.

You do not have to manage migrations one desktop at a time, and you do not have to worry about migrations. Incremental Group can manage this without interrupting your users.

As for security, you can apply updates and patch security issues centrally, again without the hassle of updating one machine at a time.

And in terms of compliance, your desktops will be hosted in environments in strict compliance with the highest regulatory standards.

What about performance?Withdesktopvirtualisation,youdonotneedtorelyontheprocessingpowerofusersPCs.Instead,youarecountingontheprocessingpoweroftheserverhostingthem–givingyouadesktopexperiencethatbeatsmany PCs.

Virtual Desktops outperforms the speed of other solutions by 3X on printing,4Xonlaunchingapps,and5Xonsavingfiles.

Citrix Virtual Desktopsincrementalgroup.co.uk

Find out more

0345 565 3000 [email protected] www.incrementalgroup.co.uk

Incremental Group is a Citrix gold partner with over 18 years’ experience working on Citrix solutions. Incremental has implemented a range of Citrix solutions across commercial, educational, and local government organisations.

All Incremental Group Citrix consultants are certified to at least Citrix Certified Associate level in virtualisation and networking. As Citrix has expanded its product offerings, Incremental has become certified in and deployed solutions for its complementary Citrix SD-WAN and Citrix Gateway appliances.

Next StepsCitrix Health Check for Virtual DesktopsTwo-day assessment – for Virtual Apps and Desktops, XenApp, and XenDesktop to unlock your full business and technology potential.

Your organisation’s needs continuously evolve. The requirements used to plan and implement your current Citrix environment are likely to have changed. Legacy technology also poses a risk. You may be encumbered with legacy technology, and that can put your data at risk, increase operational costs, result in system downtime, and contain multiple security vulnerabilities.

Our Citrix Health Check Assessment is a high-level two-day engagement, delivered on-site or at one of our offices, and offers guidance on best practices for your Citrix environment.

Visit our Citrix page to find out more.