Six Reasons To Virtualize:
- Central Connectivity Point – Multiple Devices we all use requires access to the same data.
- Convenience – Connect Anywhere Anytime.
- Security – Consolidated data allows more defense and monitoring of single point of entry.
- Encryption – Connections allowed can be forced to be only via one port and encrypted.
- Loss of Laptop or device – Any loss of any device can be no problem due to the data not residing on the lost system.
- Longevity of hardware – Powerful apps cannot run on all computers, but can run on the host. This enables slower systems to be used for virtual connections and operate fast.
Your configuration options are:
Private Office – LAN based configurations that allow for internal connections but can prevent connections outside of the office, however this connection limitation is not required and still has the ability to be accessed offsite depending on your needs.
Public Anywhere Access – If chosen and firewall rules are made connections anywhere from IOS, mobile devices, home PC’s, etc., can be simple and empower remote users to get their job done anywhere.
Having a Central Point of Access to Data allows movement from one device to another with no loss of data/productivity, no need for applications, and the convenience of fast powerful server-side horsepower. This give the IT staff the ability to set up and manage easily what the whole office has been asking for: With Centralized connectivity an employee can move from a desktop PC during the workday, to an iPhone during lunch, and then iPad at night. All with the same abilities; open applications, edit/save files, email, access complex applications (i.e. Photoshop, MS Office, Outlook, CRM, etc.), and much more seamlessly as if they were in the office.
Convenience drives many virtualization workstation projects. User communities demand access to their data from various locations and devices. The only way to truly offer this is to centralize the data and to offer quick simple click to open icons on whatever device is most convenient, from the office to the home and everywhere in between.
Security has never been easier, when definable data is in a specific places IT staff no longer need to search for breaches and bugs. Centralized data Server can have all the best AV protection, scanning and logging to help defend against malicious attacks and accidental breaches. Best of all; your organizations data is not housed on your users devices/endpoints, so even if a workstation is compromised, it rarely can crawl through and infect the actual critical data on the Server. (To bullet proof your Physical Workstations its recommended you also look into reboot-to-restore and anti-executable software)
Encryption is a must for many organizations. Too many listening devices exist making it even more important to make every transmission inside your network, and if employees are remote, outside your network to be encrypted. So when making your virtualization solution decision make sure you have the option to encrypt. With Office and Virtual Workstations encryption can be provided at any desired bit level.
Loss of Devices is becoming a huge problem for organizations, health care and more. If a computer has sensitive data on it and it becomes lost or stolen – this is considered a breach of confidentiality and can result in fines and penalties from compliance regulations such as HIPAA not to mention the loss of confidence by clients. Best to not have anything on the device using Workstation virtualization so in the event of a loss, simply change the login password on the Server and replace the device. No worries about lost data!
Backup and Recovery: Peace of mind with virtualization because with a centralized computer/server holding the data, you can now setup backup schedules to capture all your data, not just the data on one of your many devices. (For further Virtual backup and recovery solutions click here)
Longevity of Hardware becomes a cost savings issue for those with older PC’s or devices that can connect to the internet but cannot run complex beefy apps. With the server taking on the burden, workstations can be in use for longer saving organizations more money from costly hardware and software refresh initiatives.
