Solving one of the most common VDI challenges: complexity

Azure Gov Team

Today we’re sharing a guest post by Jose Arvelo, Workplace & Managed Services Practice Manager at Accelera Solutions. He is responsible for leading Accelera’s end user computing and managed services team, focused on helping customers transform their workplace with virtualization, mobility, and cloud solutions.

After 16 years deploying virtual applications and Virtual Desktop Infrastructure (VDI), one of the things that we at Accelera Solutions learned is that VDI is a huge paradigm shift for our customers. It transforms the way that employees work, the way the desktop is managed, and the way the desktop is deployed. In addition, the technology required to deliver a VDI desktop or virtualized application is not only complex but requires attention from many skillsets from different teams within an organization.

A typical VDI administrator needs to understand the VDI infrastructure. They need to understand how storage and network connectivity affect VDI performance and end user experience. They need to know how peripherals and devices are going to work within a VDI session. They need to understand how security integrates with the solution in a way that doesn’t impact the end user experience.

When something goes wrong it usually falls on the shoulders of the VDI administrator to drive the process of resolving the problem – even when it’s not a problem with the VDI solution itself.

The industry has tried many things to tame some of this complexity. Better troubleshooting tools have been developed. Converged and hyper-converged solutions have been invented, promising to provide platforms that guarantee performance and reliability. The VDI infrastructure has been optimized over time to be less affected by network or storage shortfalls. These are all very good strategies that have seen success. But the one issue that these solutions do not truly fix is complexity.

One of my favorite adages is: “Simplicity is the ultimate sophistication.” IT and its role within organizations is transforming from a tactical component of the organization to a strategic component tasked with providing solutions that directly contribute to the organization’s mission. This includes leveraging the value of simplicity to streamline operations and focus on strategic initiatives.

At Accelera, we have a solution called Connected Workspace Government that delivers this simplicity, reducing the complexity of VDI deployments for federal customers.

What is Connected Workspace Government?

Connected Workspace Government is a virtual desktop and application solution provided as a service from the cloud, operated and managed by Accelera. This offering is generically referred to as a Desktop as a Service (DaaS) offering. Customers sign up based on a number of users and are given access to that number of virtual desktops, hosted in the cloud and accessible from the public internet. The platform leverages Citrix XenDesktop for virtual desktop delivery and Microsoft Azure Government for cloud infrastructure.

Connected Workspace Government allows customers to accelerate VDI adoption by reducing the level of effort required to implement a VDI solution. It eliminates much of the operational overhead and complexity of managing this type of solution, so they focus on organizational outcomes instead of focusing on the speeds and feeds of a VDI solution.

Connected Workspace Government is available in the following editions. We’re actively working on adding more editions to this portfolio.

The value of today’s VDI solutions

VDI has become a mature technology, capable of addressing many use cases. I truly believe in VDI and use it every day. As an end user I get to work from any location, from any device, and utilize my real applications without having to compromise functionality. I get to use the same workflow I’m used to when working from within the office, making me more productive overall. VDI is my preferred way to work. I also remember the days when I was a Citrix administrator, cybersecurity officer, and support desk manager all in one, and started my journey to leverage as-a-service offerings so I could focus on my organization’s strategic initiatives. Our Connected Workspace Government solution lets you focus on business-critical initiatives, reduces risk, and allows you to leverage security and mobility benefits of a VDI solution.

When considering a solution like Connected Workspace Government offering, don’t forget that it can help you:

• Access your organizational applications and data from any device, any location, over any network securely
• Say “YES” to mobile, enabling highly secure any device, anywhere access
• Focus on strategic projects, not fire drills
• Provide instant business continuity and disaster recovery
• Modernize your IT portfolio

At Accelera, we have experience in meeting complex customer requirements at an enterprise scale. We’ve been working with the federal government since our founding in 2003 and have extensive experience with government security mandates. We’ve developed expertise around the core technologies that make up a VDI solution and would love to help you move your desktops to the cloud. For more information, reach out to us via info@accelerasolutions.com, or reach out to me directly at jose.arvelo@accelerasolutions.com.

Azure Gov Team

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