SmartBiz IT Research Library

The idea behind what is called a Virtual Desktop Infrastructure (VDI) is to run desktop operating systems and applications inside virtual machines that reside on servers in the data center. Desktop operating systems inside virtual machines are also referred to as virtual desktops. Users access the virtual desktops and applications from a desktop PC client or thin client using a remote display protocol and get almost the full features as if the applications were loaded on their local systems, with the difference being that the applications are centrally managed. Similar to server virtualization, VDI offers many benefits. Specifically, desktop administrative and management tasks are significantly reduced; applications can quickly be added, deleted, upgraded, and patched; security is centralized; and data is easier to safeguard and back up.