Citrix Application Performance Management
Debate Continues Whether VDI Is Equal to What Is Offered by PCs
November 15, 2012
By Ed Silverstein, TMCnet Contributor
The debate continues whether virtual desktop infrastructure (VDI) is equal to what is offered by a personal computer.
Some VDI providers say the experience is equal, while many detractors reluctantly admit it will take a little longer.
For example, a recent article in SearchVirtualDesktop said, Citrix Systems (News 
- Alert) and VMware have improved VDI offerings in recent years, but, “They have yet to achieve that goal for VDI performance.”
“Virtual desktops still have a ways to go,” the article adds. “Gartner (News - Alert) Inc. predicts that hosted virtual desktop capabilities won't provide a user experience comparable to that of PCs until 2014.”
The article adds that Citrix and VMware now offer offline support so users don’t need to be connected to the Internet. Profile management software offers users experiences similar to PCs, as well. Remote desktop protocol technologies have been improved, too. The article also reports that there are other benefits to VDI. IT administrators can centrally manage desktops via server-hosted VDI, which is easier than managing individual PCs. Users can access their desktops and apps from any Internet-connected device via VDI, the article adds.
As evidence that virtual desktops are still not at the level of PCs, most businesses still use PCs, or a mix of offerings, SearchVirtualDesktop said.
"The philosophy of virtual desktops surrounds not trying to teach new dogs old tricks," Todd Knapp, CEO of Envision Technology Advisors, told SearchVirtualDesktop. "We want to deliver something that is easier and more flexible than using a PC."
Gartner predicts that 30 percent of large organizations will provide hosted virtual desktops (HVDs) to at least 20 percent of their users by the end of 2016. And by then HVDs will be used to provide client computing capabilities to 77 million users, Gartner adds. In the nearer future, Gartner predicted 8 to 10 percent market penetration by 2015, according to a recent blog post. And the worldwide cloud-based VDI market will reach $11.2 billion in 2012, TMCnet reported, citing data from Visiongain (News - Alert).
The price on VDI is likely to become lower, and therefore the technology will be more competitive with options. One way this is being achieved is through cloud computing, TMCnet explained.
As a result of the increased interest in the sector, there have been acquisitions recently by several key industry players. For instance, Citrix acquired Virtual Computer, according to a Citrix statement.
Edited by Rich Steeves
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