Fuse is a Microsoft Partner, based in Northampton. We help organisations of all sizes to maximise IT efficiencies through the use of Microsoft cloud computing solutions.
WVD In A Nutshell
You may have heard the term ‘WVD’ being used more frequently in recent times, and rightly so! Microsoft are spending huge amounts of money on resources to make their WVD experience the best they possibly can, and thousands of organizations have already embarked on the WVD journey.
So what is it exactly?
Windows Virtual Desktop (WVD) is a desktop and application virtualization service that runs on the cloud via Microsoft Azure. This means that it is hosted within Microsoft data centres rather than inside of your business infrastructure.
What are the benefits of running my desktop on the cloud?
One of the main benefits of using WVD is that users can access their desktop from anywhere – all that is needed is an internet connection. Connections can be made from desktops, laptops, phones and tablets, and these devices can either be owned by the business or belong to the end user. No matter how they connect, they are always greeted by their full powerful desktop experience.
This has become vital in recent months with the world having to adopt a ‘work from home’ approach to satisfy Covid-19 guidelines.
What are the cost implications?
Some organizations have found that making the switch to WVD has enabled them to save money in other areas.
To start with, hosting resources within Azure reduces the amount of money an organization needs to spend on their infrastructure - why keep spending money on server racks, cables, and hardware when you can let Microsoft take care of it for you?!
Don't forget, this will also mean you are using less electricity and could lead to cheaper utility bills.
Savings can also be made on end users’ hardware. Since the majority of the processing of tasks are made on the WVD itself, users don’t need to have the latest and greatest computers in order to carry out their work. Some businesses have even found that using a WVD has brought back some life into their old devices, which would otherwise have been discarded of.
Pricing Examples:
An organization wants to explore options for 10 of their users with laptops which are slowing down, and struggling to keep up with computing tasks they are required for. Two options they can choose to spend money on are:
1. WVD:
Setting up two WVD machines to cater for around 10 users can currently be achieved for around £50 per month. This can always be scaled up or down depending on the changing needs of the business, and these users will all benefit from the perks mentioned in the previous section above. No hardware cost is required, as users are able to connect from their older devices, as the WVD machines are doing all of the processing.
Estimated monthly cost:....................£50
Estimated cost over 3 years: .........£1800
2. New Laptops:
10 modern laptops with mid-range specs can be purchased for around £620 each (average available price), totaling £6,200. These laptops then require setting up (costing more employee hours), and the users don't share the same benefits that come with working on a WVD, such as remote working, or ability to login with personal devices. The business is then committed the laptops even if some of these employees were to leave shortly after, with no cost saving scalability available.
Estimated monthly cost (over 3 years): ........£172
Estimated total cost: ..................................£6,200
As we can see from this comparison, with the cost spread over 3 years (average peak life of a laptop), 'option 2 - purchasing new laptops' breaks down to £172 per month, which is still over 3 times more expensive than the WVD option!
Hesitant about making the switch?
We understand that changes to any system can sometime be daunting. The beauty of using resources hosted in Azure, is that Microsoft have implemented a ‘pay for what you use’ billing system. This combined with WVD machines being fully scalable, means that it is possible to set up a very small WVD for a couple of users to test, without having to break the bank. This can then be gradually scaled up and down as needed.
Do you still have plenty of life left in your on-prem servers, and not ready to retire them yet? It is also possible to create connections between a cloud infrastructure and an on-prem infrastructure. This could be the preferred option for organizations looking to make a gradual move over to the cloud, or who would prefer to work within a hybrid environment.
So what have we learned here?
WVD can offer many great benefits. From more productive end users to potential savings on infrastructure and hardware, WVD really does make sense for organizations looking to take that next step into the modern workplace.
Like what you have heard so far? Sounds good, doesn’t it? And we have only scratched the surface here.
At Fuse Collaboration, we can offer bespoke WVD solutions to match your requirements. To learn more, get in touch with us today.
Image Source: Unsplash
