The cost of VDI is a-changin'
Many IT professionals might not have heard that the cost of VDI is much lower than it used to be, but that doesn't mean it isn't true.
A major contributor to the cost of VDI in its early years was the price of storage, which has fallen by the wayside for the most part as the cost of all-flash storage has dropped. All-flash storage is still more expensive than other technologies, such as hard disk drive arrays, especially in terms of upfront costs. But over the long haul, its advantages -- including data compression and deduplication -- can save a lot of money.
VDI is also more affordable now because of the abundance of cheap thin and zero clients, including Raspberry Pi. Google Chromebooks, which cost a bit more upfront, can still save money for VDI shops in the long run because they automate OS updates and other ongoing maintenance tasks.
Then there's hyper-converged infrastructure (HCI), which brings compute, storage and networking into a single package. Not only does this approach ensure that all the components are compatible, but many HCI vendors also design their products specifically for VDI. As a result, much of the VDI deployment process is automated.
It is also important to remember that VDI does not have to be an all-or-nothing proposition. Using VDI only when and where it makes sense can be a big money saver.
Don't miss out on the information in this three-part handbook about the lowering cost of VDI.
