Thin clients catch VDI for VMware access

Server-based computing schemes such as Citrix and Windows Terminal Server now have a serious rival in the shape of VDI, claimed German thin client developer IGEL Technology, as it added VDI support to its desktop devices. VDI, or virtual device infrastructure, is a relatively new scheme pushed by VMware, among others. It runs …

[Ewen Bruce]

Marketing spin

I assume ""In addition, if a customer already has non-OEM licences for Windows XP, they can re-use those for VDI" is a marketing man's way of saying.... "if you buy hardware with OEM licenses (as most corporates do), you'll have to buy the licenses again at Microsoft's extortionate rates if you want migrate to a VDI infrastructure"

[Dan]

VDI marketroids

People have been shouting about VDI for a good 12 months, but does anyone actually know of anywhere that it has been implemented? Not sure if its a solution looking for a problem.

[Anonymous Coward]

You're right, beware VDI

...like an STD

My company has reviewed VDI a few times and people need to be VERY careful about the "ROI" that VMware and others claim. Simply stated, we can't find it. Setting up VDI requires a LOT more hardware than anyone wants to admit, add VMware's ridiculous prices and you'll need to crap gold bricks to pay for everything. We're sticking with Citrix which offers much better price/performance.

Our HW supplier (IBM) is pushing VDI hard as well and it took us a while to figure out why. Here it is. To expand out exisiting Citirx footprint only required 2 new beefy Citrix servers. To implement a similar solution with would require abour 24 servers!!!!!!!!!!

ARE YOU F$%^&^ING KIDDING? Sod off.

[Grant Alexander]

There is a niche

We have operated a Citrix environment for over 10 years now. Users have become conditioned to the 'virtual' desktop model. However, server based computing is not without its challenges. Doggie applications can really take the gloss off a pristine installation.

That's where I see VDI or even blade PCs coming to our aid. We are in the early stages of looking at building virtual PC in a VMWare environment to handle the stuff that should never have made it to market in the first place.

[John Griffin]

It just doesn't scale

We have sunk considerable time and effort into VDI. The concept is great, particularly in blended solutions of Citrix, VDI and CCI.One of our customers has even deployed it in anger.

The problem is, that i just does not scale. The hardware requirements on the back end are totally ridiculous, it's probably cheaper to buy each user a PC and buy a complete managment suite and hire extra engineers to maintain them.

Getting only 6 users per CPU Core is hopeless.