The power of VDI in 2023’s evolving business landscape 

Businesses need to ensure they can provide a better experience for employees without compromising the security of their digital assets – can Virtual Desktop Infrastructure (VDI) be the key?

The global business landscape has undergone several changes over the past few years. From office-based operations to online-only activity before the more common hybrid setting, we are now seeing – organisations have been navigating ways to save costs and meet employees’ evolving demands. 2023, which started with economic uncertainty, is likely to tighten business outgoings. It becomes more important than ever to ensure businesses have the appropriate tech stack which is cost-effective, scalable and secure.

There is no denying that employee expectations have shaped business strategies and made hybrid working an integral part of the working culture. This model only seems to be gaining more momentum considering the exponential growth in digitalisation. Technologies such as cloud and Virtual Desktop Infrastructure (VDI) have enabled organisations to facilitate their operations remotely, irrespective of location.

Why businesses must leverage VDI in 2023

In 2023’s economic environment, the business ecosystem is continuing to evolve, and companies are considering ways to tighten their expenditures. Hybrid working is still sought-after post-pandemic. According to a survey, eight in ten employees who worked remotely during the pandemic planned to work in a hybrid setting in the future. To cater to the workforce demands while also being able to do so securely and cost-effectively – organisations must take advantage of VDI.

VDI technology enables businesses to save money on their capital expenditures on hardware setup and maintenance. Organisations can also reduce operating expenses and subscription fees. What’s more, VDI allows all processing on an online server eliminating the need for businesses to invest huge amounts in endpoint technology. The state-of-the-art VDI technology is a ‘must have’ in 2023 as it not only minimises costs but also ensures a high-quality experience for employees.

Challenges facing businesses with VDI deployment

As businesses leverage VDI technology, they should be prepared to face some challenges. In 2023’s digital environment, employees utilise several applications to execute their work responsibilities. Due to increased application workload on the IT and insufficient storage, employees may face performance issues and systems lagging, leading to decreased productivity. To reduce these challenges, businesses must deploy appropriate technologies in combination with VDI.

Furthermore, businesses can not take their IT security for granted with VDI. There is no denying that VDI keeps the data on the server and not the endpoint devices – organisations can face cybersecurity issues due to insecure employee devices, stolen passwords and compromised desktops. Businesses must know how to minimise these risks and challenges and make the most of VDI technology.

Key considerations: Rising above the challenges

VDI deployment does not come without its challenges, but organisations that are capable of rising above these can remain resilient and ahead of their competitors. To overcome performance issues within VDI, organisations can deploy additional storage to complement VDI – this can be achieved by taking advantage of additional storage alternatives such as flash storage systems and solid-state drives (SSD). It goes without saying that the storage requirements of different organisations vary and must be assessed on a case-by-case basis to optimise the overall VDI experience.

Furthermore, businesses that leverage hybrid working must protect their IT security and be prepared to deal with a potential cyberattack. Organisations must automate regular maintenance of configuration, patches, and security updates within the virtual machines to avoid any delays that can put the entire VDI at risk.

What’s more, insider threats are on the rise, and appropriate technologies to support and strengthen VDI deployment must be deployed to protect sensitive data from both internal and external attacks. As part of their cybersecurity measures, businesses can harness the power of Zero Trust Architecture (ZTA), which treats every user with zero trust and requires each individual to meet the same criteria to successfully log in and gain access.

ZTA helps organisations take steps to deal with cyberattacks

Each access, whether external or internal, is authenticated with ZTA deployed. Users are not only checked at the time of login but their activity is monitored throughout the session, and trust status is questioned at frequent intervals. What’s more, at the discovery of any suspicious activity, the user access is revoked while alerting the relevant authorities. In this way, ZTA not only protects crucial data but also helps organisations take necessary steps to deal in case they experience a cyberattack.

The 2023 business landscape demands IT infrastructure to support remote and hybrid working, which makes VDI deployment a must for organisations. However, companies must ensure that appropriate technologies are utilised in combination with VDI not just to scale but to be able to do so securely.

This piece was written and provided by Dominik Birgelen, CEO of oneclick