Businesses are increasingly choosing hosted desktops over PCs. Last week, IDC reported that worldwide PC sales had declined 13.9% in Q1 2013 compared to Q1 2012. It also said that this was the largest reduction in PC sales since it began tracking the statistic on a quarterly basis in 1994. Meanwhile, experts predict a 15% compound annual growth rate (CAGR) for the virtual desktop infrastructure (VDI) market. In addition, more than 50% of businesses expressed interest in migrating from PCs to hosted desktops in a 2012 poll.
A hosted desktop has the same appearance and all the same features as a Windows operating system installed on the hard drive of a PC. In contrast with a PC operating system, however, virtual hosted desktops reside on the servers of a hosting company and are accessed via the Internet. In a typical deployment, each user receives his or her own unique, permanent virtual desktop. These virtual hosted desktops aren’t newly-generated environments without any of the files or settings from the user’s previous sessions, and they aren’t even “sandbox” environments that contain the files and settings of multiple users that share the hosted desktop and access it at different times. A user’s hosted desktop will retain all of the same files, settings, and applications from all of the user’s previous sessions. Changing one’s device doesn’t alter anything about the hosted desktop, either: a user’s hosted desktop will remain the same whether he or she is accessing it, for example, from a Mac, iPad, or iPhone.
In addition to sharing all of the best features of PCs—including the familiarity of their interface and the ability to support any application—hosted desktops are less costly and more secure, accessible, scalable, and eco-friendly than a traditional server/workstation environment. They don’t require the purchase of any expensive on-site IT hardware or the hiring of any $50,000+ per year on-site IT specialists. Their centralization (being hosted on a small number of interconnected servers) makes them easier to secure and manage than individual PCs. They’re also web-based solutions that can be accessed any time, from anywhere, and with any device. Due to the scalability of hosted desktops, businesses can quickly and easily add processing power, storage space, and users to an existing deployment. Devices used to access hosted desktops such as thin clients, tablets, and smartphones also create less e-waste and consume less energy than PCs and servers.
To take advantage of these benefits, businesses with PCs should switch to Ironorbit Hosted Desktop Solutions today. We offer the fastest, most secure, and best-supported Virtual Hosted Desktops in the world. Sign up for our 30 day free trial to get started!