Dit Whitepaper Desktop Virtualization Financial

WhitepaperDesktop Virtualization Gaining Ground

in the Financial Sector

With the financial sector operating on a constant, global scale, the demand for effec-

tive, cost efficient business solutions has become a priority across the industry. Many

companies have turned to desktop virtualization to simplify their workplace and in-

crease productivity.

Desktop virtualization involves separating the physical location of a client device from

its logical interface, allowing end users to access all of their data and applications with-

out being tied down to a specific hardware device. Its also beneficial for IT depart-

ments by reducing management and support costs, as well as capital expenses for desk-

top hardware.

Despite desktop virtualization being an established method for businesses, its popular-

ity has grown exponentially as of late. The abundance of desktop devices, applications,

and data of often remote and widespread workforces has contributed to the growth. IT

departments are eager to find more effective and efficient ways of managing desktop

computing resources.

With desktop virtualization, companies in the financial sector have seen improved

availability and manageability of its data, stronger security forces, and enhanced IT op-

erations all while lowering costs.

Overview

DESKTOP COMPUTINGALTERNATIVE

The financial sector has a unique set of challenges many industries dont have to face, per-

haps the most dominant being the global scale in which it operates. Most financial com-

panies have offices around the world that they must seamlessly sync large scale operations

in an easily accessible way.

Virtualized desktops can be preconfigured, bundled, and fully operational in a matter of

minutes. This process quickens the rollout and facilitates the re-use of individual worksta-

tions without the need for a specialized team to implement it. The availability of virtual

desktops streamlines branch office operations a major factor in the financial sector and

requires much less time to repair than traditional PCs. Having data stored in a centralized

location ensures a high level of security, especially with branch office operation. Virtual-

ized desktops can only process screen and control data, and IT departments are able to

centrally block USB ports for external storage media. They also limit vulnerabilities to data

theft, viruses, and malware.

A well designed desktop virtualization system lowers training costs and hastens migration.

Large organizations like those in the financial sector require proficient device and user

management as well as client capability for mapping different administration hierarchies.

Because they can be virtually preconfigured, packaged, and put into operation in just a

few minutes, desktop virtualization systems quicken setups and enable flexibility without

the need for specialist staff. Productivity can increase by more than 98 percent, while stan-

dard PCs have long repair times that cause delays and higher costs.

Availability & Manageability

Whitepaper | Desktop Virtualization Gaining Ground in the Financial Sector

One of the main reasons companies in the financial sector are deploying desktop virtual-

ization is because of its security advantages. Desktop virtualization keeps sensitive data

off the endpoint and keeps IT managers in charge of what programs and applications find

their way to users computers.

All banks and financial institutes face challenges to information security. Desktop virtual-

ization safeguards against these risks so that IT managers are able to handle more sophis-

ticated threats and a rising burden of data protection, privacy and compliance. Desktop

virtualization provides control over applications and data while offering employees a level

of secure access and collaboration needed to achieve productivity goals. Its a securely de-

signed virtual computing solution that enables companies to simplify security, protect in-

tellectual property, and ensure data privacy while still meeting compliance mandates.

Because thin clients only process screen and control data, external storage media can be

centrally blocked to protect against a breach. Without their own drives, thin clients also

inhibit data theft, viruses, or damaging programs like malware. Virtual desktop environ-

ments overall ensure a high level of security for companies incorporating branch office

operations into their security measures.

Security


Because of its availability, manageability, and improved security, desktop virtualization

strengthens a companys IT department. When an IT department is running smoothly, so is

the rest of the company which is exactly why desktop virtualization is increasingly be-

coming more and more popular.

According to a recent survey by IDG Research Services Group, more than 70 percent of re-

spondents said theyre currently investing in server virtualization, and desktop virtualiza-

tion is gaining traction as well. Among respondents to the IDG survey, 41 percent said

they are already spending money on desktop virtualization, and 22 percent said that desk-

top virtualization is a critical priority for their organizations in the next 12 months. While

respondents to the IDG survey are virtualizing only 6 percent of their desktops so far,

desktop virtualizations corporate footprint is set to increase considerably. Survey partici

pants expect 24 percent of their desktops to be virtualized within the next 24 months, and

34 percent of their desktops to be virtualized by 2010. Hence the prediction by Framing-

ham, Mass.-based research firm IDC; that sales of desktop virtualization software will

reach $1.8 billion by 2011, up from $500 million in 2008.

The growth stems from virtualizations ability to improve support administered by IT de-

partments. With traditional desktop computing, IT departments require a technician to be

dispatched whenever a client device wont operate properly. With virtual desktops, a tech-

nician can rebuild the entire operating system without ever leaving the main data center,

and the user will be up and running in a matter of minutes. That equals increased produc-

tivity for both IT employees and users.

Building a Stronger IT Core


No matter how successful a company is, its essentially guaranteed that they will be looking

to cut unnecessary costs. With many new challenges facing companies in the financial sector,

this has become a necessity. Desktop virtualization provides a number of cost benefits.

GartneGartner, a technology research firm, compared the Total Cost of Ownership (TCO) of per-

sonal computers versus server-based computing (SBC). According to their report, the TCO

of a SBC deployment used to deliver all applications to users is around 50 percent lower

than that of an unmanaged desktop deployment, and 11 percent to 18 percent lower

than that of a locked and well managed PC deployment. In addition, the direct costs of

SBC are between 12 percent and 27 percent lower than those of traditional PCs. The re-

search also says SBC options are particularly attractive when client devices are shared by

multiple users.

Other benefits include a total operating cost reduction of up to 70 percent. When soft-

ware, updates, and terminal devices are managed centrally, companies see power costs

lowered by at least 50 percent. There are also lower IT support costs and a faster rollout

of operational changes. Desktop virtualization has proven to be a wise investment be-

cause of its long service life of approximately five to seven years, as well as platform inde-

pendent use and continuous firmware upgrades.

According to the Fraunhofer Institute for Environmental, Safety and Energy Technology,

A completely manually maintained PC generates total costs of approximately EUR 4,600 a

year. A PC administered with software support runs up costs of EUR 2,800, while a thin

client workstation only incurs costs of less than EUR 1,500. Even compared with a man-

aged PC the difference is still 46 percent.

Cost Efficiency$


Devon IT, Inc.1100 First AvenueKing of Prussia, PA 19406

www.devonit.com

Tel: 610-757-4220 | 800-369-7290Fax: 610-757-1360

Desktop Virtualization Gaining Groundin the Financial Sector

Desktop virtualization offers distinct advantages that include availability, manageability,

improved security, a stronger IT force, and cost efficiency all concerns of great impor-

tance to companies in the financial sector. With the popularity of virtual desktops rapidly

increasing, the extent of these benefits will only continue to entice companies to inte-

grate the solution into their own established business models.

Desktop virtualization is ideal for the financial sector, and banks and financial institutes

are widely embracing it. How that can change how the industry operates on a larger scale

has now become the focal point of many other businesses across the globe.

Conclusion

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Dit Whitepaper Desktop Virtualization Financial

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