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Microsoft Desktop Virtualization

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What is Desktop Virtualization?

Today's increasingly-mobile workforce wants seamless, reliable, anytime access to their applications and data on a growing set of devices such as laptops, mobile devices, and home PCs. In addressing these user demands, IT must also maintain compliance and manage the corporate environment responsibly and efficiently.

Microsoft Desktop Virtualization bridges these requirements by providing enterprises a comprehensive suite of solutions to give users the flexibility to work everywhere on a range of devices, while simplifying compliance and management through a centralized and unified infrastructure.

"We created a flexible application environment that takes much less time to manage and enables us to be very responsive to employees and students"

Jeron Mehl

IT Manager
Kalsruhe Institute of Technology

Flexibility to Work Anywhere

Microsoft Desktop Virtualization empowers IT to provide users with a consistent, secure and personalized experience regardless of where they are.

Flexible Access to Windows

Provide users with more secure access to Windows Desktop from any connected device (desktops, laptops, mobile devices*, non-Windows device).
Microsoft Desktop Virtualization provides users the flexibility to access their Windows desktop from a connected device of their choice, giving them the freedom and security to work virtually everywhere, whether inside or outside the corporate network.

Anywhere Productivity

Provide users with more secure access to Applications, Data and Personal Settings on any corporate PC.
Microsoft Desktop Virtualization equips IT to enable applications, data, and personal settings to follow the user, keeping users productive when they switch corporate PCs and even when they are disconnected from the Internet.

Maximize Hardware Investments

Maximize hardware investments by providing access to multiple Windows instances from a single device.
Microsoft Desktop Virtualization maximizes hardware investments by enabling access to multiple Windows environments (Dev-Test, Business-Personal) from the same client device. It also enables organizations to implement "Bring Your Own" device programs which involve employees using their personally-owned hardware for both personal and work purposes.

Desktop Virtualization enables companies to give employees the flexibility to work everywhere on a range of devices through the Microsoft VDI Suite, Remote Desktop Services (RDS), Application Virtualization (App-V), and User State Virtualization (USV).

*Access to a broad range of non-Windows devices such provided through the joint Microsoft/Citrix solution.

"We've been really impressed with the RemoteFX feature in Windows Server 2008 R2 SP1...the rich graphical user experience is a significant advantage..."

Alan Bourassa

Chief Information Officer
EmpireCLS Worldwide Chauffeured Service

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Improve Compliance and Business Continuity

Microsoft Desktop Virtualization enables IT to simplify compliance through centralized control and access to confidential data. It also helps to improve business continuity by instantly provisioning corporate applications and data in the event of a business disruption.

Secure Corporate Data

Simplify Compliance by centralizing corporate data and controlling user access.
Microsoft Desktop Virtualization helps to secure confidential corporate data by centralizing desktops in the data center, and removing applications and data from individual PCs. Desktop Virtualization can help provide comprehensive and secure remote access to corporate resources for employees, partners, and vendors on both managed and unmanaged devices.

Avoid Business Disruptions

Improve business continuity by ensuring uninterrupted access to corporate applications and data.
Microsoft Desktop Virtualization helps users to remain productive by instantly provisioning user applications and data in the event of business disruptions such as power outages, natural disasters, or lost PCs. With Desktop Virtualization, business information is stored centrally, so data and applications are easily retrievable in case of an emergency.

Desktop Virtualization solutions such as the Microsoft VDI Suite, Remote Desktop Services, Windows Thin PC, App-V, and User State Virtualization, enable IT to improve compliance and business continuity through centralized control and access to data and applications.

"With VDI, the applications and data associated with desktops never leave the data center...helps our organization keep intellectual property secure."

Carlo Filangieri

Head of IT Infrastructure
Telecom Italia Group

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Simplify Management and Delivery

Microsoft Desktop Virtualization allows IT to build a streamlined infrastructure that is specific to the needs of users and enterprises. Desktop Virtualization can unify IT operations onto a single and centralized infrastructure across physical and virtual assets. Desktop Virtualization also enables instant provisioning of corporate applications and desktops which gets users up and running sooner.

Accelerate Deployment

Accelerate provisioning of virtual applications and Windows desktops on demand based on users’ identity and role.
Microsoft Desktop Virtualization reduces the time and effort required to deploy corporate applications and Windows 7 to users. It provides application self-provisioning to end users based on their identity and the device they use to access corporate resources. Desktop Virtualization can help IT deliver applications or desktops to users as service with infrastructure that is hosted on premises, by third party hosters, or in the public cloud.

Centralized and Unified Infrastructure

Centralized Platform for managing both the physical and virtual environments.
With Microsoft System Center organizations can achieve Desktop Virtualization benefits without increasing the cost and complexity of management by consolidating security and management applications into a single and unified platform. Microsoft System Center can manage all your PCs, thin clients and back-end infrastructure and make it easy to inventory, patch, and configure physical and virtual desktops. Desktop Virtualization can deliver agility and efficiency through automation, self-service, and rich extensibility.

As IT works to simplify management and delivery it can rely on App-V, Microsoft VDI Suite, Remote Desktop Services, Microsoft Enterprise Desktop Virtualization (MED-V), System Center Configuration Manager, System Center Virtual Machine Manager, and System Center Operations Manager.

"With App-V we reduced the time to deploy applications by 60 percent. Instead of taking a week to package, test, and deploy applications, now the entire provisioning process—including sequencing—takes just two days."

Jeron Mehl

IT Manager
Karlsruhe Institute of Technology

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Flexible WorkstyleFlexible Workstyle

Microsoft offers flexible solutions to meet the needs of people and the IT departments that support them. Find your workstyle today: