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Desktop Solutions

Employees increasingly want access to applications and data from anywhere or from any device. While this adds to workforce productivity, it can create complexity and higher pressures on cost control for IT departments. Additionally, as hardware theft rises, securing laptop and desktop PCs requires significant resources. How can your IT department meet these challenges with better efficiency?

Companies are increasingly turning to virtualization as the answer to their desktop challenges. Desktop virtualization involves decoupling the different computing layers and storing some or all of them in a data center. Through virtualization, employees can access their applications and data very safely over a network, minimizing the risk of data loss. On the IT side, virtualization accelerates deployment of new capabilities without needing to acquire new hardware and configure components. It also helps reduce application testing requirements and compatibility issues and simplifies disaster recovery and compliance.

Each business is different and requires its own balance between user flexibility and centralized control across various organizations and even across various user groups within organizations. The Windows Optimized Desktop Scenarios give your business the ability to choose what works best for your needs.

 

Mobile Knowledge Workers
Office Knowledge Workers
Task Workers
Contractors or Offshore Workers
Access from Home

Mobile Knowledge Workers

Workers such as sales professionals, consultants and accountants need access to their data and applications virtually anywhere, anytime. While users expect flexibility and the ability to take their data with them while on the go, the IT department needs to make sure that data is protected and end user productivity is not significantly impacted in the case of a lost or stolen laptop. Additionally, both the user and IT share the concern about easily having a "replaceable PC" to get the user back up and running with the same applications and, most importantly, the user's data, while reducing downtime.

Microsoft's recommended "replaceable PC" solution for mobile workers includes Windows Vista Enterprise with Windows BitLocker Drive Encryption to better protect data, Microsoft Application Virtualization (formerly SoftGrid) to deliver users the applications they need for online and offline use without installing them, and Folder Redirection with Offline Files and Folders to centrally store and make data available to the user, online and offline.

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