VDI technology enables organizations to attract next generation talent by granting them access to applications and data from their choice of work location, using a device of their choosing as well. Enterprises can implement flexible and futuristic workspaces where they can save on expensive real estate by leveraging VDI technology.

VDI for BFSI

VDI technology is hard to resist. It has special appeal for the BFSI segment because of the extra layers of defense required for data and applications, while ensuring that user experience is maximized.

Let’s examine the case of a broker trading in stocks. Normally, the broker would access real time information on a traditional laptop/desktop and then execute transactions online. The data and transaction details would have to traverse a number of networks—from the broker’s laptop application to a gateway, and then perhaps across a handful of public networks, to the stock market and back—leaving it vulnerable to being compromised. However, in a VDI environment, the broker’s applications and trading data could potentially reside in the datacenter and securely connected to that of the stock market. This would make the speed of access to data faster, improve speed of order execution as well as ensure the transactions are secure. Traders and advisors will find the speed and security a major advantage. Improved security is the result of a simple fact: in a VDI environment, the data and applications don’t reside on the end-point device and therefore, there is no chance of a data leak. Users can access anything they want, work, and leave the system without having to worry about unauthorized access to their devices or device theft/loss. Instead, sophisticated security measures can be implemented at the data center hosting the VDI environment, ensuring protection from cyberattacks and intrusions. The centralized environment makes it easier for IT to detect intrusions and isolate viruses before they can cause widespread reputational, legal or financial damage. Even in the case of any data center eventuality, service can be restored from a backup location in the matter of minutes or hours based on active-active or active-passive standby solutions. BFSI, which has always been at the forefront of technology adoption, will naturally find the high level of security and compliance that VDI provides to be especially advantageous. In the case of the insurance industry, the advantages of VDI are amplified. Today, every insurer has employees using their own mobile devices for customer meetings and to acquire customer data. If the customer data were to reside on the employee’s mobile device, it would present a major privacy and security concern. However, with VDI, the mobile device would not store the data; the data would be maintained at a datacenter with the VDI environment. The upside of VDI is directly related to other reassuring security advantages for the BFSI segment.

• VDI makes it simple to ensure that users have access to only authorized and licensed applications, thereby reducing legal and other operational complications.
• Mobile users may want to use native apps that, without the right security solutions such as EMM, can become vulnerable; this is not the case with VDI where the app does not reside on the device.
• IT administrators don’t have to worry about end-point devices and their poor and often outdated firewalls and security measures; VDI allows this to be managed centrally.
• Poor backup practices and crashes associated with desktops, laptops and smartphones can result in loss of critical files, records, etc. VDI environment ensures backups are created, eliminating risks from data corruption or an accidental wipe.

VDI is the recommended technology choice for security-sensitive Financial Services customers addressing regulatory and compliance requirements. These are businesses where it is imperative that customer data stays secure and employees be provided the freedom to work from anywhere, anytime and over any device. VDI provides a simple solution to storing data, using apps and preventing embarrassing and potentially damaging data leaks.

While VDI addresses several business challenges and compliance requirements of BFSI customers, it is critical to design, implement and operate a VDI solution that meets business demands. Else, it can be counterproductive. Though there is initial excitement during VDI rollout, in most organizations user adoption is a challenge. Enterprises need to focus on following critical elements for successful VDI adoption and sustained usage in enterprise. Having a scalable solution with effective monitoring framework and evergreen VDI estate are critical for user adoption and stickiness.

Total cost of ownership or return on investment

Most decision-makers tend to compare VDI Total Cost of Ownership (TCO) with Desktop/Laptop TCO, which isn’t a fair comparison. We need to look at Return On Investment (ROI), as VDI delivers much higher business benefits in terms of data security, regulatory compliance, effective protection from external and internal threats, enabling cloud journey for end-user devices, applications, enabling critical HR processes to attract next generation talent like flexible working, global workforce, flexible device policies, etc. TCO can be optimized with user profiling and providing the right quantity of resources that employees need instead of providing the configuration laptops/desktops for every employee. HW refresh cycles will be higher than desktop/laptop HW refresh cycles. With the right technology and design choices, like replacing user-based antivirus software with host-based software models, we can reduce cost as well as improve user experience.

As VDI adoption is increasing in the market, customers are looking for more standard solutions than bespoke VDI implementations. Per Gartner, BFSI is on top of the list where customers are opting to consume VDI in As-a-Service model from a service provider.

Reference
¹https://www.mordorintelligence.com/industry-reports/desktop-virtualization-market-industry

²Gartner does not endorse any vendor, product or service depicted in its research publications, and does not advise technology users to select only those vendors with the highest ratings or other designation. Gartner research publications consist of the opinions of Gartner’s research organization and should not be construed as statements of fact. Gartner disclaims all warranties, expressed or implied, with respect to this research, including any warranties of merchantability or fitness for a particular purpose.

Seshu

General Manager, Cloud & Infrastructure Services, Wipro Limited.

Seshu has two decades of IT industry experience across multiple domains—Telecom, Energy, High-tech, Healthcare, Consumer, Banking & Financial Services—covering product development, enterprise application development, infrastructure management. Currently, he heads virtuadesk practice globally in Wipro. virtuadesk is a complete desktop virtualization solution that enables customers to easily secure, provision, and share applications and data, for a collaborative and mobile workforce. Designed for fast and secure deployment, virtuadesk minimizes the risk in desktop virtualization implementation. Seshu can be reached at seshu.venkata@wipro.com