Finally delivering on the vast potential of VDI with a platform that is secure, robust, reliable and cost-effective

VDI, or Virtual Desktop Infrastructure, is a technology solution that can deliver significant value to enterprise organizations. With VDI, IT can centrally manage all desktops throughout an enterprise and keep all data stored and protected in a centralized environment.

This approach can enable IT to control software updates, patches and rollouts, and it can bolster security by keeping critical information off of unsecured endpoint devices. With the right deployment, including the use of thin clients, organizations can also save money by using less expensive endpoint devices, extending their lifecycles and reducing the costs of maintenance, upgrades and repairs.

Because of these myriad benefits, VDI has become, at times, a widely touted technology. Many of the leading analysts predicted several years ago that VDI would be the next big breakthrough in desktop computing, with one leading analyst firm projecting that in 2013 there would be nearly 50 million units shipped.

While it may eventually be the case that VDI becomes a dominant platform, most of the earlier bold predictions have fallen by the wayside. The technology, simply, has been more difficult and costly to deploy than what had been initially anticipated in IT environments dominated by distributed systems and x.86-based servers and desktops. There are several reasons for this:

• Infrastructure costs: Implementing VDI in a traditional distributed environment has been more expensive than organizations realized, in particular requiring major upgrades of storage and network infrastructures.
• Security: When done properly, VDI can enhance security by keeping data within the data center. However, early deployments have been lacking in security features and functions.
• Robustness: Users expect their virtual desktops to perform at the same level with the same features as their traditional PC-based desktops.

Fortunately, there is now a VDI solution that not only addresses these challenges, it actually brings the power, security and compartmentalization of the IBM System z to the desktop. The solution is called Smart Terminal Architecture with Secure Hosts (STASH), and it has been developed by a consortium of six companies, including Vicom Infinity.

IBM and others have described STASH as “VDI on steroids.” It utilizes the IBM System z BladeCenter Extension (zBX) as a desktop hosting environment running trusted thin client software to deliver a virtual desktop infrastructure. Enterprises can take advantage of the IBM System z for computing and management capabilities, greatly reducing the number of servers and thin-client deployment costs.

The STASH solution includes:

• The Trusted Thin Client from Raytheon Trusted Computer Solutions (RTCS). The RTCS solution has been deployed across tens of thousands desktops within the U.S military, intelligence agencies and other government environments.
• Virtual Bridge’s VERDE solution for desktop management and provisioning.
• IBM’s secure and resilient hosting environment for desktops within z/BX and z/VM.
• Enhanced security through the Intellinx solution that providers user-activity monitoring for forensic and fraud protection.
• The customer-proven CSL-WAVE product from CSL International, which manages the virtual machines using an intuitive interface.
• Vicom Infinity as the IBM Premier Business Partner and the source for one-stop procurement of the bundled STASH solution.

VDI has the potential to deliver significant advantages to enterprise organizations. But it must be done right. That means it must deliver on the reliability, robustness, security, performance and user experience that enterprises demand from any infrastructure platform that is running mission-critical applications. Now, thanks to STASH and the ability to deploy VDI on the world’s most secure and reliable computing platform, the IBM System z, enterprises finally have the opportunity to do VDI right.