The new aged entrepreneurs or business personalities always adapt to the modern technologies that come into the market. They focus on increasing the business’s performance by spending on the necessary technologies required for the growth of their employees.
One such technology that many businesses have adopted is VDI. VDI (Virtual Desktop Infrastructure) is a technology that enables the creation of a virtualized desktop environment so that every professional who works from the office would be able to work remotely. End-users can work from a personal device by just logging into their virtual desktop via a browser.
The VDI market has seen rapid growth and is expected to grow at approx 16% CAGR during the review period (2019–2025). Companies have shifted to VDI technology as it enables remote working, gives flexibility, and has helped employees deliver the desired results.
However, It is essential to take complete knowledge before opting for any services from providers in the virtual desktop space. You have to understand that any services that you take will directly affect your business performance.
Here are six questions you should ask when taking consultations from different VDI vendors or providers that will help you select the right one for your business.
1. What level of security different VDI vendors offer?
This is the most crucial aspect, and you can’t compromise on this. You should ask the VDI providers if they offer a single sign-on (SSO) feature on the deployed virtual desktops. They should offer you the admin rights to control the desktops from a central server so that you can give desired permissions to the designated employees for accessing files or folders.
It would be best to enquire whether providers’ cloud servers are safeguarded with physical security like CCTVs and whether they have high-security features for data protection. Some of the security features could be multiple firewalls, multi-factor authentication, intrusion detection & prevention, end-to-end 256-bit data encryption, and many more.
2. Do they back up the data regularly?
Everything goes hand in hand. I mean, even if there is high security, what if your data gets lost due to some technical glitch. Therefore, you should not neglect the backup feature. You should ask the providers if they have an automatic backup plan and designated IT team to look after it so that you don’t have to waste your time storing data in local hard drives or solid drives.
It will help if you ask the providers whether they have a regular monthly backup on the cloud and their data centers’ exact locations.
Also, ask them about their data restoration time in case of glitches or mishaps. They should be able to manage the restoration by themselves without your involvement.
3. What is server uptime they offer?
Uptime means that the total time virtual desktops are available to you for work. Nobody wants their team to sit idle for a long time because of server downtime or maintenance activities. You should look for a VDI provider that offers at least an uptime of 99.99% so that you don’t have to waste billable hours.
You should also check the time taken by their IT team to provision the virtual desktops with all the desired apps and functionalities while offering virtual desktops to new employees in case you expand your team.
As you can’t just trust only what providers say about their uptime they offer. You should always make sure that the uptime is mentioned in the service level agreement (SLA).
4. What is the desktop performance?
Obviously, who does not want high-performing desktops which work the same as our standard physical desktops? You will want no latency in your virtual desktops. Always ask that there should be near to zero latency while operating on virtual desktops.
You should see that the virtual desktop performance should be consistent so that your employees are more productive in their work.
Developers, graphic designers, etc., require high-performance computers. If your workforce is also amongst those, you should look at every technical aspect such as RAM, bandwidth, and storage.
5. What are the additional services they offer?
When you come across different providers, everyone has something different to offer or has their own USPs. Hence, when you consult various providers, you should focus on what they have additional to offer. That makes it easier for you to compare between the different managed service providers (MSPs).
One of the services you could ask is whether VDI providers give 24×7 support. Suppose they do, whether it is on all the platforms like phone, chat, or email. If any glitch occurs at night, is there any designated IT team at night that can resolve your problem personally?
For instance, you can ask if the provider offers DRaaS (Disaster Recovery as a Service). In DRaaS, your data is replicated in multiple data centers to be restored immediately from any data center in cases of mishaps or disasters like earthquakes or floods.
6. Are the pricing plans they offer flexible?
When providers meet your expectations and fulfill your checklist, you should finally ask them about the pricing and plans. It could be possible that providers offer you all the above services we have discussed, but they charge a higher price for their services.
Though there are various factors on which VDI pricing depends, the provider’s price offerings should always look nominal. VDI providers should offer you a pay-as-you-go model so that you don’t need to invest any upfront amount.
See whether they offer any discounts if you are opting for extended term contracts with them. Also, ask them if the 24×7 IT support services and DRaaS facility are inclusive in the plans or not because many providers charge extra above their plans for the additional services.
Takeaways
Choosing the right VDI service provider is the most critical aspect of a business. VDI is technically challenging to understand, and nobody will want to increase their complexities by choosing the wrong provider.
Hence, it is recommended to take complete knowledge beforehand rather than getting in trouble later. For this, you can ask the VDI solution provider for a free trial and have the first-hand experience of their services.
To know more about the VDI services or types of VDI offerings, get in touch with our Solutions Consultant at +1-855-223-4887.
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