Windows 7 Meets Virtual Desktop Infrastructure

Will virtual desktop infrastructure (VDI) kill traditional operating environments like Windows? Not if you ask DynTek. The $85 million solutions provider, working closely with Microsoft and Citrix Systems, is out talking to customers in New York and Michigan this week.  The topic at hand: How businesses can leverage Windows 7 and VDI. The VAR Guy is intrigued. Here’s why.

For starters, DynTek Managing Director Ken Young knows how to work a room. During a Dec. 2 luncheon in New York, Young explained the potential business benefits of Windows 7 to roughly 60 customers. The discussion sounded like an educational session rather than a sales pitch. And in an ironic but intriguing twist, Young ran the Windows 7 demo on a MacBook.

A developer by trade, Young offered up the following reasons he believes businesses should embrace Windows 7:

Virtual Desktops

But the more interesting part of the conversation involved DynTek’s Virtual Desktop Infrastructure (VDI) strategy, which blends solutions from Microsoft and Citrix, among others.

No doubt, virtualized desktops are receiving a lot of hype. DynTek described a world where desktop virtualization will transform data centers into delivery centers — much in the way that DirectTV delivers content to set-top boxes connected to any type of TV.

But is that world here today? Not for everyone, Young concedes, but he’s seen plenty of corporate instances where VDI is gaining momentum. He offered up additional thoughts on VDI (and Microsoft’s cloud strategy) in this FastChat video:

The video includes:

Here Comes Intel

What’s the next step for VDI? Multiple trends are emerging. But DynTek is watching one market mover in particular. The company points to Intel’s chip strategy, which involves more and more support for virtualization.

Is VDI for everyone? Hardly. Watch and listen closely to the video above, and Young provides some key clues — involving price and scalability — about where VDI currently fits in the market.

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