Cost factor are always on the fore front of every business decision process especially. Targeting IT cost reduction is no different. Computer information officers could not agree over enterprise desktop virtualization as a cost saving investment. Maybe you are aware of Dell’s OptiPlex 980 desktop and FX100 zero client computer which is touted to be faster and more energy-efficient. These kind of computer hardware are intended for deployment in the enterprise desktop virtualization environment.

IT professionals looking for alternatives could easily point out the lowered costs by replacing out desktop computers with thin clients. Having enterprise desktop virtualization technology could bolster security and meet regulatory requirements. It could also simplify desktop management and even allows desktop backup which is missing in most companies. Those are some point of benefit that could be noted for having enterprise desktop virtualization which initially makes it appealing for investment.

The down side of having enterprise desktop virtualization is not obvious as it could pop up in the long run when everything has grown in size. Imagine thousands of users or more with each hosting desktop images in the data center. This will create a significant shift in how the IT infrastructure is managed. There will surely result in additional cost on retraining existing staff attending online courses or hiring additional talent required to support it. Heavy-duty servers, network components and storage would implicate more expenditure for the enterprise-wide virtual desktop infrastructure. There might be more cost on licensing fees, data center cooling and power which are not very evident.

Businesses are reluctant that’s why most deployments are in small numbers ranging from 50 desktops up to a 1,000. The reason behind might be that the benefits of enterprise desktop virtualization is difficult to fully quantify.