The system requirements for design software are often in line with high-end gaming computers.
Some popular design software’s are listed below Click each logo to discover the recommended system requirements
By visiting the brands above it's easy to see why VDI can be enticing, with the promise of reduced capital costs, user set up, upgrading systems, and maintenance resulting in a 75% saving on hardware capital (Ibrahim et al 2016; Kapil et al. 2017).
Today there is an increased focus on being a green/carbon-neutral company, not to mention the cost savings involved. VDI where design software runs through Thin client's promises up to 90% cost savings (Ibrahim et al 2016).
VDI can also decrease resource waste by reallocating computing power not being used to another person within the organization that requires it (Nakhai and Anuar 2017;Wen et al 2018).
Increasing the value for money!!!!!
While cost may be the obvious driver for VDI implementation, the actual benefit is the provision of the same systems and application software regardless of an end-user's geographical location (Makoviy et al. 2017).
While there are clear attributes that can save costs by implementing VDI within an Engineering company on a global scale, there are also current issues that can make the implementation a double-edged sword as highlighted in the following scenarios.
VDI requires a large upfront investment cost to develop hardware that suits the needs of the Engineering personnel which can far out way the cost of single PC's (Rot and Chrobak 2018).
Remote access to a host server requires larger bandwidth and network capabilities, meaning an increase in local infrastructure costs (Kapil et al. 2017).
Licensing fees associated with specialized software packages for VDI are usually higher than local servers (Rot and Chrobak 2018).
The host server for the VDI that meets the requirements of the Engineering firm is going to be more powerful than a traditional local server hence hardware cost savings may not be as much as they first seem (Kapil et al. 2017).
Guo et al (2018) suggests that the latency experienced by the end-user is also dependent on the location of the host server. Hence the further the end-user is located from the host server, the more latency issues experienced.
Wen et al (2018) states that the VM within VDI has stages throughout daily operation where there is an increase in demand on the operating systems of the host server. The load on host server therefore unpredictable and can lead to stages of overdemand where latency issues will arise.
An employee may leave data on display in an unsecured location when they step away from their machine shortly (Thurman 2010) exposing IP.
An uneducated user may access the network from a compromised location (Thurman 2010).
People accessing the company network can unknowingly provide an access point for attackers into the isolated server, allowing access to all other VM’s on the host server (Donaldson et al 2017)
DoS is a familiar occurrence that not only result in user lock out, allowing an attacker gain access to the host server, but can also lead to network and bandwidth sabotage compromising productivity (Singh and Chatterjee 2016).
VDI can support Engineering companies that operate on a global scale in a magnitude of ways. From allowing collaboration of the best minds around the globe to ensuring that all users have access to the same powerful software while also benefiting from reduced capital cost. This allows for better strategic positioning amongst companies in a competitive market. However, VDI can also be a double-edged sword that can spell disaster if proper planning and initial investment are incorrect. Therefore, it is essential that all aspects of VDI are investigated and time is taken to evaluate all issues that could be posed by implementation.
