Today’s Higher Education environment is shaped by the changing expectations of students in the face of their increasingly diverse computing needs. Institutions of higher education strive to create student-friendly IT infrastructures that support students’ desire to bring their own mobile devices to campus. Gone are the days when these colleges and universities exercised control over students by regulating everything from lab hours to acceptable computing devices.
Apparently overnight, the roles of students and schools changed 180 degrees, and students now dictated the terms of their intended user experience, including using a combination of mobile devices to access apps and data from their homes, bedrooms or anywhere and anytime. To maximize their educational experience, students want to work more efficiently and comfortably. This means that 24/7 IT support is available for all devices. All of this happens when higher education budgets, staff, and IT resources are limited, making it difficult to respond to help desk calls, maintain computer lab hours, and keep the system secure.
Also read: Dell Technologies and Atal Innovation Mission launches ‘SheCodes Innovation Challenge’
Desktop virtualization offers six main benefits. Desktop virtualization:
- Centralized Management – Desktop virtualization centralizes the management of local computer labs and data center equipment for the main campus and remote sites. This saves time and money that would otherwise be spent on remote updates and other site visits. Dell Technologies can play a major role in providing desktop virtualization to Higher Education Institutions.
- Help Desk Calls Slash – One of the biggest benefits of desktop virtualization is the ability to dramatically reduce the number of help desk calls, as students, teachers, and more staff have a consistent user experience that is no longer available in different browser versions. , Java versions, etc. It is regulated and the device platforms are compatible with all applications.
Future-proof technology infrastructure: Desktop virtualization enables higher education institutions to have future-proof technologies by providing a framework to support new devices as they become available. For example, if a student comes to campus with the latest device (for example, Google Glass) and wants to access her classes, desktop virtualization simply allows her to open a browser and access a Windows desktop.
- Enables rapid application deployment – This is a welcome feature for teachers as it allows them to easily implement the latest and greatest tools.
- Enables High Performance Computing – This is an important benefit for students that enables ubiquitous desktop performance and quick access to lab files after hours. For example, a student in an architecture course could work on a design that would require the performance of a graphics workstation in a 3D computer lab on campus. If the lab closes before the student’s work is completed, the student can return to their dorm, use a laptop to access a secure virtual workstation with the required graphics capabilities, and then complete the work.
- Reduce hardware and energy costs: With Dell’s programme, a student’s smartphones, tablets, or televisions can become virtual desktops. This can discourage an institution of higher education from having to install more computer labs. Zero and thin clients used with virtual desktops in computer labs also save money by consuming less power than traditional PCs.
Dell Technologies has led the way in the virtualization industry, including desktop virtualization. Many higher education institutions depend on Dell Technologies mature, reliable solutions, recognized quality, and customer support.
