'SMEs can save time, increase productivity with Desktops Virtualization'

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Saurabh Gupta | 16 Jan, 2015
Describing the benefits of Desktop Virtualization for small and medium enterprises (SMEs), the Director of Ncomputing, Monali Handa said Ncomputing can help them (SMEs) in a big way to avoid the high cost and high complexity normally associated with virtual desktop infrastructure (VDI) deployments.

"NComputing's cost and energy-efficient Desktop Virtualization solution addresses the issue of providing every employee with a PC; frequent technological changes and resulting hardware and software obsolescence; costs associated with upgrade, replacement and management of the IT infrastructure; and technical complexity associated with managing mixed IT set ups are some of the other challenges faced by most SMBs," Director, India & APAC, Ncomputing, Monali Handa said in an exclusive interview to SME Times.

Desktop Virtualization, a software technology, allows anytime, anywhere, any device access of business desktop. Virtual desktops help in reducing time and in the same time also help in improving productivity.

Ncomputing manufactures hardware and software to create virtual desktops which enable multiple users to simultaneously share a single operating system instance.

Excerpts of the interview...

Cost-optimization when we deploy desktop virtualization device in SMBs?
Monali Handa: In today's challenging times, while small and medium enterprises (SMEs) globally are keen to deploy the latest hardware and software technologies to stay competitive, limited IT budget and lack of resources act as key impediments in achieving this end. In addition, providing every employee with a PC; frequent technological changes and resulting hardware and software obsolescence; costs associated with upgrade, replacement and management of the IT infrastructure; and technical complexity associated with managing mixed IT set ups are some of the other challenges faced by most SMBs. Power shortage is another perennial issue that organizations have to deal with in most states in the country.

NComputing's cost and energy-efficient Desktop Virtualization solution addresses these challenge in the most cost effective manner. Organizations can deploy a secure and cost-effective IT infrastructure by centralizing their IT infrastructure and save on hardware, electricity, space and manpower. This also helps them avoid the high cost and high complexity normally associated with virtual desktop infrastructure (VDI) deployments.

How does NComputing work?
Monali Handa: The average computer user uses less than 10 percent of the PC capacity. The rest is wasted. NComputing taps into the other 90 percent so that multiple users can simultaneously share a single PC. With NComputing, organizations can run up to 100 workstations with just one PC or server. Simply stated, NComputing allows organization to do more with fewer resources, and save on hardware, electricity, space and manpower costs. All users run their own applications--and have their own files, settings and preferences--without the bulk, without the expense, without the cost of a dedicated PC. NComputing solutions allow organizations/institutions to run up to 100 workstations with a single PC or server. So, the question that we ask is: "Why buy 10 or more computers when you can do with one?"

Strategy around SME market in India?
Monali Handa: NComputing offers solutions for simple to complex IT environments - capable of addressing the needs of very small (SOHOs) to small/mid-sized (SMB/SME) and enterprise level organizations.

Our major strategy around SMB/SME market is to offer products that provide the best value and price performance to address these challenges. There are solutions (such as M-series and L-series) that are tailor made for the needs of SMBs and enable them to not only expand their computing infrastructure in one of the most affordable manner, but also allow them to repurpose their existing IT hardware, thereby enabling optimal use of computing resources. Whatever be the IT environment in an organization (LAN/WAN/hybrid), NComputing solutions adapt to the existing IT environment and help organizations to optimally use their existing IT infrastructure and use it as a base to expand computing access. NComputing helps them not only lower the acquisition and deployment cost of desktops but also significantly reduce the TCO (Total Cost of Operation) for SMBs. In a nutshell, with NComputing, SMBs can increase their operational efficiency, productivity and minimize their total IT costs and complexity.

How do you see enterprise mobility (trends) and your role into it?
Monali Handa: The recent IT trends are being observed around BYOD (Bring Your Own Device) and Enterprise Mobility. This means, in most Enterprises the workforce wants to access not just their own desktop or applications, but also their workspace, anytime-anywhere, from the device of their choice. These trends are in turn accelerating the adoption of desktop virtualization. To adapt to this changed scenario, organizations are realizing the need to make their IT infrastructure device agnostic.

BYOD and Enterprise Mobility are trends that have been going through adoption in North America and Western European countries. In India, people have begun to talk about it. However, the adoption of BYOD and Enterprise Mobility in India is at an early stage.

However, as organizations begin to think about Mobility, we want to say to them that they can be BYOD/Mobility-ready the day they want to. Once they have centralized and virtualized their IT environment, enabling access to organization data and applications across devices can be made as easy as downloading a free application from an app store.

Consider a company that has 2000 odd employees. The management may like to have only 20 percent of their workforce to use thin clients. The remaining could be using their individual devices such as laptops, PDAs or tablet PCs. But by deploying an integrated virtualization stack (as offered by NComputing) that supports multiple end point devices over a virtualized environment, the remaining 80 percent of the workforce can also access the workspace. The solution also enables simplicity and manageability of IT infrastructure across various IT landscapes.

NComputing offers end-to-end, integrated virtualization solutions, which include vSpace virtualization software for server/host PC, end-point thin client devices, and vSpace client software (for use on non-NComputing end-point devices such as laptops, tablets, and smart phones) to support the adoption of BYOD and Mobility. This it does by enabling a centrally virtualized and device agnostic IT infrastructure.

How can an enterprise benefit from NComputing solutions? Tell us something about your deployments?
Monali Handa: Enterprises the world over are facing the challenge to expand the scope and reach of their IT infrastructure to enable employees, partners and other stakeholders to access not just their own desktop or applications, but also their workspace, from the device of their choice, anytime, from anywhere. This is increasingly driving organizations to desktop virtualization as a viable and secure alternative to traditional PC computing. NComputing offers highly specialized, business-driven desktop and application virtualization solutions that cut the cost and complexity normally associated with deploying an enterprise-class desktop virtualization environment. The solutions provide a robust, secure and robust framework that enables organisaions to centralize and virtualize your IT infrastructure and make the optimal use of resources while keeping the IT costs to the minimal. Through a unique combination of simplicity, performance and value, NComputing removes the cost and complexity barriers and makes the adoption of desktop virtualization convenient and affordable for today’s high priority IT initiatives, including mobility, BYOD and migration to new versions of Windows operating environments.

It is noteworthy that in a short span of 5-6 years alone, NComputing has deployed over 13 lakh seats in India, which is impacting the lives of over 2 crore users in the country, daily. These 13 lakh seats comprise 5 lakh seats under government education (through various projects), 4 lakh seats in private education including schools, colleges, training centres, universities, etc; and another 4 lakh seats in SMBs and enterprises–which includes verticals like manufacturing, healthcare and many service oriented organizations.

Going forward, what are the plans towards 2015? New investments incurred by the company to upgrade the channel network and to sustain your leading position in the market?
Monali Handa: If you look at the market share in the desktop virtualization space, IDC has ranked NComputing as the No. 1 company in India in 2013, for the 5th year in a row. According to the last IDC report, in India, NComputing is way ahead of the competition with a 74.6%* market share. (*Source: IDC 2013 report)

At the operational level, NComputing works through a unique business model built on the strong foundation of our network of channel partners. This has been the key to our success the world over. Currently, we have a network of over 850+ channel partners across 140 plus cities in India. Redington is our national value added distributor. Our channel partners help us reach customers across the length and breadth of the country and even penetrate effectively into tier 2 and tier 3 cities and townships.

Going forward, we plan to continue consolidating and expanding our market share by adopting a multi-pronged approach, such as investing in ongoing training and enablement of partners, adding more partners to our channel network so that we are able to reach every nook and corner of the country, and through marketing initiatives such as online and offline awareness and brand building campaigns.

We believe, whatever has been achieved so far by NComputing in India, and globally, is merely tip of an iceberg. With demand for desktop virtualization being on the rise all over the world, it offers a great scope to NComputing to contribute to the spread of ICT across verticals by offering green, sustainable and affordable computing solutions to knowledge workers not only in India, but around the globe.