Virtual Desktop proof of concept with a housing association, which manages over 10,000 homes

The Challenge
A housing association, which manages over 10,000 homes in the UK, and was already running a virtualised server environment using VMware, wished to explore the benefits of a Virtual Desktop infrastructure (VDi). 

Desktop power consumption, PC replacement costs and management of user devices were all identified as potential areas to be explored, as was the compatibility of their housing management system within a virtual environment.

The Solution
EACS implemented a VMWare VDi pilot on five IGEL-3610 thin client terminals (running XP embedded OS) as a proof of concept. This allows the association to evaluate the performance of their applications within a virtual desktop environment, whilst assessing the green credentials and management benefits of the IGEL devices.