Security Features Manage Outside Contractors

When making the move to virtualized desktops, many enterprises cite lower costs and easier administration as their main motivators. But a new report serves as a reminder that there is another reason that VDI is compelling: Security.

The study, underwritten by Citrix, lists 10 ways that VDI makes for a more secure enterprise-computing environment.

Some of them might sound familiar. For example, because VDI allows enterprises to securely support mobile and "Bring Your Own Device" computing architectures, it helps mitigate the inherent risk involved in employees using computing devices not locked down by IT.

But some of the other items on the list provide fresh perspectives on security-related issues. For example, the report calls out the way VDI can make interactions with outside contractors more secure.

These days, every enterprise needs to give contractors some form of access to their IT systems, usually for ordering and payment information. But these can be the source of massive security risks; the epic Target breach from 2013 began when hackers stole log-on credentials from a sub-contractor.

Virtualization, says the study, "provides a solution. Windows apps and desktops needed by contractors -- even those on the other side of the world -- can be provisioned and de-provisioned instantly, from a single, central point of administration."

That means, says the report, that important corporate data files "are no longer scattered beyond IT's control," but "remain where they belong -- in the data center.”

Bring the Power of VDI to Your Enterprise: HP and NVIDIA have partnered to enable a more productive mobile workforce through Virtual Desktop Infrastructure. In the past, jerky video or "click-and-wait" design files sometimes led to frustrated users and conclusions that VDI wasn’t yet ready for prime time. But with virtualized GPUs, now it is. Learn how the combination of HP ConvergedSystem graphics server blades and NVIDIA GRID virtual graphics technology can provide the richest visual experience at the right cost, for even the most demanding applications:

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