The Benefits of Virtualization for Education
Hardware Refresh Cycle Savings
The typical school is faced with the dilemma of whether to spend scarce technology budget dollars to expand the number of student workstations toward one per student or to replace the oldest machines with newer models that will better support current operating systems and desktop applications. Desktop virtualization provides a way to increase the useful life of existing older PCs while at the same time reducing the cost-per-seat of new student work stations. Even older PCs that cannot run current versions of popular operating systems and desktop applications can do so when used as thin clients running virtualized desktop software.
Effective Use of Disparate Hardware
For desktop workstations, virtualization provides a way to deliver a uniform student experience regardless of PC age. A lab equipped with PCs with different processors and memory will provide a uniform student user experience because the virtualized desktop environment exists on the network servers rather than individual PCs. The students' personalized workspace will follow them from classroom to lab to library, and, where connectivity is available, the workspace will even follow the student home.
Lower Total Cost of Ownership (TCO)
50% of the TCO of a PC is classroom support and IT support costs. Virtualized PC clients can help lower TCO by reducing cost of operations and both classroom and IT support.
Virtualization is Green
There are substantial savings derived from reduced power consumption. There is a savings of about 110 watts per desktop. PG&E customers can earn financial incentives for virtualization projects.
Stretching Software Licensing Dollars
With virtual desktop workstations, you need only purchase software licenses for the peak instantaneous usage of any given product. Virtual PC clients maximize utilization of software licenses.
BetterData SecurityIn a virtual desktop environment, software, data and most of the hardware elements that comprise the desktop workstation are in the data center and not on the desktop. This makes virtual PC clients inherently more secure. The inherent security provided by virtualizing client machines lets you open the network to outside connections without compromising security. Teachers can use virtual clients running on district-owned notebooks or on their own personal PCs without the risk of insecure, virus-contaminated computers infecting the school network.
