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Home / Glossary / VDI
Glossary · Cloud

VDI

Virtual Desktop Infrastructure

In plain language

A setup where your desktop runs on a central server and you see it through any device.

The metaphor

Like a rented office desk that looks the same wherever you sit down: the desk stays put and you visit it from anywhere.

Going deeper

How it works

  • The desktop and files live on a server in the office or the cloud.
  • Staff connect from a laptop, tablet or thin terminal.
  • Updates are done once, in the middle.
  • It suits locked-down or shared-workstation environments.
In practice
  • A call centre gives agents the same desktop on any seat.
  • A practice lets staff work from home on their own device.
  • A firm decides cloud apps are simpler and skips it.

A question owners ask

Does a small business need it?

Rarely. Microsoft 365 and cloud apps give most of the benefit with less cost.

Related terms
APIApplication Programming InterfaceCloud storageCSPCloud Service ProviderGoogle WorkspaceHAHigh AvailabilityIaaSInfrastructure as a ServiceIaCInfrastructure as CodeIdPIdentity Provider

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