Can VDI be used as a BYOD solution?

Bring Your Own Device (BYOD) and Virtual Desktop Infrastructure (VDI) solutions are becoming popular within higher education organizations to provide students and staff with the ability to work on and off-campus easily and smoothly.

The solutions can be used in conjunction with one another to create an optimal work and study environment. These types of solutions are especially important in the current climate as universities look to move towards a hybrid of working both on and off-campus. We’ll have a look at BYOD and VDI, the pros and cons of using VDI as a BYOD solution, and how VDI works alongside BYOD solutions.

What are VDI and BYOD?

BYOD policies allow students to use personal devices to access university resources, apps, and software. This means that students can use the same personal device whether they are on or off-campus and pick up working where they left off. Students are able to work on a device that they feel comfortable with.

VDI technology provides users with access to a virtual desktop using cloud-based technology. This software is able to recreate the desktop experience wherever they are, giving both students and staff the same experience they would have using a physical computer based on the university campus. The VDI desktop can be configured to suit their needs, when persistent VDI is implemented, even further replicating the experience they would have from a physical desktop workspace. Non-persistent VDI does not allow the same customization but still provides students with the ability to replicate a desktop they might find on campus on a physical machine.

It means that there will be no gap in their studies, even if they cannot be in a classroom environment, and helps to facilitate remote work, allowing students to study wherever and whenever they want.  

Using VDI for BYOD software access

What are the pros of using VDI as a BYOD solution?

  • Simplify management
  • Centralized management
  • Improved security
  • Streamline licensing processes
  • Mobile Device Management
  • Better student experience

Simplify management

Desktop virtualization can help to simplify BYOD management for IT departments as updating and altering user profiles is easier and it means looking after fewer physical machines, without the need to procure more. With this kind of BYOD solution, the student is responsible for the care and maintenance of their own device, saving costs and time for universities.

Centralized management

VDI also helps to centralize the management of apps, data, and desktop storage and management. VDI delivers apps and data to student-owned devices, and the information is stored on the cloud, rather than on the device itself. This means that the student can, should they choose, move between using different devices seamlessly, whether they are studying from home or in a traditional classroom environment. There is no transition necessary.

Improved security

With this particular solution, improved security is provided. This is both because there is no concern about leaving physical machines unattended and switched on when nobody is around and the data is not stored on a students’ mobile device. Should their device be lost or stolen, the student will not lose any work and will easily be able to switch to a different device and start working immediately. There are a number of security concerns when it comes to a BYOD strategy and VDI can help to mitigate some of the risks.

Streamline licensing processes

Combining VDI and a BYOD policy can also help to streamline software licensing, which can result in less expense and difficulty for IT admin.

Mobile Device Management

VDI can be used for Mobile Device Management. The solution will increase the flexibility of being able to provide students with remote access, which is essential, particularly as a result of the coronavirus pandemic.

Better student experience

Most importantly, using VDI alongside a BYOD program will provide a better overall student experience. This helps students to feel more engaged and means they can stay up-to-date with their studies and coursework, even if they cannot always be on campus with peers and tutors.

What are the cons of using VDI as a BYOD solution?

While virtualization provides an excellent solution and carries many benefits but it does also have a few cons when being used as a BYOD solution. These should be carefully considered before a VDI solution is implemented.

  • Requires network connection
  • Single-point-of-failure
  • Heavy server infrastructure demands

Requires network connection

VDI requires end-users to have a network connection of their own, rather than relying on connections they have as standard on campus. While many students and staff do have an internet connection, this may not always be the case. Should the end-user not have a working internet connection for any period of time, this could impact their ability to work.

Single-point-of-failure

Almost anywhere that a network connection is required, is reduced to a single-point-of-failure; only one thing needs to go awry and the whole system ceases to work. ISP service interruption? VDI will stop working. Physical damage to campus network infrastructure? VDI will stop working. Local power cut? EVERYTHING will stop working!

Heavy server infrastructure demands

VDI is a powerful and capable technology, and with it come some demanding hardware requirements. With VDI, all of your apps are executed server-side. Everything is being run and operated on on-premise or hosted servers with no actual computing occurring on the end-device. It is clear how this can need some serious power and drive up costs.

Before VDI deployment takes place, IT departments should ensure that they operate effectively and well for all users at all times. Failing to do this could result in a poor student experience and dissatisfaction.

How does VDI work alongside BYOD solutions?

Using VDI and BYOD alongside each other provides greater control over user desktops, applications and resource usage. It means that IT departments are better able to assess student and staff needs and how they use the resources provided, without needing to spend time maintaining machines on campus.

With VDI in place, if students open the virtual desktop on campus, it will look and operate in exactly the same way as when they use it on their own device. This helps students to have a more streamlined experience on their own device without interrupting their workflow.

VDI also enables higher education organizations to fully roll out a BYOD solution without the fear that students are missing out on any of the elements they would experience by using a traditional desktop, as they would find on campus.

Can Cloud Delivery solve your BYOD challenges?

In this webinar you’ll learn:

  • BYOD solutions – effective ways to service multiple device profiles for a seamless experience.
  • Cloud Delivery demonstration – showcasing real-world applications.
  • Feature updates – the latest innovations and solutions from AppsAnywhere.
  • Why Cloud Delivery is the answer to VDI limitations.
  • Boosting security, reducing costs, and enabling flexibility for BYOD.

FAQs

Is there an option to still auto-validate?

Auto validation is still available as an option. We aim to ensure there are as few occasions of attempting to launch but being unable to as possible, and where they occur, explaining why.

Directory path local execution, when does detection occur? During login? During validation?

Detection occurs during validation - the client is given a list of directories to look in and it returns what it finds.

Any CSS options like Dark Mode available for users to customize the look of the portal?

Dark mode wasn't something we were able to do for this version, but it is something that we are looking to include in the future.

Can Download the Client be hidden?

If client download is not available in that instance - such as in labs mode or if client install is suppressed, then the client link will not appear. The client download link will also only appear on platforms which have a client - i.e. Windows and macOS.

When can we get 2.12?

If you would like to upgrade to 2.12 please submit a support request and the team will be touch.

How to implement BYOD in schools

To implement BYOD in a cost-effective and sustainable way, schools will need a clear idea of a number of key data points to understand which technologies are necessary and how many licenses of each technology are required: Number of users/devices Weighting of device type/platform (Windows vs Mac vs Linux) Software titles to deliver Usage data on software titles for licensing User groups requiring specialist software You can read more about implementing BYOD policies in schools in the SecurEdge article, ‘How to successfully implement a BYOD program into your school’ > https://www.securedgenetworks.com/blog/how-to-successfully-implement-a-byod-program-into-your-school

How communication is improved in school with BYOD?

With a BYOD policy implemented, schools can begin working to introduce centralized communication points such as Virtual Learning Environments (VLEs) or Learning Management Systems (LMSs). Software delivery tools such as AppsAnywhere also provide areas that can be used to communicate with students. Once BYOD is enabled, schools can be more confident that students are actively accessing digital academic resources through specific channels, and that communication propagated through those channels is much more likely to be seen.

Does BYOD save schools money?

Yes, it can do. While BYOD technologies may be expensive, with the correct provisioning and tools implemented, the decrease in hardware investment required from schools by allowing students to bring their own device and insight from reporting data can help schools save money on their software delivery.

Why BYOD is good for schools?

BYOD policies in schools reduce the hardware investment of electronic devices, including mobile devices, needed for schools to offer equal access to digital academic resources to all students. By leveraging student-owned hardware, BYOD policies in schools can increase the resources available to students, such as software, digital media and digital learning environments, at a fraction of the cost of ensuring there are enough organization-owned machines for every student to use. Furthermore, BYOD allows students to access school resources outside of school and outside of teaching hours via their own device.

Why is BYOD important in schools?

BYOD policies in schools help to introduce students to completing work from their own devices in preparation for higher education and employment. In an ever-more-digital world, getting used to using personal devices to complete work can help desensitize students to the potential distractions offered by those devices. BYOD can also help students learn to manage their time effectively in a society where the lines between work time and free time are becoming more and more blurred.

When is AppsAnywhere 3.0 out?

We’re excited to be releasing AppsAnywhere 3.0 in December 2022, in time for January enrolment. Your dedicated Customer Success team will be in touch when it’s available to ensure your institution gets the most out of AppsAnywhere.

How can I get the latest version?

To get the latest version if you are currently using AppsAnywhere, schedule a call with your specialist implementations team and we can help you to start benefiting from AppsAnywhere 2.12 now.

Who can help me deploy VDI?

Most IT professionals get excited when considering new technologies and solutions. Without a doubt, the prospect of a VDI deployment project is likely to get your team’s juices flowing. However, deploying VDI is complex and often includes a host of new infrastructure and unique software management tools. The best advice is to engage with a vendor partner early on so that the design for your campus can be vetted by experts who work with VDI on a daily basis. A vendor partner can also help guide through different architecture scenarios, use cases, and potential pitfalls. All of the knowledge transfer gained will put the IT team in a far better position to successfully deploy and support VDI for your campus.

Which is better: DaaS or VDI?

As is the theme throughout the rest of this article, there isn’t really an objective victor in DaaS vs. VDI. However, when it comes to Higher Ed, we rarely see full DaaS deployments. They’re often saved for more limited use cases, such as temporary BYOD access, or delivering to satellite campuses. For the scale of delivery required by HEIT, VDI will usually come out on top. However, you still need to decide whether to go for legacy VDI, or newer, hosted solutions…

What is the difference between DaaS and fully hosted VDI?

DaaS refers to virtual desktops being provided to organizations as a service-based solution. It will include support for managing, upgrading and maintaining virtual machines. It is a more complete out-of-the-box solution with a price tag to match. Fully-hosted VDI is just like legacy VDI, except you don’t need on-premise server infrastructure, and they are often pay-as-you-go. Fully-hosted solutions are also referred to cloud-hosted solutions and they are the same as VDI, except hosted for you, as the name suggests.

Citrix or VMware?

Both VMware and Citrix have a robust product offering across many different solution suites. Historically, Citrix has excelled in the realm of remote app delivery or app remoting solutions. On the other hand, VMware leads the way with full desktop VDI delivery. Deciding on the right approach is solely dependent on the needs of the institution and what goals they are hoping to achieve with the project.

Why have a BYOD policy?

A formal BYOD policy helps to ensure a high chance of success and adoption as well as communicating practical information to users on how to interact with and use software on their BYO devices.

What is in a BYOD policy?

To put it concisely, a BYOD policy should include any or all of the following: Device type Operating system Available resources Security Usage conditions

What is BYOD policy?

A BYOD policy is a formal definition and agreement between the BYOD provider (universities) and the BYOD users (students). It is similar to an SLA (Service Level Agreement) between service-providers and outlines how users can expect to interact with their university's BYOD program, as well as any limitations, usage conditions, and compatibility information.

Related reading

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Register your interest for a demo and see how AppsAnywhere can help your institution. Receive a free consultation of your existing education software strategy and technologies, an overview of AppsAnywhere's main features and how they benefit students, faculty and IT, and get insight into the AppsAnywhere journey and post launch partnership support.

AppsAnywhere Admin Dashboard and AppsAnywhere Portal
NEXT STEPS TO IMPROVING YOUR SOFTWARE DELIVERY

Your apps anywhere, anytime, on any device

Register your interest for a demo and see how AppsAnywhere can help your institution. Receive a free consultation of your existing education software strategy and technologies, an overview of AppsAnywhere's main features and how they benefit students, faculty and IT, and get insight into the AppsAnywhere journey and post launch partnership support.