For many colleges and universities, VDI is considered as a way to lower ongoing costs and enable broad mobility so that students can run applications from anywhere. In theory, students can use their own machines to connect to virtual labs or colleges can buy more terminals for the same money and improve overall access.
But now, there’s another option: Windows MultiPoint Server 2011. Windows MultiPoint Server 2011 can achieve some VDI benefits but can’t do everything achievable with VDI. That said, for schools that are interested in simply expanding access to more students or are interested in lowering ongoing costs and are not concerned about expanded mobility options, Windows MultiPoint Server 2011 might be a fantastic option.
Windows MultiPoint Server 2011 supports multiple connectivity methods including Ethernet, USB and direct connections. MPS 2011 is much like the nComputing product that has been around for a while.
Check here for more information about MultiPoint Server 2011 and look for a full-length future article with more thoughts on this shared resource approach.
What do you think of this approach to “more for less”?