Loughborough University implements 400 virtual desktops

Loughborough University has cut maintenance costs and enabled a bring-your-own-device (BYOD) scheme for academics with virtual desktops.

The university has adopted a VMware Virtual Desktop Infrastructure (VDI) with support from IT services firm Logicalis.

Phil Richards, director of IT at Loughborough University, said the implementation was for corporate staff first but then extended to academics. “Initially, we chose to deploy VDI to our corporate users – those that operate the business of university life, for instance our finance and HR departments. It was easier for us to determine the requirements of this group, and generally their needs tended to be less technically demanding.”

 In maintenance alone the university has saved the equivalent of two members of staff in terms of man hours.

“We very quickly realised the benefits we had expected to see. Namely, total cost of ownership and efficiency within the IT team, modest carbon savings, and the provision of an alternative IT service for corporate users,” said Richards.

Richards has since extended VDI access to the University’s academic and research staff, as part of a BYOD initiative.  "Our lecturing and research teams often contribute to conferences and working groups around the world.  Providing VDI access to the University’s administrative apps from their personal mobile devices is enabling them to log expenses, access shared teaching resources with students, and so on."