Survey of Desktop Virtualization in Higher Education: An Energy- and Cost-Savings Perspective

Benefits of utilizing desktop virtualization technology in higher education environments include the ability to deploy numerous applications, which may conflict on a traditional desktop, into a single image. Additionally, the utilization of thin-clients could produce substantial energy savings and reduce physical desktop replacement costs. Finally, virtualized desktops can be delivered to numerous non-enterprise devices, particularly student’s personal laptops or dorm-room computers. While there appear to be numerous benefits to desktop virtualization, there are many barriers to adoption. This paper outlines the substantial energy- and cost-savings provided through desktop virtualization in higher education. A literature review of relevant works and findings of a university implementation workgroup are presented using a case-study approach