What is a virtual desktop

This weekend I was visiting family, it is always good and comforting to see family. The holidays are just around the corner and I try to visit my extended family, the ones that I will probably not see during the actual holidays.

Of course there was the normal chatter like remember when you fell off your bike and hit the street light head-on, you had a shiner on your forehead the size of an ostrich egg. As the topics shifted, eventually it turned to current events and our careers.

As I explained my business and cloud computing. My family understood everything but one item. They were puzzled by the concept of a virtual desktop, which at Raven Cloud Computing we refer to as our IT Cloud.

It’s quite simple I explained, it’s a Windows XP or Windows 7 computer that sits in the cloud! Almost like a cartoon – I could see the puzzled look on their faces and the question marks above their heads. “How do you get a computer in the cloud and where does it sit and how do you turn it on?”, one family member asked.

I explained that it actually is a virtual space of a computer’s desktop environment, (wallpaper, icons, folders and applications)  that is expanded beyond the physical limits of a local computer and stored on a remote server. The server then simulates the user’s desktop environment and capabilities. I explained that users access their desktop via the Internet.

I could see the next question coming, it was that obvious from the double question marks above the heads this time. “Why, if I already have a computer at home or work, do I need another one in the cloud?” Ah – at least now, everyone gets it. All I have to do now is explain why.

I told them it is the last computer they will need, it can combined all their computers and can be access from anywhere as long as they have Internet connectivity. This provides them with full access to their virtual desktop from multiple devices, such as their home or work PC, a smart phone or a tablet such as an iPad. Everything is centrally managed, stored and secured.

I also asked them to think about how much money they have spent on their computer over the past couple years. With software purchases, hardware upgrades and tech support it adds up really fast. One family member estimated over $10,000 because they must have the latest and best thing on their computer.

Now imagine paying just $50.00 a month for our basic system with tech support, software and hardware updates included, I said.

Before you knew it, I needed to put my sunglasses on because of all the bright light bulbs glowing over their heads.