Right now IT departments have a lot on their plate.  As companies are looking to expand their capabilities and boost productivity, it is falling on those in IT to provide the end users these abilities.  From migrating to Windows 7 (Soon to be Windows8), desktop management, data protection, business continuance, device proliferation such as tablets and smart phones, anywhere access, voice and video, to rapidly deploying applications and devices.  IT has to manage all these things while maintaining a good user experience, security, and keeping costs under control.  Not an easy task for anyone.

Today Users, Contractors, and Partners all need to access their data and desktops while being anywhere in the world while on any device.  This is where Cisco VXI comes in.  Cisco VXI stands for Cisco Virtualization Experience Infrastructure.  In a nutshell it is about virtualizing desktops, voice, and video in an integrative system.  From a virtual data center, to a dynamic network, and ending in a collaborative workspace for the end users.  VXI uses open standards and works with different venders to provide a seamless virtual experience to end users.

In the data center, Cisco VXI has you host your VM’s on Cisco UCS.  Using WAAS, Nexus devices, and ACE allows IT to set flexible policies between backend applications.  This setup allows the VMS to take advantage of its stateless computing model which delivers the industry’s highest ratio of VM’s per blade.  For data center management using this design allows you to use less cabling, less power, and overall less management allowing for a much lower TCO.  Using this model also allows much greater security than the current model of allowing users to keep local copies or open sensitive documents on their devices.  Using the VXI model, IT can set policies to ensure that one comprised virtual desktop does not affect other VM’s in that workgroup.  It also allows you to much great granularity in setting policies for different segments of your company.

In your network protocols such as ICA and PCoIP have been designed to work over your existing network infrastructure.  However they may not work as well in networks with high latency or having to share limited bandwidth.  By using WAAS (Wide Area Application Services) or PfR (Performance Routing) VXI improves application response time and optimizes bandwidth consumed by concurrent users.  VXI also allows you to implement context aware policy enforcement at the desktop level.  This allows for anytime anywhere access to data and desktops all while reducing bandwidth used.    

To take advantage of the anytime anywhere access, Cisco Virtual Experience Clients, VXC, allow users to use a virtual desktop for data access, phones, and video.  The VXC devices include thin clients, zero clients, tablets, and software applications on existing PC’s.  What this allows for is a user can open up their virtual desktop on their thin client, transfer it to a CIUS tablet, and walk over to another building for a meeting.  They do not have to close any applications or calls they were on.  This keeps the user from having to interrupt what they were doing.  It allows for a seamless transition between devices for ultimate mobility.  
Cisco VXI is a combination of devices and protocols that work together to simplify management, increase security, decrease bandwidth and power consumption, all while giving the end user a superior experience and granting them anytime anywhere access to data, phone, and video.  By using UCS, Nexus, and different VXE’s Cisco is enabling IT departments to give their users what they need when they need it while keeping management simple.  It is very powerful and exciting.  For more information you can go to the links at the bottom of the page.

http://www.cisco.com/web/solutions/trends/virtualization/indepth.html

http://www.cisco.com/web/solutions/trends/virtualization/implement.html
