Box and VMware bring a simplified experience to Box Drive in non-persistent VDI environments

At Box, we're always looking for ways to empower users to work the way they want to. That's why we're happy to announce that we are expanding our partnership with VMware to enable end users to work more efficiently and seamlessly than ever before by enabling organizations to persist data within Box Drive in non-persistent environments.

In an age where IT teams are resource strapped and facing security threats on a constant basis, it has become even more important to implement technology that is cost effective and seamless to manage and secure. With virtual desktop infrastructure (VDI), organizations can host desktop operating systems on a centralized server which end users can access on an endpoint, like a thin client or traditional PC, just as if it were running locally.  As you can imagine there are enormous organizational benefits to VDI like reducing storage and operational costs, enhancing security and the ease of managing user endpoints.

VDI comes in two flavors - persistent and non-persistent desktops.  The key difference is that persistent desktops maintain all data across sessions, whereas non-persistent desktops do not.  There are pros and cons of each approach.  While persistent environments most closely mimic a personal PC by allocating specific resources to specific end users, it does require more storage allocation and it is difficult to manage at scale. Non-persistent environments, on the other hand, reduce storage requirements by not maintaining data across sessions and by allowing one copy of the application to be shared across multiple virtual machines.  This 1 to many approach also greatly simplifies management and reduces the total number images that need to be maintained.

Despite the benefits, there are challenges of non-persistent VDI environments. The IT admin must take care to allow their end users to personalize their environment and be able to save their settings from one session to the next- even though they are completely refreshing the desktop every time they log off. If they don’t have the right management tools to support a non-persistent environment, it can actually makes things harder on end-users. They may be forced to re-enter profile settings for certain applications (gasp!) as well as requiring them to re-download data they've previously cached every time they log in, all of which adds friction to the experience. End users now also use their non-persistent virtual desktops and apps to access cloud content management solutions like Box, which are widely used in Enterprise to provide users with seamless, secure access to data from any device.

What if users had to log into Box every time they sign on to their non-persistent session? We know what you’re thinking - there has to be a better way!  That's why we're expanding our partnership with VMware, a global leader in cloud infrastructure and digital workspace technology, to help provide users on VMware App Volumes an optimized non-persistent VDI experience. This partnership will make it easier to work with content in Box Drive - the only unlimited cloud drive built for the enterprise - in non-persistent VDI environments. 

Leveraging Writable Volumes, as part of VMware App Volumes, with Box, organizations can configure per-user volumes where users can install and configure their own application and keep the data specific to their profile. This ability to persist data within Box Drive in non-persistent environments eliminates the need for users to re-enter all their Box Drive settings and login criteria so they can focus on getting their best work done. But it doesn't stop there - with VMware Horizon VDI technology administrators also get a simplified experience with Instant Clone Technology that allows them to rapidly clone and deploy a virtual machines in a matter of minutes! Now organizations can get the best of both worlds - giving their users a seamless experience when working with their content in Box Drive, all while minimizing their storage footprint with their VDI environment. 

Box Drive with Writable Volumes, as part of VMWare App Volumes, enables businesses to

• Give users a seamless cloud experience - Box Drive offers a familiar experience to using their desktop -making it simple to learn and use. Plus, with their settings saved each time they sign on to their non-persistent VDI environment, they can seamlessly access and work with their files.
• Get rid of the extra storage - With Box Drive, all your files live in the cloud and can be accessed the same way you would a network file share but takes up minimal storage space 
• Maintain the same security - Get the best of both worlds with enterprise-grade security from Box and enhanced control over desktops through VDI from VMware. 

Box is dedicated to helping customers along their journey to transform their digital workplace. This expanded partnership with VMware is another step towards making the employee experience even more effortless.

To learn more check out Box Community.