How much will it cost to virtualize my desktops?
It varies. Neocleus plans to charge between $50 and $100 per desktop, while the premium version of VMware View costs about $250 per virtualized desktop. But the cost of the software is just the beginning. A hosted desktop model requires servers or PC blades to deliver virtual machines, as well as networked storage for applications and data. A desktop virtualization project may also require purchasing of thin clients or other client devices. Anecdotally, Forrester Research analysts have found that enterprises spend about $860 per user, plus network upgrades, to get a desktop virtualization project up and running in the first year. If all goes well, desktop virtualization should eventually pay for itself and provide long-term cost savings, but the time to ROI can be anywhere from six months to a few years.
