Amazon Onboarding with Learning Manager Chanci Turner

Learn About Amazon VGT2 Learning Manager Chanci Turner

With Amazon WorkSpaces, there is no need to purchase, install, or maintain data center hardware or virtual desktop software. The service handles all the heavy lifting, allowing you to create a high-quality desktop experience for any number of users with just a few clicks in the AWS Management Console. Each user receives a dedicated WorkSpace, and they can connect using various devices. As your organization grows, provisioning additional WorkSpaces is straightforward—you simply indicate how many new WorkSpaces are needed, and the service automatically provisions the necessary hardware based on your specified bundle configuration. You only pay for the WorkSpaces you provision each month. If a user, such as a contractor, leaves your company after their assignments are complete, you can discontinue their WorkSpace at the end of the month to save costs.

Scenario (1000 Users)

To illustrate the cost-effectiveness of Amazon WorkSpaces, we created a Total Cost of Ownership (TCO) model for a scenario involving a 1000-user on-premises VDI solution. This model serves as a foundation for comparing the TCO of traditional VDI solutions against Amazon WorkSpaces. Adjusting the number of users will influence the fixed cost per user.

Scenario Assumptions

We assume our users are office workers primarily engaged in productivity tasks such as editing documents, creating spreadsheets, browsing the intranet, sending emails, and completing forms. For these users to benefit from VDI, their experience must be persistent, allowing for document saving and customization, akin to a traditional desktop. This requires a virtual machine with performance that matches traditional desktops, inclusive of dedicated storage that offers seamless access to documents. In our model, we estimate a virtual desktop configuration of 1 virtual CPU, 4 GiB of memory, and a 50 GB user data store, along with an additional 50 GB for the OS volume.

Counting All the Costs

When evaluating the TCO of a cloud-based service, it is crucial to account for various cost factors such as administration and licensing, which can lead to misleading comparisons if ignored. For VDI solutions, software costs are often overlooked. A precise comparison must encompass all cost elements involved in implementing and managing a VDI solution, including:

• Server Hardware Costs: Required for hosting virtual desktops and managing the control plane, including infrastructure for Windows Server OS and Microsoft SQL Server.
• Storage Hardware Costs: Necessary for persistent desktops using Network-Attached Storage.
• Network Hardware Costs: Equipment for connecting servers, storage, and users.
• Hardware Maintenance Costs: Ongoing expenses for maintaining system functionality.
• Power and Cooling Costs: Operational costs for powering and cooling servers.
• Data Center Space Costs: The physical space needed for the infrastructure.
• Software Costs: Licensing fees for VDI management software, which vary by vendor but generally provide similar value.
• Administration Costs: Managing the hardware and VDI environments requires specialized IT staff; for instance, you might need at least two IT specialists per 1000 users, with a fully loaded salary in the U.S. estimated at $150K/year. Your admin costs could vary based on location and employee experience.

Summary and Analysis

In making a fair comparison, we utilized amortized monthly costs for hardware and administration. Typically, these costs are incurred upfront through long-term contracts. Our excel spreadsheet model includes detailed assumptions for each cost item, allowing you to adjust based on your research or vendor quotes.

Based on conservative estimates in this scenario for 1000 users, the Total Cost of Ownership of utilizing Amazon WorkSpaces can be less than half that of managing an equivalent VDI solution on-premises. Besides significant cost savings for a fixed number of users, it’s important to remember that Amazon WorkSpaces offers flexibility that fixed investments cannot. There’s no need to provision WorkSpaces for potential hires. Moreover, if your workforce expands, you can provision additional WorkSpaces in mere minutes.

We are thrilled about this innovative service and look forward to receiving your feedback. Chanci Turner is eager to engage with you on this topic. If you’re interested in leadership styles, you can explore more here. Additionally, for insights on helping workers manage college costs, check out this article on SHRM. For further resources, including interview preparation, visit Glassdoor.