Reinsurer cuts costs with virtual desktop strategy

Aspen Re, a UK reinsurer with offices around the world, is using desktop and server virtualisation technology to deliver more cost-effective IT services to users.

The company is implementing VMware and Citrix products to move its 600 users from a traditional, client-server based IT infrastructure to one that is centralised in one data centre, relying on thin client PCs at branch office level.

The strategy to implement a virtual desktop infrastructure (VDI) environment came out of the desire to eliminate branch office server sprawl, Chris Tunnecliff, Aspen Re's IT infrastructure team leader told delegates at VMware's first European user conference in Cannes, France.

"We needed offices with no server presence because the security in branches can never be as good as what's maintained in the main data centre," he said, adding that, as a reinsurer, security is also key to meeting many industry compliance requirements.

Tunnecliff also told IT PRO that VDI has made savings, in terms of centralised administration and server consolidation, available to the business without compromising the 24-hour availability and system reliability staff expect.

"We were attracted by the availability of VDI because it meant that the end user sees no drop in performance regardless of which office location they're in," he added.

Aspen Re now runs a mixed, Citrix and VMware virtual environment in its centralised data centre. With plans to speed up its roll out of thin clients from Wyse to its entire workforce in the next few months, it is investing in a connection broker.

"At the moment, the thin clients boot up and go to an FTP [file transfer protocol] site, but as we move beyond 80 users, we will need a connection broker. But those applications with high latency still use Citrix," he added.

The company is also using streaming application technologies from Softgrid andThinstall, as its brokers often have to use streaming media applications and real-time data feeds, from the likes of Reuters, according to Tunnicliffe.

"The main thing is that my users get the resources they want 24/7," he said. "That's why the relationship with suppliers like BSG [Aspen's integration partner on this project] are so key to sourcing the right technology so IT can get on with doing our job better."

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