The team behind PureVPN is passionate about cloud services. Along with offering managed cloud hosting through Cloudways they are now branching into the cloud desktop space with the launch of iVDI. Think of iVDI as your virtual desktop in the cloud. Accessible from a wide range of devices including Windows, Mac, iPhone, iPad and Android. iVDI is currently in beta. You can test out the service by signing up for a free trial.
I had the pleasure of testing iVDI over the weekend. Having built hundreds of VM’s as a web admin in my former life the thought of a managed VM in the cloud is intriguing. After signing up for iVDI the next step was to install the Citrix Receiver software and connect to my VM. The process was painless on my Windows 8 box. From there you can take control of your virtual desktop. The VM runs Windows 7 and an assortment of over 40 apps.
This isn’t the same as remote desktop software. You’re not remotely accessing your home PC. This is a complete Windows desktop environment hosted in the cloud. iVDI has data centers in the United States and Europe. Allowing you to select the closest location for the best performance. The service costs $34.95 a month. iVDI is currently offering a 50% lifetime discount. You can also add MS Office, Project or Visio.
There are some limitations to the service depending on your goals. I had hoped to use my iVDI virtual desktop to test VPN services. As it turns out you don’t have administrative access to your system. It would be nice to allow advanced users more access along with the ability to reset the VM. A sandbox of sorts for testing apps. iVDI is well positioned for users on the go. With cloud access to a Windows VM from a wide range of devices.
Visit iVDI.com to learn more about the service. They are currently offering a free trial and 50% off discount.
