VDI is a user-owned virtual desktop infrastructure. It’s the opposite of DaaS in terms of ownership and management. So while DaaS is owned and managed by a cloud service provider, VDI is owned and managed by the business that uses it. The infrastructure is hosted on a centralized server from where the virtual desktops are distributed to end-users on request.
VIDIs were traditionally deployed in on-premise ecosystems, but these days you’ll find VDI solutions that are deployed in the cloud. This model makes it much easier to build the infrastructure, especially the critical components such as servers, hypervisors, and even cooling systems.