A study on user acceptance of virtual desktops in large-scale disaster response environments

The communications required to support large-scale government-led disaster responses evolve as more communication capabilities become available and both responders and those affected expect a certain level of communication capability. Technology has advanced to a point where the large, expensive, and operator-intensive communication equipment used by the government and military to support disaster response environment can be replaced with smaller, scalable, secure, and less expensive capabilities. This is especially true in the area of data communications. This research used quantitative and qualitative methods to survey government and military personnel involved with large-scale disaster response to gauge their acceptance of incorporating virtual desktops into these large-scale disaster responses to with the goal to improve communication capabilities and security while decreasing costs and support requirements. The research found that users were generally accepting of virtual desktops, understanding their potential to increase security and decrease support costs. The research identified cautions that virtual desktops require solid communication connectivity and training to be effective and successful.;Keywords: Virtual Desktop, Disaster Response, Communications.