Benefits of Deploying DisplayLink Docking Stations in the Enterprise

Overview

In my over three decades of experience within the enterprise IT industry, I have worn many different hats having worked for some of the smallest companies (ones founded in someone’s living room) as well as some of the largest (a Fortune 10 automotive manufacturing company). Regardless of the size or type of business, one constant from an IT perspective was the challenge of standardizing IT hardware.

From an enterprise perspective, many variables have to be considered when setting hardware standards. Today, one of the most critical is the choice of a docking station product, because it determines a few important details:

• How much more productive your employees will be due to the expandability a docking station affords (such as the use of additional displays)
• How much technical support the use of a docking station will require
• What (if any) impact the choice of docking station model will have on the choice of the host computer specifications

In this blog, I would like to introduce DisplayLink technology and Plugable’s DisplayLink docking station products and in doing so, I will demonstrate the benefits of using DisplayLink technology in enterprise IT deployments.

How does DisplayLink work?

Put simply, DisplayLink technology allows for video information to be transmitted over a USB data connection. That is of course a simplification, however the important detail here is the ‘USB data connection’.

To expand further, prior to the existence of DisplayLink technology the only way to connect an additional monitor to a desktop or laptop computer was to connect it via a dedicated video output port, such as a VGA, DVI, HDMI or DisplayPort video output.

The introduction of DisplayLink technology provided a way to connect an additional monitor to a host computer’s USB ports, even if those USB ports did not provide video output natively (otherwise known as ‘USB data only’ ports).

DisplayLink technology accomplishes this feat by leveraging the host computer’s CPU and internal physical graphics processing unit (GPU) in order to generate a video image. The video image is rapidly compressed and transformed into USB data, which is then sent over a standard USB data connection to a DisplayLink hardware device. The DisplayLink hardware device then rapidly decompresses the USB data back into a video image, which in turn is then output via a standard video connector, such as HDMI or DisplayPort.

In other words, DisplayLink is in essence a ‘virtual’ graphics processing unit that relies on the host computer’s CPU and physical GPU in order to send video output over a USB data connection. This ability enables DisplayLink-based products to be broadly compatible with just about any modern computer.

How DisplayLink provides the most flexibility in the enterprise

Now that we know how DisplayLink technology works, how does that translate into benefits for enterprises that are looking to standardize IT hardware?

Put simply, the answer is that as long as the host computer has at least one USB data only port available, it means that it will work with a DisplayLink docking station.

To expand further, today there are several different technologies that can be used at the heart of a docking station product. Examples of these technologies are Thunderbolt technology, USB-C video technology, DisplayPort Multi-Stream Transport (aka DP MST) technology, DisplayLink technology, and in some cases combinations thereof.

Each technology has its pros and cons, however in order to make use of some of these technologies (such as Thunderbolt or USB-C video) the host computer must also have these capabilities built into the computer. The addition of these technologies can add to the overall cost of said computer, and making sure each computer has a compatible docking station model can place an undue burden on an IT support staff.

If you recall what we said earlier:

“Put simply, the answer is that as long as the host computer has at least one USB data only port available, it means that it will work with a DisplayLink docking station.”

Just about any modern Windows, Mac or Chromebook computer available today has at least one USB port (either USB-A or USB-C) that supports USB data. This means that any such computer is compatible with a DisplayLink docking station.

Example: the Plugable UD-6950Z

Let’s look at a specific example, in this case the Plugable UD-6950Z docking station.

Featured Dock

At its heart, the UD-6950Z is based on DisplayLink technology, and its core capability is that it provides the ability to add up to two 3840x2160 resolution (also known as 4K) displays to the host computer, via a choice of HDMI or DisplayPort video outputs.

View the UD-6950Z

This dual 4K display functionality will work, so long as the host computer has an available USB port (either USB-A or USB-C) that supports USB data.

The only additional requirement is that DisplayLink software must be installed on the host computer in order for the video outputs to function. On Chromebook computers, the necessary software is built into ChromeOS, so a dock like the UD-6950Z ‘just works’ out of the box.

On Windows computers, installation of DisplayLink software is required, and this installation can happen in one of a few different ways. If a Plugable DisplayLink-based docking station is connected to a Windows computer without having manually installed the DisplayLink software beforehand, then the Microsoft Update feature built into Windows will download and install the necessary software automatically. In addition, the installation can also be automated at scale by using deployment tools such as Microsoft’s System Center Configuration Manager (SCCM).

On Mac computers, a manual installation of DisplayLink software is required (given that macOS does not have an equivalent to the Microsoft Update mechanism), although this process can be automated using tools such as JAMF Pro or Munki.

For reference, Synaptics (the creators of DisplayLink technology) have multiple guides for enterprise deployment.

Reasons not to use DisplayLink technology

While DisplayLink technology is quite capable, there are a few cases where its use may not be appropriate:

Summary

DisplayLink-based products provide the broadest level of compatibility with any modern host computer, whether they are running Windows, macOS or ChromeOS, with only a few limitations. If one is intending on deploying docking stations in the enterprise, DisplayLink’s broad compatibility can help make the process of hardware selection easier both for an initial deployment and updated deployments down the road.

Related reading

• The Enterprise Guide to Choosing the Right Docking Technology for Multi-Display Setups
• How to Select and Deploy Docking Stations for Enterprise
• Enterprise Guide: How Many External Monitors Can a Laptop Really Support?

Frequently asked questions