In part one of this blog series, we explored the drivers of change that are making it imperative for enterprises to reimagine their desktop delivery models and experiences. When it comes to costs, security, and worker efficiency, traditional desktop delivery models are falling short in the face of new security needs, evolving cloud technology, the rapid rise of remote work, and expensive software licensing models.
These factors are driving enterprises to seek alternatives such as a new generation of virtual desktop infrastructure (VDI) combined with new network access models.This approach brings cost, security, and user-experience advantages attuned to the needs of today’s workforces. Here, employees do their work on simplified, light-weight, purpose-driven devices, while the operating system, applications, and infrastructure are instead managed centrally.
Let’s take a look at some of the most important considerations in strategy and partner selection when reimagining desktop experiences using VDI.
Strategy considerations for VDI evolution
In reimagining the desktop experience, it’s important to consider the change from a variety of perspectives. This includes:
- Application categories: Not every app is the same. It’s important to identify the level of relevance and importance of different apps to your business and also to identify the different categories of your apps based on what they do.
- User segmentation: Think about the kinds of users that you have in your environment, including internal users (such as full-time employees) versus third-party users (such as vendors).
- Compliance considerations: In industries subject to strict regulation—such as finance or pharma—protecting sensitive data will be a priority in reimagining the user experience
- Device segmentation: Depending on the needs of different users, it’ll be important to think through how you’ll provide app experiences through different devices such as a tablet, laptop, desktop, or kiosk.
- Retention: Today’s new generation of workers have high expectations for better app experiences, which will play a role in rethinking the device and user experience.
- Help desk: Consider where you can make devices and app access simpler and more resilient as it will put less strain on your IT support teams.
- User base: Document how many users you have and the locations where they are operating from, such as in-office or remote.
- Security: Authentication and access capabilities will need to be redefined as well as policies around user access to different internal systems.
There’s no single answer to bringing the user experience into the future with a new desktop delivery model. An experienced consulting partner can help you get your arms around the challenge and help shape the vision in a way that’s most valuable for your business.
Choosing the right VDI partner
In most cases, the solution for your new desktop experience will involve a mix of technology that works best with your workforce, business, and goals. It starts not with products, but with a new vision for app delivery and user experiences. From there, products—with specific and targeted functionality—are selected to support this vision.
If you are looking for a partner to help, it’s important to choose one that has expertise in—and deep relationships with—all of today’s popular cloud providers, including Google, AWS, MacStadium, and Azure. This will provide you with a wealth of options to choose from and the ability to mix and match solutions that work best for your business.
Even more importantly, you’ll want to find a partner who is agnostic to these platforms, and whose agenda is only to help you select the right tools for your business—based on your preferences for platforms and vendors. Look for a partner who can construct the right solution based on your business’s needs and requirements.
Converge is one such partner. Our technology-agnostic consulting and tech services can help you reimagine your desktop user experience. We’re ready to start an engaging conversation about your vision and help you create an actionable strategy to make it a reality.
