Windows 7: an opportunity to re-think Desktop Management
| How we’ve always done migrations |
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Purchase new PCs with the OEM version of Windows: A huge sunk cost that doesn’t create significant productivity improvements.
Install apps per PC: Time intensive, difficult to support, only available to users on their personal endpoint.
Tie users to PC hardware: End user is never fully productive unless at his/her primary work location at their own PC. It’s difficult to implement “Bring-Your-Own-PC”, work from home, or support contractors, etc.
No change to PC security: PCs continue to be the most vulnerable point in the network, vulnerable to being lost/stolen and losing confidential information.
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Simply biting the bullet and investing in a major desktop refresh would be a short-sighted and costly strategy. Instead, IT organizations should use their preparation for Windows 7 adoption as an opportunity to think through the way they’ve supported user desktops to date, and consider new and better approaches—especially when the potential exists to eliminate concerns about hardware and application compatibility, simplify implementation, and reduce the cost of the Windows 7 upgrade.
A Better Way: Desktop Virtualization
As the foundation of a new desktop architecture, desktop virtualization frees IT from many of the costs and constraints of traditional approaches. Management is centralized; eliminating the need for IT staff to travel from endpoint to endpoint, and the storage of all desktop images in a single location improves data security and simplifies backup and recovery. Since they can access their complete desktop environment on-demand, users are freed from reliance on a specific machine and gain tremendous flexibility and convenience in choosing when and where to work.
Still, not all desktop virtualization solutions are created alike. Many people think of desktop virtualization in terms of virtualized desktop infrastructure (VDI), a model in which virtual desktops are hosted in the datacenter, but this is only one approach, and doesn’t reflect the full range of desktop
virtualization strategies. In VDI scenarios where a complete desktop image exists for each individual, updates and upgrades must still be performed on a user-by-user basis, and user experience can fall short of expectations.
Your next new desktop should be delivered as a service to any endpoint on any network, or disconnected completely, with Desktop Virtualization.
What are the anticipated savings of doing a Windows 7 rollout with Desktop Virtualization? Specifically, where will we see the savings?
It is estimated that you can save as much as 50% on the cost of your Windows 7 refresh.
A large portion of the savings is recognized by getting out of the refresh cycle and re-using the PCs already installed: Once you have repurposed the desktop refresh/Win7 upgrade budget to build a desktop as a service infrastructure, a single golden Windows 7 image can be delivered to any endpoint, either running on a virtual desktop in the Data Center or streamed directly to the endpoint PC, laptop, or thin client.
Desktop Support will be reduced to two fundamental questions:
Did the device turn on? Did it connect to the network? No? Repair or replace the device, otherwise reboot and enjoy a brand new copy of the operating system and application, with all the personalization in place.
How much time should we expect to save doing a Windows 7 migration with Desktop Virtualization?
Up to 40% are the estimates, your mileage may vary. The time savings will come from applications you choose to virtualize, eliminating the need to test it on every variety of hardware you own, and in eliminating the need to physically remove data, replace existing hardware, install new applications, test and apply user personalization’s.
With a virtualized desktop, a simple Windows 7 image and a separate application images, IT can turn up a user desktop in seconds without ever seeing the end device. The user can access it from any PC via any network. So a new user, a new floor, an entire branch office or an offshore project can be provisioned instantly using any endpoint with an Internet connection.
Have laptop users? Deliver a virtual desktop that they can take offline
By solving desktop management and deployment problems through a strategic investment in desktops as a service, you will set up your organization for effortless Windows 7 deployment as required, on demand.
To learn more about all of the benefits of building a desktop virtualization environment and easing the transition to Windows 7 in your environment, contact ThinOps Consulting today.
ThinOps works with every major virtualization platform, Citrix, Microsoft and VMware, and can help guide your organization through a Windows 7 migration or desktop virtualization evaluation.
Contact us today.
Want to learn more? Download a white paper or watch a short video.
The Future of Desktops - Whitepaper
Interested in learning about discounts and promotions to help you make the jump to desktop virtualization and Windows 7?
Citrix Trade up to XenDesktop Promotion - learn more
here.