Give me a lever long enough, and I can move the world.
-Archimedes
It sure has gotten interesting in the Windows end user computing space; even more so if you add the word “cloud” to that statement.
Many of us gray haired veterans openly joke about when the “Year of VDI” will finally arrive. The entire ecosystem – from Dell to VMware to Citrix to Amazon, IGEL, 10Zig, Stratodesk, Scale Computing, and Nutanix Xi Frame – has been waiting for the idea of running a Windows operating system on dedicated hardware at your fingertips to give way to consuming Windows applications and desktops as virtualized, abstracted, cloud services available anytime, anywhere, to any device, as needed, when needed, if needed (and priced that way too).
While many vendors may look at their contribution as being unique, the reality is we all are in the business of amplifying and extending the management of Windows in agencies, organizations, and enterprises across the world. We help people manage Windows at scale – that is the market we are in.
So, when Microsoft decides its time to embrace a modern approach to Windows, applications, desktops, virtualization, and the cloud – I tend to agree with them. I tend to listen. For the past year I’ve scarcely thought of anything else. Microsoft Windows Virtual Desktop (WVD) is nearly here!
Specific offerings like Xi Frame, AWS Workspaces, Appstream 2, or even Parallels certainly have their place, however, are they truly helping you manage Windows at scale in your enterprise (strategic) or are they simply solving a point in time or siloed use case (tactical)? While many of these solutions intend to and will evolve over time, others may not, while others will not.
Interestingly, VMware and Citrix have been adding products and features and PowerPoint check boxes around the periphery and increasing the price each time they delve into phones or networking or storage offerings to amplify your spend. However, when you really look at it, it’s plumbing. It’s super expensive plumbing. I wonder how many customers truly use what they are paying for? I suspect very few. I suspect fewer still escape the enormous pricing and contract pressure they feel at ELA renewal time. And the complexity of configuring hosts, storage, networking, security, updates…yikes!
Things are changing….
Fundamentally they we all are in the business of augmenting and extending Windows at scale. And when I use the term scale – it does not necessarily mean large size, but rather scale relative to your resources. Said a better way, how can you leverage your current resources to deliver a functional workspace so the employees you hire can do the job you expect them to do?
Your end user computing solutions today already start with Microsoft – and when you no longer need to look at others to provide the overpriced, under powered, or ill-featured plumbing, we should pay attention. Office 365, Teams, FSLogix, and PowerBI – just to begin the list – unleash (individually) the power of your people. Now we are going to couple and integrate that with the delivery of the run-time (OS)? We have no idea how powerful this union can become when we have historical, contextual, aware, and iteration within the same stack you are already using today. This is sooo easily the year of the desktop!
Oh, remember how VDI was often a tad bit expensive? Yes, Windows Virtual Desktops should delight you from a CAPEX perspective, and more than likely crush any other OPEX offers you see. Check your Microsoft Licensing Entitlements, compelling stuff.
If you are running Windows today in and across your agency, organization, or enterprise, WVD is coming to deliver on the promises we have been made for nearly a decade. Secure, centralized management of Windows, at scale, on any device, anyplace, anytime.
Welcome to Windows Virtual Desktop.
This video demonstrates seamless migration to WVD with Liquidware:
How to Migrate to WVD in a few Clicks
What excites me is for the first time in a decade Microsoft – by and through innovations in Azure, WVD, FSLogix, and MSIX – is answering, in a first person voice, how progressive organizations can and should leverage Windows, Azure, and WVD. Not simply as status quo components of your stack – but competitive differentiation (and not simply the kind on PPT :)) Microsoft is assuredly delivering on both the tactical and strategic needs of hundreds and hundreds of millions of enterprise users and admins.
And for those needing workspace life-cycle management and advanced adaptive workspace management solutions – Microsoft has selected and put Liquidware front and center. In the coming weeks you will learn more about exactly how we are collaborating to give Visibility (StratusphereUX), User Environment Management + Profiles (ProfileUnity), and image sprawl control over apps and desktops (FlexApp) to those exploring WVD.
View this video to learn how Liquidware and FSLogix are “better together”:
Liquidware and FSLogix Integration Video
Liquidware and others in the market stand ready to ensure your success with validated solutions. Before, during, and after you begin to explore WVD, Liquidware’s Essentials Suite is purpose built to aid you on your journey.
Review this white paper authored by our own experts that includes a free cost calculator!
Free WVD Whitepaper + Cost Estimator
From selecting users, applications, and architectures to migrating masses of users, settings, and data to the cloud, onto delivering applications and profiles in harmony with FSLogix and MSIX / AppAttach, next diving into troubleshooting, login delays, and exploring metrics with business intelligence tools – Liquidware has over a decade of lessons learned and we cannot wait to share that experience with WVD customers.
In working with the team from FSLogix we can clearly see the importance Microsoft places on this business by enlisting true end user computing veterans to mind the store. Our collaboration with FSLogix from a product and operational perspective is momentous.
See for yourself in this video the power of the combination:
Now, a sigh of relief. We in the Microsoft ecosystem get it – and stand globally prepared to help you explore, expand, and standardize on Microsoft once again. Before, during, and after you make your design and technology delivery decisions our portfolio is purpose built to solve your most pressing challenges of assessing, designing, migrating, and validating your WVD deployment is optimized to offer your organization the strategic benefits of wisely selecting Microsoft and Azure for your future Windows deployments.
In the coming weeks there will be noise, news, and nonsense. What matters is the network of Global System Integrators, Partners, and vendors like Liquidware who stand ready to deliver success.
It was among the highest compliments in my tech career the day Microsoft not only asked us to be in the WVD ecosystem but when they invited us into their new customer engagement initiative for WVD, (details to follow!)
No matter how deep down the rabbit hole you have gone with another vendor – we can help leverage the investments and decisions you have made.
It is the year of the desktop.
It is the year of WVD.
We are Liquidware, and we are here to help.
T.Rex
August 2019
[…] In this video discussion, VMblog speaks with industry expert Tyler "T-Rex" Rohrer, co-founder and strategic alliances at Liquidware. This is an exciting conversation as we dive into the history of VDI and where we are today with Cloud, DaaS and all the changes that WVD brings to the table.In this discussion, we ask Tyler about 2019 being the year of VDI and WVD. And we learn about specific benefits that Liquidware brings to platforms such as Amazon Workspaces and Microsoft Windows Virtual Desktop. Tyler shares his expertise around the subject of Amazon Workspaces and WVD by providing viewers with steps they should be taking to ensure their users remain productive and happy. And as part of this multi-cloud and multi-desktop world we live in, Tyler also digs into a major concern for customers, vendor lock-in.Watch and learn more about what's next for Liquidware.Read Tyler's blog post "It's Official, The Year of VDI is here… and it's spelled WVD!" here: https://blog.liquidware.com/2019/08/19/its-official-the-year-of-vdi-is-here-and-its-spelled-wvd/ […]