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End User Computing is no longer just about the traditional PC. IT consumerisation, developments in virtual desktop technologies, together with more flexible work styles, bring both challenges and opportunities for the IT department.

Until recently, End User Computing was centred on the traditional Desktop or Laptop computer, running Microsoft Windows and networked in the office. Traditional desktop management can consume a large part of your IT budget. An increase in the variety of devices, operating systems, applications and user settings can result in complex environments to manage. 

We are using more technology and devices than ever before, both at work and at home, demanding the flexibility to access desktops and applications from any location, using any device. This is putting pressure on the ability to manage and control IT; and to question whether the existing infrastructure is capable of meeting these new demands. This is causing a shift away from managing the end user device to managing the delivery of desktops and applications to the end user.    

The popularity of smartphones, tablet computers and ultrabooks – often brought into the workplace by employees - is putting pressure on IT departments to present a way for these devices to be used securely within the company.  Whether we like it or not, the BYOD trend is gathering pace and has created a host of management and security challenges across all sizes of organisation.

“Any data, any location, any device” is an industry buzz-term today, closely coupled with the notion of ‘Corporate App stores’ – publishing the same application and providing access to the same data via any device, creating true mobility and flexibility. End User Computing solutions should enable users to choose the best and most productive device based on work style, task and location; and whether it is about consumption or creation of data.

The opportunities in modern End User Computing includes higher productivity, more efficient management of IT and a potential to reduce the operational expenses related to the provision of end user computing.

Driven by ever–increasing pressure on cost control, manageability, security, regulatory compliance, business continuity and end user mobility, enterprises should consider desktop virtualisation as an alternative to distributed software deployment. Desktop virtualisation technology can improve security, increase agility and simplify computing, by enabling IT to deliver desktops and applications as a centralised service.

Security of data is greatly increased by hosting the desktops together with the data and applications; with everything in the data centre, there are less concerns about laptops being lost or data not being backed up from local hard drives. This “centralisation” strategy can also facilitate regulatory compliance.
Desktop management can be streamlined by virtualising desktop images, applications and end user profiles. End user support, provisioning and decommissioning of users can be simplified; as can application and operating system updates, patches and upgrades.

The progress with desktop virtualisation now enables employees, partners or clients alike to access a hosted desktop from “anywhere at any time” across a network connection. However, there are a range of centrally managed desktop models to choose from and rarely is one single model adequate to meet the needs of all users and all applications. It is important to consider the needs of each group of users as well as considering IT requirements and existing infrastructure. In most cases, an enterprise solution is likely to involve a combination of models.

Attenda can help you to overcome the many challenges associated with the development and implementation of the right End User Computing strategy for your business, including the significance of network connectivity and the selection and integration between all the components to ensure an efficient solution that delivers on all of its promises.