What Comes First? In IT, Sometimes There is No Single Right Answer.

The following intellectual question has plagued mankind for years: Which came first, the chicken or the egg? This question is quickly followed by:  Which should come first, managed desktops or VDI? Okay, so maybe they aren’t related at all, but at this point, hopefully you’re thinking about it. You’ll probably quickly realize that in both cases there is no single right answer. But for the big technology question, there is an easy explanation.

Managed desktops have countless cost savings and user productivity benefits, both in the physical and virtual environments.  So how do we get to a managed desktop?  One way is to move to a dynamic desktop model that breaks down the desktop into independent components, separating a user’s workspace from the underlying OS and hardware.  These components are much smaller and more cost effective to manage, giving IT more time to focus on strategy than daily troubleshooting and helpdesk calls. And once a desktop is fully managed with a separated workspace, it becomes easier to make any major migration—like in the case of VDI.

Whether you’ve already taken the desktop virtualization route (or plan to soon), it’s never too late to take advantage of transforming a desktop into a managed workspace.  One key benefit is context-aware personalization without the use of heavy roaming profiles.  A personalized desktop dynamically composes for a user at each instance of log in, without taking up valuable data center storage. This balances the flexibility wanted by the user through personalization with the cost benefits of standardization that IT, and the overall organization, is looking for.

If the physical environment is more your thing, there is still a great opportunity to benefit from context-aware workspaces. They allow organizations to create an IT environment that supports change because users’ workspaces are isolated from the hardware and underlying operating systems. 

What do we mean by change?  Change could include migrating to new OS, updating hardware, or even making the switch to desktop virtualization. Coincidentally, at the upcoming VMworld event, Bob Janssen, CTO, will outline how RES Software can help organizations manage their desktop environment to prepare for a smoother switch to VDI.

When it comes down to it, it makes no difference whether you are running a virtual, physical or mixed desktop environment.  There are still plenty of opportunities to benefit from user workspace management.

Now if only it could be so simple to justify the chicken vs. egg debate …

Check out “How to move to VMware View with Minimal User Impact” by CTO Bob Janssen on Wednesday September 1, 2010 at 12pm in breakout room 310 at VMworld San Francisco.