This year at VMworld was a great time to be an end-user computing (EUC) specialist and VDI engineer. VMware hit strong with their EUC announcements, which will propel the centralized end-user computer space into the limelight. Is 2017 the year for hosted applications and virtualized desktops? While that question has been asked every year now for the last decade, VMworld 2017 showed us the path EUC tech will take in the future.
Mobile devices and BYOD are all the buzz at most medical establishments. With everyone wanting anywhere access, EUC has become less about providing a second desktop to users. It’s about providing the applications that our healthcare professionals need regardless of what operating system they carry in their pocket or on their computer. Per this development, VMworld 2017 was less about desktops and more about the applications needed to get work done.
Key announcements observed
Horizon Workspace’s latest update includes a shortcut for application prelaunching that allows the end user to open an application seamlessly on their desktop without having to be technically savvy or experience lengthy application load times. This creates a fluid experience for any healthcare professional using their device out of the workplace as it enables them to resume work in seconds.
The Skype for Business virtualization pack allows any IT administrator to publish Skype for Business as a remote app. For the end user, the stack enables multi-party conferencing via a remote session while being offloaded to the endpoint instead of utilizing server resources. These feature sets will allow end users to more efficiently communicate while still being able to utilize a device they are familiar with. This capability is another value add for BYOD users vs. those tethered to a dedicated work PC .
The third biggest announcement in the EUC space was VMware’s increased support for using Blast Extreme. Utilizing the Blast Extreme protocol will allow any user on any computer via a web browser to access all their mission-critical applications with the touch of a button within a webpage. The improvements shared at this year’s conference promised up to 50% better bandwidth utilization and the ability to use USB redirection with the support of HTML5.
The evolved end-user computing experience
These enhancements announced at VMworld highlighted the increased usability and deployability for the mobile workspace. If you are in a hotel lobby on a borrowed computer or on a tablet within a coffee shop, mission-critical applications can be accessed anywhere at the touch of your fingertips. The end-user computing experience just got better for everyone involved. My team at T2 Tech Group couldn’t be more excited to see these developments improve the workflows and user experiences of those providing critical care services to their communities.