A look to the Horizon, Microsoft's moment and more

Did you know Valentine's Day was first celebrated as a holiday of love in the 15th Century?

Well, now you do.

While I was waiting for my card to arrive (I'm still waiting, which doesn't seem quite right...) I put prickly pen to paper for the second iteration of my newsletter, which you appear to have come back for, so thank you! You must love learning, or hedgehogs, or both. Both is best.

In this edition, I'll explore...

?? Why VMware Horizon users have to act now

?? Your Cloud Operating Model must-haves

?? Microsoft's Superbowl moment

?? What’s coming up at Cloud Direct

Sound good? I thought so. Grab what remains of yesterday's box of chocolates, and let's get learning.

Broadcom bins VMware Horizon ??

VMware Horizon, one of the world's most popular virtual desktop infrastructure (VDI) platforms, is being dumped. Following its $69 billion acquisition of VMware, Broadcom's bosses have announced quite the shakeup of its products and services, leaving tens of thousands of users in the lurch.

There's 11 months left on the countdown clock, with VMware Horizon set to reach end-of-life in January 2025. That's not much time to undergo a sizeable shift, so if I were you I'd get my skates on.

Thankfully there is a logical solution in Azure Virtual Desktop, one of only two platforms to outperform VMware Horizon in Gartner's Magic Quadrant survey.

Not only is it possible to easily integrate your existing VDI image on Microsoft's equivalent platform, it has a whole host of other benefits in its flexible pricing models, scalability, accessibility... the list goes on and on and on, trust me.

There's loads more to read up on, which we've covered for you, but what's important is that you start acting now. Before you know it, 11 months has passed and you're up the proverbial creek without a paddle.

A quick Cloud Operating Model recap ??

I took you through the importance of developing a Cloud Operating Model in my last Microsoft Memo, but I'm sure a little reminder wouldn't go amiss. Or maybe you're new here and haven't seen my last newsletter... in which case, welcome!

Remember, a Cloud Operating Model is essential if your business is going to get the most out of its cloud technology. Despite that fact, many organisations still don't have one in place, and haven't updated their existing operating models to reflect their use of cloud.

Here's a handy little infographic to not only remind you of the seven key considerations you need to make when designing your Cloud Operating Model, but also provide a little extra insight on each element.

How Microsoft won Superbowl LVIII ??

Sunday night's Superbowl wasn't all about touchdowns, tight ends and Taylor Swift – the real highlight saw Microsoft making the most of its 60-second ad spot with a moving Copilot campaign that had my spines stood on end.

Have a watch of this and tell me it doesn't get you excited about the possibilities of Microsoft's artificial intelligence?! ??

That could be you, you know? Following the removal of the 300-user entry hurdle, Copilot is available and accessible to businesses, departments and teams of all shapes and sizes – and we want to help you get started.

Our free-of-charge Microsoft 365 Copilot workshop will help you make those dreams a reality.

What’s on ???

I've been hibernating for a little while, but with spring right around the corner I'm heading back out on the road with Cloud Direct's Azure Migration and Innovation Roadshow!

Come and join me in Reading on Tuesday 12th March where, alongside industry leaders from Microsoft and Cloud Direct, we'll show you how to successfully migrate to Azure and leverage the power of Microsoft Cloud.

The team are putting on a whole host of events throughout the next couple of months – honestly, my calendar is hectic! – so make sure you check out the full list to see what might be of interest to you.

Thanks for joining me again. You'll find me in the same place, same time next week for plenty more learning. And don't worry about the card... I'm sure it just got lost in the post.

See you soon,

Eric ??