Move Over Windows 10, Thin is the New OS

Another fall is upon us, and with that, we are graced with another release of Windows 10 but not without a few bumps in the road. The Windows 10 October 2018 Update (version 1809) was slated to release on October 10th but got plagued with issues:

•  “Microsoft cites problems with the latest update package deleting user files.”
• “Microsoft Delays Latest Version of Windows 10 After Reports of Mass File Deletion.”
•  “Windows 10 October 2018 Update: Dump your files to avoid crashes, warns Microsoft.”
• “In Windows 10 Update land, nobody can hear you scream.”
• “Microsoft cautiously restarts Windows 10 1809 upgrade distribution.”

Whether a consumer or enterprise, I’d say, folks are pretty frustrated. If you read the Windows 10 release blog, Microsoft claims this will not be an issue in the future because they “have enabled a new feature in the Windows Insider Feedback Hub.” While there are ways to defer feature updates and avoid this issue until you are ready to feel like upgrading, as an enterprise, you need to start looking at how much these updates are costing you and if you want to continue to battle Windows 10 updates every 12-18 months?

With the Windows 7 ‘deadline’ [January 14, 2020] looming, upgrading to Windows 10 is becoming more urgent than ever where the enterprise needs to think, is Windows 10 the best path forward for all your devices? I challenge ALL enterprises to take a look at your ‘hard’ [direct] costs and your ‘soft’ [indirect] costs when looking at a Windows 10 upgrade, and refresh. According to Gartner, a PC can cost you an estimated TCO of between $10,000 (unmanaged) and $3500 (effectively managed) per year! What IT managers tend to forget, is ALL the costs associated with a PC; hardware and software costs, operational costs, administration costs, end-user costs, and downtime. Remember, ALL these play into the cost of a PC yearly!

Start looking across the enterprise and assess the following:

• Need to lower the cost of ownership at the endpoint
• Want to simplify management of the endpoint centrally
• Securing a Windows endpoint is becoming extremely challenging
• Cloud, SaaS, and Digital Workspaces is a common theme in the enterprise
• Devices should be simple, smart and secure

Again, think about it, why are you using a Windows device to connect to a Citrix, Cloud and/or SaaS environment?

IGEL: Thin is the New OS

In the enterprise world, there are three recurring themes when it comes to end-user computing (EUC); security, management, and experience. With internet access being more abundant now (I am typing this on a flight via my VDI desktop), the old excuse of offline use cases is becoming less and less prevalent especially with 5G coming.

IGEL is starting a revolution in the enterprise, making Linux mainstream and a feasible endpoint. IGEL is simple, smart and secure!

1. Simple: IGEL shifts management from being a decentralized approach to a unified centralized approach by giving end users a simplified experience leveraging IGEL’s Universal Management Suite to manage all IGEL OS devices centrally with granular policies and integration with some of the industry’s leading vendors and partners.
2. Smart: IGEL is NOT a device company, but instead they are an OS company who happens to sell some of the best ‘thin devices’ on the market. The reality is, they can help extend the life of a PC, laptop, and competing vendors thin clients by converting them with the Universal Desktop Converter which will enable enterprises to take devices from a 3-5 year refresh to longer. You do not want to convert devices, no problem! Check out IGEL’s Universal Desktop in a Pocket or UD Pocket and temporarily transform devices into a ‘thin OS.’ This is great for BYO, temporary workers, and remote employees.
3. Secure: The IGEL OS is Linux at its best! It offers a read-only filesystem, two-factor authentication, smart card integration, and measured boot. IGEL OS is hardware agnostic and is updated four times per year, so this makes it virtually impossible to manipulate and enables it to be extremely resistant to viruses and other malware.

Want to see for yourself? Join IGEL and XenTegra on Wednesday, October 24th for Webinar Wednesdays and get an IGEL overview and demo!