VDI AND APP DELIVERY INFRA IMPACTS
As we watch the VMware by Broadcom story unfold in the data centre and cloud space, there is another story bubbling in the background that will have a major impact on your infra, networking and data protection requirements. The evolution in the virtual desktop and application delivery arena. It started a couple of years ago with Citrix moving to Cloud Software Group, continued last year with Broadcom announcing it would divest the workspace portfolio and ramped, even more, this year as Microsoft finally sent AVD on Azure Stack HCI GA!
Let’s look at what's been going on and the impact.
Virtual Desktop and App Delivery in 2024
Is VDI still relevant in 2024? We spent many years talking about the 'Year of VDI' and it never really happened at the mass scale some expected. Then the world moves forward with better connectivity, more modern applications and increased use of unified communications, each one eroding a little of the VDI value.
For me, there are still some core use cases for VDI and, in particular, remote application delivery. Will it become the only delivery model for most organisations? I doubt it. Can it play a strategic role in the overall workspace requirements, for sure. Some core use cases are:
Whatever the use case, some things will remain the same; VDI requires infrastructure to execute (either in a DC or the Cloud) and, as such, will be a prevalent part of many organisations’ platform strategies. How we align that with wider application hosting requirements, security needs and data protection requirements will be key.
What is happening in the VDI Arena?
There has been a lot going on in the VDI space over the last 2 years; I thought it would be worth a quick recap: VMware Horizon going to KKR, Citrix into Cloud Software Group, AVD on stack HCI and associated things like Office on Server OS support ending in 2026. Let’s look at each in turn.
Workspace One / Horizon / KKR
So, Broadcom bought VMware (hopefully, everyone has noted this) and is now divesting the EUC portfolio (Horizon & Workspace One) to a private equity firm called KKR. Under KKR, the EUC Division is expected to run as an independent entity under the name of Omnissa.?
This is a positive move for those invested in the Horizon and Workspace One platforms. From the conversation I have had with the EUC leadership, they expect to be able to accelerate innovation in the product now that they are not shackled to the core VMware portfolio.
I am also led to believe the main concerns around pricing and use of vSphere/vSAN components will be a non-issue. We will bring you the full story once the new organisation emerges on May 6th.
Microsoft
The multi-user Windows desktop OS was a massive shake-up to the Virtual Desktop space back in 2019 when it was announced at Ignite.? Part of the then-named Windows Virtual Desktop (WVD) and now named Azure Virtual Desktop (AVD), multi-user Windows finally allowed admins to consolidate management and application support to a single OS while keeping the cost benefits of multi-session hosting. The challenge was it was limited to Azure only, and as we know, one of the main VDI benefits is keeping the client close to the backend application data. Running the VDI session in Azure was not always possible when the application was still on-premises.
After what has felt like the longest preview phase ever, we now have the next evolution of this offering, AVD (and by association, multi-user Windows enterprise), running on Azure Stack HCI.
This is an exciting evolution that allows customers to consolidate licence consumptions (AVD is included in M365) and mitigate the challenges of Office support ending on Server OS in 2026 (though rumours are circling this migtht now be 2029!) while maintaining the performance and cost profile of the private cloud.
For me, it’s a great coming together of my long-term association with the EUC community and my current position in leading the future of platforms.
Citrix / Cloud Software Group
Slightly Older news now, but Citrix 'merged' with Tibco in 2022 as part of a $13 billion transaction, creating a new org called Cloud Software Group (CSG). It was fantastic to see some good brands come back to life as part of this, NetScaler and XenServer in particular. Citrix continues to offer an exceptional product set for those who need to deliver a hybrid virtual desktop and application delivery architecture that spans on-premises and public cloud.
Infra Platform Refresh:
Regardless of all this, one thing is becoming clear: many customers' VDI hardware is nearing EoL, and this is a great time to reassess the platform it runs from and the value it brings. With multiple strong options in the market, this has never been a more exciting time to be considering the next version of your virtual desktop and application delivery requirements.? On-Premises or in the Cloud, the major players have very capable offerings, each with its own unique advantages and challenges.
I am excited to see how all this pans out and how the real-world adoption unfolds. Horizon to KKR, Citrix into CSG and Microsoft entering On-premises means no one can sit still, and customers should see strong innovation and competitiveness to ensure they can retain and attract customers.
Decision Time:
The reality is that most organisations have not completed a full top-down review of their EUC strategy for some time. Many continue to operate broadly the same way, with some minor tactical tweaks to mitigate the impact of covid. There might be no reason to change, but I believe the norms should be challenged regularly to ensure we don’t stagnate.
?With all the changes in the air, I believe this is a great time to reset and define those principles that will allow for clear technology choices going forward. Challenge the status quo and ensure the reasons you are doing things are still valid against the backdrop of current technology. This is one of the core reasons the CDW OCTO exists: to help our customers on that strategic journey.
Customer conversations
In reality, the conversations are still dominated by the VMware by Broadcom turmoil, but I wanted to touch on a couple of other engagements I have been working on over the last few weeks.
Telco Security Act impact
I love working within more specialist environments, like defence or Telco, as the regulations, security requirements, and approaches to normal technology adoption can be very different. These environments challenge the normal and force us all to think differently; the great outcome, though, is things that can bring great benefit to all industry sectors.
Whilst the updated Telco Security Act came into effect in December 2022, given the size and scale of the infrastructure deployed, the ramifications are still rippling through the sector.? One key activity over the last 12 has been automation, given the amount of infra deployed and the new requirements for patching and updates, manual hand cranking is no longer an option. This has allowed us to develop great automation outcomes in terms of both technical and process, which could benefit many organisations.
Cyber Resilience
This continues to be a regular concern for many organisations I am speaking to. As a topic that spans our Security team and Hybrid Platforms team (who look after Data Protection and Information Management), it's of great interest and one I think has such depth and wider-ranging touch points.?
One topic that I was surprised to be a new concept to many is that of the minimal viable company (MVC). Here is the excerpt from a previous OCTO Retro on the topic.
"When building your recovery plans, consider the concept of a minimal viable company; what applications, data and systems do you need to restore critical functions? Then consider how that will change depending on when the attack happens. Month-end vs. mid-month could change the minimum viable application set, which is the same for the time of year or quarter. Ensuring this is clearly documented and understood as part of your recovery plan could significantly shorten recovery times and minimise the impact of revenue and or reputation."
I wrote about this and other concepts in the November issue of OCTO Retro if you want the full low down.
?Artificial Intelligence I IP Ownership?
Finally, an interesting and reoccurring theme in the space of GenAI is who owns the IP created by the many consulting engagements being completed for clients all over the world. The contract small print theme I am seeing is, that the consulting firm retains rights over the IP generated. I find this a worrying trend and one that a few clients have not noticed or understood the implications of before signing contracts. Please make sure you check before engaging a company to develop and AI use case that you retain rights to the IP created. I would not want you paying and your competition then gaining the same advantage for a lower cost!
As we watch the VMware by Broadcom story unfold in the data centre and cloud space, there is another story bubbling in the background that will have a major impact on your infra, networking and data protection requirements. The evolution in the virtual desktop and application delivery arena. It started a couple of years ago with Citrix moving to Cloud Software Group, continued last year with Broadcom announcing it would divest the workspace portfolio and ramped, even more, this year as Microsoft finally sent AVD on Azure Stack HCI GA!
Let’s look at what's been going on and the impact.
Virtual Desktop and App Delivery in 2024
Is VDI still relevant in 2024? We spent many years talking about the 'Year of VDI' and it never really happened at the mass scale some expected. Then the world moves forward with better connectivity, more modern applications and increased use of unified communications, each one eroding a little of the VDI value.
For me, there are still some core use cases for VDI and, in particular, remote application delivery. Will it become the only delivery model for most organisations? I doubt it. Can it play a strategic role in the overall workspace requirements, for sure. Some core use cases are:
Whatever the use case, some things will remain the same; VDI requires infrastructure to execute (either in a DC or the Cloud) and, as such, will be a prevalent part of many organisations’ platform strategies. How we align that with wider application hosting requirements, security needs and data protection requirements will be key.
What is happening in the VDI Arena?
There has been a lot going on in the VDI space over the last 2 years; I thought it would be worth a quick recap: VMware Horizon going to KKR, Citrix into Cloud Software Group, AVD on stack HCI and associated things like Office on Server OS support ending in 2026. Let’s look at each in turn.
Workspace One / Horizon / KKR
So, Broadcom bought VMware (hopefully, everyone has noted this) and is now divesting the EUC portfolio (Horizon & Workspace One) to a private equity firm called KKR. Under KKR, the EUC Division is expected to run as an independent entity under the name of Omnissa.?
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This is a positive move for those invested in the Horizon and Workspace One platforms. From the conversation I have had with the EUC leadership, they expect to be able to accelerate innovation in the product now that they are not shackled to the core VMware portfolio.
I am also led to believe the main concerns around pricing and use of vSphere/vSAN components will be a non-issue. We will bring you the full story once the new organisation emerges on May 6th.
Microsoft
The multi-user Windows desktop OS was a massive shake-up to the Virtual Desktop space back in 2019 when it was announced at Ignite.? Part of the then-named Windows Virtual Desktop (WVD) and now named Azure Virtual Desktop (AVD), multi-user Windows finally allowed admins to consolidate management and application support to a single OS while keeping the cost benefits of multi-session hosting. The challenge was it was limited to Azure only, and as we know, one of the main VDI benefits is keeping the client close to the backend application data. Running the VDI session in Azure was not always possible when the application was still on-premises.
After what has felt like the longest preview phase ever, we now have the next evolution of this offering, AVD (and by association, multi-user Windows enterprise), running on Azure Stack HCI.
This is an exciting evolution that allows customers to consolidate licence consumptions (AVD is included in M365) and mitigate the challenges of Office support ending on Server OS in 2026 (though rumours are circling this migtht now be 2029!) while maintaining the performance and cost profile of the private cloud.
For me, it’s a great coming together of my long-term association with the EUC community and my current position in leading the future of platforms.
Citrix / Cloud Software Group
Slightly Older news now, but Citrix 'merged' with Tibco in 2022 as part of a $13 billion transaction, creating a new org called Cloud Software Group (CSG). It was fantastic to see some good brands come back to life as part of this, NetScaler and XenServer in particular. Citrix continues to offer an exceptional product set for those who need to deliver a hybrid virtual desktop and application delivery architecture that spans on-premises and public cloud.
Infra Platform Refresh:
Regardless of all this, one thing is becoming clear: many customers' VDI hardware is nearing EoL, and this is a great time to reassess the platform it runs from and the value it brings. With multiple strong options in the market, this has never been a more exciting time to be considering the next version of your virtual desktop and application delivery requirements.? On-Premises or in the Cloud, the major players have very capable offerings, each with its own unique advantages and challenges.
I am excited to see how all this pans out and how the real-world adoption unfolds. Horizon to KKR, Citrix into CSG and Microsoft entering On-premises means no one can sit still, and customers should see strong innovation and competitiveness to ensure they can retain and attract customers.
Decision Time:
The reality is that most organisations have not completed a full top-down review of their EUC strategy for some time. Many continue to operate broadly the same way, with some minor tactical tweaks to mitigate the impact of covid. There might be no reason to change, but I believe the norms should be challenged regularly to ensure we don’t stagnate.
?With all the changes in the air, I believe this is a great time to reset and define those principles that will allow for clear technology choices going forward. Challenge the status quo and ensure the reasons you are doing things are still valid against the backdrop of current technology. This is one of the core reasons the CDW OCTO exists: to help our customers on that strategic journey.
Customer conversations
In reality, the conversations are still dominated by the VMware by Broadcom turmoil, but I wanted to touch on a couple of other engagements I have been working on over the last few weeks.
Telco Security Act impact
I love working within more specialist environments, like defence or Telco, as the regulations, security requirements, and approaches to normal technology adoption can be very different. These environments challenge the normal and force us all to think differently; the great outcome, though, is things that can bring great benefit to all industry sectors.
Whilst the updated Telco Security Act came into effect in December 2022, given the size and scale of the infrastructure deployed, the ramifications are still rippling through the sector.? One key activity over the last 12 has been automation; given the amount of infra deployed and the new requirements for patching and updates, manual hand cranking is no longer an option. This has allowed us to develop great automation outcomes in terms of both technical and process, which could benefit many organisations.
Cyber Resilience
This continues to be a regular concern for many organisations I am speaking to. As a topic that spans our Security team and Hybrid Platforms team (who look after Data Protection and Information Management), it's of great interest and one I think has such depth and wider-ranging touch points.?
One topic that I was surprised to be a new concept to many is that of the minimal viable company (MVC). Here is the excerpt from a previous OCTO Retro on the topic.
"When building your recovery plans, consider the concept of a minimal viable company; what applications, data and systems do you need to restore critical functions? Then, consider how that will change depending on when the attack happens. Month-end vs. mid-month could change the minimum viable application set, which is the same for the time of year or quarter. Ensuring this is clearly documented and understood as part of your recovery plan could significantly shorten recovery times and minimise the impact of revenue and or reputation."
I wrote about this and other concepts in the November issue of OCTO Retro if you want the full low down.
Artificial Intelligence & IP Ownership?
Finally, an interesting and reoccurring theme in the space of GenAI is who owns the IP created by the many consulting engagements being completed for clients all over the world. The contract small print theme I am seeing is, that the consulting firm retains rights over the IP generated. I find this a worrying trend and one that a few clients have not noticed or understood the implications of before signing contracts. Please make sure you check before engaging a company to develop and AI use case that you retain rights to the IP created. I would not want you paying and your competition then gaining the same advantage for a lower cost!
OCTO Content Round-Up
Part 3 of my Cloud Reversal Trends series went live. Keep an eye out, as I will switch focus to Super Cloud concepts in the next series.
Parts 8-14 of Greg van der Gaast , Building Effective Security Programs have gone live over the month of April; pickup form Part 8 here:
Tim Russell , tackles the trust and balance of Hybrid Working in 2024
The IT Carbon Reduction Conundrum - IT Sustainability Survey
We continue our research around Sustainability. We are focusing on understanding how organisations manage their carbon-saving efforts amidst IT transformation and Innovation requirements. I would welcome participation from individuals within the IT sector and ESG leads. All answers will be kept anonymous.
If you'd like to help me and contribute to the research, please click here for our short survey: https://forms.office.com/e/8NJ87seiJe
?Photo of the Month
It was an exciting month in April for my photography as the long-awaited trip to the snowy climate of Finland arrived. 5 Days at -10c watching European Brown Bear, Wolverines and White Tailed Eagles. Being out in nature with little signal or connection to the wider world was great.
Here is a very hungry Brown Bear in the snow :)
Stay Safe, and look out for next month's recap. please reach out if you want to discuss anything in more detail.
?
Rob Sims
Chief Technologist (Hybrid Platforms)
CDW UK