Have you heard that the desktop is dead? It may seem a bit melodramatic, but it’s not far off if you believe the latest research. Mobile devices have become the go-to for a workforce that is increasingly decentralized and on-the-go, thanks to virtualization and cloud-based applications that make it easier than ever to access enterprise resources anywhere, anytime. By 2020, it’s estimated that 50 percent of the global workforce will be mobile, and the average person will own 4.3 devices (smartphones, laptops, tablets, wearables, consoles, etc.).
What’s driving this shift? New entrants into the workplace are playing a big part. There is an entire generation that grew up in an era in which the desktop was not the primary source for computing access. In fact, 79 percent of Millennials view work flexibility as a top priority. And more than 80 percent of the current workforce would like to telecommute at least part-time. Workforce demographics combined with ubiquitous computing and connectivity are revolutionizing how we work, but they’re also creating a perfect storm.
“The concept of Bring Your Own Device (BYOD) in the workplace made sense when it could be viewed as cost savings―after all, it eliminated the need to issue company-owned assets while also increasing employee mobility, productivity, and satisfaction. However, as the Millennial generation moves toward making up a majority of the workforce, corporations need plans to adapt to their expectations,” says Gordy Wyatt, director of partner sales, EUC VMware.
This is when the dark clouds can start forming.
As employees become increasingly reliant upon mobile devices to perform their jobs, they begin demanding more mobile applications, a simplified user experience, and greater performance. That’s when the reality of BYOD sets in. It becomes an expectation―an ante to attracting and retaining talent. In fact, in one survey of senior IT and business leaders, respondents stated that they couldn’t do their jobs effectively without a mobile phone, and three-quarters said mobile devices are essential to their business workflows. Essential. As in, business isn’t getting done without them. Go mobile or go home.
Can you hear the roll of thunder?
Suddenly, in addition to managing the existing computing environment and all that is needed to keep applications up and running securely, IT has to address the proliferation of devices that aren’t even corporate-owned assets. The combination of more access points through these devices, as well as insidious mobile malware and the fact that employees are now working everywhere (and relying upon apps on wearables, personal devices, in homes, offices, airports and coffee shops), make it more challenging than ever to provide a secure, optimized IT environment that enables end-users to be as high performing as possible.
So, the demand calls for:
- securing endpoint devices
- managing multiple operating systems, devices, and mobile applications
- enabling protected access for contractors and partners
- meeting the escalating expectations of users
- ensuring a superior experience
The deluge begins. This is when it feels like time to run for shelter.
But it doesn’t have to be that way.
Ensure Clear Skies Ahead by Securely Optimizing Your Next-Gen Mobile Desktop
An intelligent digital workspace can transform an organization, giving employees the tools and access to resources they need to be more productive while providing the flexibility needed in today’s hypercompetitive environment. But in order to be successful and deliver the positive business impact of a next-generation workspace, that transformation journey needs to incorporate a governance and security strategy to ensure that devices and corporate assets are protected while also enabling an easy user experience.
“Application rationalization and simplification are key ways an enterprise can realize operational efficiency and provide an easy-to-use interface for end users,” says Ryan Humble, converged infrastructure architect and VMware EUC technical lead at Sirius.
User Experience
The user experience goes hand-in-hand with your approach to securing apps, desktops, and data in the data center, cloud, and mobile devices. Yes, your ability to ensure valuable corporate assets and data are secure and protected is paramount, but it has to occur without sacrificing the user experience. Your BYOD strategy can’t create friction when users access apps or assets, but it also can’t compromise security.
Optimizing your digital, on-demand workspace means providing users with one-touch access to any work-related app on any device without requiring multiple passwords and logins.
Security and Governance
How can you secure BYOD environments and mitigate risks without hindering mobility? To start, you need to consolidate control and protect enterprise data with policies that adapt to users’ computing environments, from the device to the data center. You need governance and security that ensures appropriate privileges based upon location, means of access and authorization across all users (employees, contractors, partners). “An intelligence-driven platform can provide visibility into risks and patches, and then use automation to avoid any attacks,” says Wyatt. “In other words, be proactive to avoid issues versus having to remediate after the fact.”
Securely optimizing your next-gen mobile desktop requires providing mobile device users with secure access to resources while also simplifying the management of work-related policies, profiles, and data.
Windows 10 Migration
Windows 10 is disrupting IT and business with a customer-first experience that provides enterprise-ready security and simpler lifecycle management. By bringing together a single operating system for mobile devices and traditional PCs, upgrading to Windows 10 gives organizations new capabilities to support a mobile workforce, including built-in mobile management APIs, more frequent cloud updates, modern apps, and more favorable enterprise mobility management (EMM) tools.
At the same time, Windows 10 has redefined the usage model, moving from a high-touch IT environment focused on corporate devices, data, and legacy apps, to delivering on the changing needs of corporate, BYOD and line of business users via cloud-based management and services delivered on any network. The move to Windows 10 creates new opportunities for organizations with BYOD policies, but it also creates challenges, such as ensuring network readiness, enforcing mobile device management (MDM) policies, and application and support readiness.
Management
The proliferation of mobile devices creates new management challenges―from managing identities and access to applications on-premises and in the cloud, to ensuring the painless provisioning of devices, configuration of policies and management of OS updates.
“With modern management, companies can now deliver smarter IT ops, more robust security, and a faster ready-to-work experience across every Windows 10 client,” says Wyatt.
By leveraging a single platform to manage all apps and devices regardless of ownership models and with complete employee privacy, an optimized next-gen mobility strategy eases troubleshooting, upgrades and configuration challenges. It improves operational efficiency with combined management tools and processes that ensure automation across the app and device lifecycle.
A Ray of Sunshine in a Mobile BYOD World
Where should you start developing your BYOD strategy? At the beginning, of course. That means evaluating your current environment, identifying business and IT needs, and developing a roadmap for how to optimize cloud and edge computing to reach your goals.
“An end-user assessment is key to a successful deployment. It not only gathers hard data for sizing but also gives an organization the chance to set or reset expectations,” says Humble.
When determining goals, you might want to consider the following:
- Increase the performance of application workloads by integrating hybrid cloud and networks closely connected to end-users
- Reduce complexity by running enterprise resource planning systems in a hybrid cloud environment
- Reduce total cost of ownership by using built-in automation and dynamic connections to cloud and hosting environments
- Accelerate deployment of business applications via hybrid cloud
- Reduce business downtime through more reliable hybrid cloud infrastructure
- Ensure business trust by protecting customer data against threats
Once you’ve identified goals, it’s time to look at the key areas impacting the success of your BYOD environment. This means addressing both end-user and enterprise demands.
The Forecast for Your Next-Gen Mobility Initiative: Success
Do you still feel like your organization is in the eye of the BYOD storm? Seek an experienced and expert partner to help guide you to success. A workplace assessment can help identify the right strategy and solutions to ensure that end users are connected, protected and effective.
