Archive
#BYOD: From optional to mandatory by 2017, says #Gartner
I agree with this great article and the analysis made by Gartner.
Bring-your-own-device (BYOD) has for some time been gaining traction in the workplace, as not only a way of freeing up IT costs but also liberalizing workers from being virtually chained, clunky, aging machines at their desks.
But latest research from Gartner suggests that by 2017, half of employers may impose a mandatory BYOD policy — requiring staffs to bring their own laptop, tablet and smartphone to work.
As an optional policy, workplaces still have an IT fallback option, but many are choosing to bring their own tablets and smartphones to work in order to work more effectively using the technology they feel more comfortable with.
Some interesting tidbits from the research:
- 38 percent of companies expect to stop providing workplace devices to staff by 2016. (PCs, such as desktops and laptops, are included in the definition of BYOD.)
- BYOD is most prevalent in midsize and larger enterprises, often generating between $500m-$5bn in revenue per year, with 2,500-5,000 employees on the roster.
- BRIC nations, such as India, China, and Brazil, will most likely already be using a personal device — typically a “standard mobile phone” — at work.
- Meanwhile, companies in the U.S. are more likely to allow BYOD than those in Europe (likely due to stronger data protection rules, see below).
- Around half of all BYOD programs provide a partial reimbursement, while full reimbursement costs “will become rare.”
- Gartner vice president David Willis says companies should “subsidize only the service plan on a smartphone.”
But there’s a problem within. Those who have yet to adopt a BYOD policy often generally cite one of two good reasons (or both): interoperability and…
Continue reading here!
//Richard
WOW! – MS readies ‘Mohoro’ Windows desktop as a service – #BYOD, #DaaS – via @brianmadden
What can you say!?!? It wouldn’t surprise me a bit!! Of course Microsoft would come out with an Azure based cloud offerings of Desktops as a Service! I will follow this progress for sure, interesting and NOT so nice for quite a number of partners out there…
Summary: Microsoft is believed to be building a Windows Azure-hosted desktop virtualization service that could be available on a pay-per-use basis.
In yet another example of its growing emphasis on remaking itself as a devices and services company, Microsoft looks to be developing a pay-per-use “Windows desktop as a service” that will run on Windows Azure.
The desktop virtualization service, codenamed Mohoro, is in a very early development phase, from what I’ve heard from sources. I don’t know the final launch target, but I wouldn’t be surprised if it isn’t until the second half of 2014.
Mohoro is a town located on the island of Grande Comore in the Comoros Islands in the Indian Ocean. Given that members of the Microsoft India Development Center may be playing a key role in Mohoro’s development, according to my sources, the codename choice seems appropriate.
Microsoft owns the Mohoro.com and Mohoro.Net domain names.
Mohoro, like another Windows service, Windows Intune, is a product of Microsoft’s Server and Tools unit, I hear. Windows Intune is still not yet hosted on Windows Azure (as far as I know), but supposedly the plan is to move it to Azure at some point. Windows Intune already does make use of Windows Azure Active Directory as its directory and authentication service.
The same way that Windows Intune is the cloud complement to System Center, Mohoro seems to be the cloud version of Remote Desktop/Remote App.
This is like “Remote App as a hosted service,” said one of my contacts. It could be for companies who want thin clients or to run legacy apps on new PCs. Right now, companies have to have their own servers in the equation to do this, but “with Mohoro, you click a few buttons, deploy your apps, use Intune to push out configuration to all of your company’s devices, and you’re done,” my contact added.
Microsoft currently offers multiple ways for users to access their Windows desktops remotely via different virtualization technologies and products.
The aforementioned Remote App/Remote Desktop allows Windows users to connect to a remote Windows PC and access resources from it. On the Windows RT front, given that operating system’s restrictions on use of almost any existing Win32 applications, Remote Desktop provides a way for users to continue to use apps they already have on new hardware like the Microsoft Surface RT. Licensing of Remote Desktop and Remote Desktop Services is complex, however, and requires access to server infrastructure on the back-end.
Currently, it is not possible under Microsoft’s licensing terms to run Windows client in virtual machines hosted on Windows Azure. (The new Azure VMs do allow…
Continue to read this great blog post by Mary Jo Foley here!
//Richard
Designing a virtual desktop environment? – #XenDesktop, #Citrix
This is a good blog post by Niraj Patel.
Questions: How do you successfully design a virtual desktop solution for 1,000 users? How about 10,000 users? What about 50,000 users? What are the questions you should be asking? Most importantly, where do you start?
Answer: Hire Citrix Consulting for your next virtual desktop project! OK, that is one right answer, but not the only way to do it. The successful way to design a virtual desktop environment is to follow a modular approach using the 5 layers defined within the Citrix Virtual Desktop Handbook. Breaking apart a virtual desktop project into different layers provides a modular approach that reduces risks and increase chances for your project’s success no matter how larger you’re planned deployment is. What are the 5 layers and some examples of the decisions are defined within them?
- User Layer: Recommended end-points and the required user functionality.
- Access Layer: How the user will connect to their desktop hosted in the desktop layer. Decisions for local vs. remote access, firewalls and SSL-VPN communications are addressed within this layer.
- Desktop Layer: The desktop layer contains the user’s virtual desktop and is subdivided into three components; image, applications, and personalization. Decisions related to FlexCast model, application requirements, policy, and profile design are addressed in this layer.
- Control Layer: Within the control layer decisions surrounding the management and maintenance of the overall solution are addressed. The control layer is comprised of access controllers, desktop controllers and infrastructure controllers. Access controllers support the access layer, desktop controllers support the desktop layer, and infrastructure controllers provide the underlying support for each component within the architecture.
- Hardware Layer: The hardware layer contains the physical devices required to support the entire solution, and includes servers, processors, memory and storage devices.
Want to know how to get started? Try the Citrix Project Accelerator. Input criteria around your business requirements, technical expertise, end user requirements, applications, etc. to get started on your architecture based on the 5 layer model.
Lastly, don’t forget to come see SYN318…
Continue reading here!
//Richard
Vulnerability in Remote Desktop Client – #RDS
Microsoft Security Bulletin MS13-029 – Critical
Vulnerability in Remote Desktop Client Could Allow Remote Code Execution (2828223)
Published: Tuesday, April 09, 2013 | Updated: Wednesday, April 10, 2013
Version: 1.1
This security update resolves a privately reported vulnerability in Windows Remote Desktop Client. The vulnerability could allow remote code execution if a user views a specially crafted webpage. An attacker who successfully exploited the vulnerability could gain the same user rights as the current user. Users whose accounts are configured to have fewer user rights on the system could be less impacted than users who operate with administrative user rights.
This security update is rated Critical for Remote Desktop Connection 6.1 Client, Remote Desktop Connection 7.0 Client, and Remote Desktop Connection 7.1 Client where affected on Windows XP, Windows Vista, and Windows 7. It is rated Moderate for Remote Desktop Connection 6.1 Client, Remote Desktop Connection 7.0 Client, and Remote Desktop 7.1 Client where affected on Windows Server 2003, Windows Server 2008, and Windows Server 2008 R2. For more information, see the subsection, Affected and Non-Affected Software, in this section.
The security update addresses the vulnerability by modifying the way that Remote Desktop Client handles objects in memory. For more information about the vulnerability, see the Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) subsection for the specific vulnerability entry under the next section, Vulnerability Information.
Recommendation. Most customers have automatic updating enabled…
Continue reading here!
//Richard
VDI Smackdown: Head-to-head analysis of Citrix XenDesktop, Microsoft etc… via @rpruijt
Great work!!!! 🙂 Continue reading!!!
Are you looking for an independent overview of desktop virtualization solutions and curious about the different strategy questions? Do you want detailed information about the features and functions each desktop virtualization vendor is offering!? If so the VDI Smackdown you definitely must read!
In the current market there is an increasing demand for unbiased information about desktop virtualization solutions. This white paper is focused on solutions that are anticipated to have an important role in desktop virtualization deployments. An overview of available features of each solution has been created to allow an understanding and comparison of capabilities.
The latest solutions included in the feature matrix are: Citrix XenDesktop 5.6FP1, Citrix VDI-in-a-Box 5.2, Dell vWorkspace 7.6, Microsoft RDVH Windows8/Server 2012 and VMware View 5.2; The English whitepaper can be downloaded here. The Japanese version will be available as soon as possible.
Empowering the end-user by giving access to Windows, Web and Mobile applications so he can access data and information systems from both private and public datacenters regardless of the device or location is the ultimate strategic objective.
The delivery of the classic (Windows) desktop interface can be divided in two segments:
- the classic desktop and laptop, running Windows, Linux or Mac OS X;
- the virtual desktop running in the datacenter or local on the classic workstation.
In essence “desktop virtualization” is the de-coupling of the desktop, operating system and the applications from the underlying endpoint or device. This kind of virtualization can be subdivided into two types:
- With the first type applications are executed remotely, server hosted, and presented at the endpoint via a remote display protocol.
- With the second type applications are executed at the endpoint, client-side and presented locally.
Making Windows, Web and Mobile applications available to the end-user, regardless of the technology being used, is an important strategic objective of an advanced IT infrastructure. The Virtual Desktop (vDesktop) is an essential component in the range of Application and Desktop delivery solutions and in essence, it provides the following functions:
- Flexibility: Detach the vDesktop from the endpoint; Several vDesktops can be used next to one another
- BYO: enables delivery of applications and desktops for BYO scenario’s;
- Access: vDesktop works independently of location, endpoint and network;
- Security: Server Hosted – VDI; data in the computing center;
- Freedom: Every user can have his own desktop with administrator privileges when needed;
- Management: Centrally managed and hardware independent;
- Legacy: It is simple to offer legacy applications on a state-of-the-art platform;
- Sustainability: Power Management, handling the necessary resources in an efficient manner
The transition to a dynamic and optimized desktop is causing many IT organizations to reevaluate traditional IT operations, deployment, delivery, packaging, support, and management methods.
Desktop virtualization is a key component in the optimized desktop. It’s important to have a Vision and Strategy around application and desktop delivery and enterprise mobility. Designing, building, managing and maintaining the desktop virtualization…
Continue reading here!
//Richard
Watch the #Citrix Consulting Best Practice Webcast Series
Citrix Consulting Best Practice Series
In these webinars, members of the Citrix Consulting team have taken an in-depth look at the steps to desktop virtualisation.
Beginning with the basics, looking at setting priorities, and passing on the knowledge needed to fully understand the processes, what is required for roll-out and of course the value of desktop virtualisation.
This series has been extremely popular and now, is available for you to view at your convenience.
Regardless of where you currently stand with your desktop virtualisation, feel free to look at a single phase or check out the whole series.
Content:
- Introduction: Desktop Virtualisation: Your Insight into the world of Desktop Virtualisation
- Phase 1: Establishing business priorities and mapping these to your desktop virtualisation project
- Phase 2: Analysis – understanding your existing IT infrastructure
- Phase 3: Design – key concepts and approaches for designing your desktop virtualisation solution
- Phase 4: Build/Test – validating your design and making improvements
- Phase 5: Rollout – Going Live and operational with your virtual desktops
Continue reading and watch the webcasts here!
//Richard
Win RT jailbroken to run 3rd party Desktop apps – #Windows, #RT, thx @brianmadden
It was only a matter of time: Windows RT has been hacked to allow non-Microsoft applications to run in Desktop. Prior to this hack, your Windows RT tablet (such as the Surface RT) could only run Metro apps, a special, touch-oriented version of Office… and that’s it. Now, in theory, you can run any Desktop app on Windows RT [See: What is Windows RT?]
The hack, performed by Clokr, exploits a vulnerability in the Windows kernel that has existed for a long time — since before Microsoft ported Windows from x86 to ARM, in fact. Basically, the Windows kernel on your computer is configured to only execute files that meet a certain level of authentication. There are four levels: Unsigned (0), Authenticode (4), Microsoft (8), and Windows (12). On your x86 Windows system, the default setting is Unsigned — you can run anything you like. With Windows RT, the default, hard-coded setting is Microsoft (8); i.e. only apps signed by Microsoft, or parts of Windows itself, can be executed.
Continue reading here!
//Richard
#Citrix #XenDesktop Monitoring: Desktop Availability – #EGinnovations #HP #BAC
Ok, this was an interesting blog post from Miguel Contreras. First of all I’d like to thank you Miguel for this post!
You can read the blog post here prior to reading my ramblings… 😉
XenDesktop Monitoring: Desktop Availability
The whole blog post message hits a spot that I know many of our EnvokeIT customers are looking for: AN E2E (END-TO-END) MONITORING CAPABILITY!
Citrix has great products and they work from a technical point of view, but I think that most part of the time development and evolvement of the products goes to fast so that the product teams doesn’t have time to synchronise how well they work together or what the service provider will need cross-products in the stack to deliver a managed IT service!
This blog post really proves it as well… Miguel has developed a powershell script that he schedules to run so that he could see in the morning if he could go to work or if everything is ok with his desktop service (or Windows as a Service (WaaS) as Citrix now talks about this type of service). And is that the way to go? I’m still looking for this E2E monitoring solution from Citrix that can provide real and good facts about how the overall WaaS service performs. Is the NetScaler VIP up, StoreFront, AppController, PVS/MCS, XenServer, the VM, File Server that hosts profiles etc. It’s only if yo get this full picture and fact that you can say that the service WaaS is available. It doesn’t matter if the desktop is running if the AGEE vip is down and he/she cannot reach it… or?
If Citrix isn’t getting into the monitoring business then please guide your customers to who of the partners that does the job, for instance EGinnovations, HP BAC etc.
Yeah yeah… my ramblings are over for tonight and this was not my first complaint about this “service readiness” stamp I’d like to see on enterprise products…
But still = I think no one else right now does the WaaS-job like Citrix!! But they can always improve like all of us! 😉
Cheers!
//Richard
The IT Melting Pot! 