Do you remember when “desktop” meant an individual user's personal computer? Maybe not; but in those days, there was no real distinction between managing a "desktop" and managing a fixed hardware device that often had a single user assigned to it. Not so today! For our generation of IT professionals, “desktop” has a far broader meaning; and it's due to three powerful trends that are re-shaping IT as we've known it.

1. The "consumerization" of IT. Technology users are accustomed to having IT within easy reach. Smart phones and tablets designed with consumers in mind are now being used throughout the enterprise. The users of enterprise IT appreciate the experience they have with consumer technologies, and they want the same level of satisfaction with their enterprise technologies. And why not?
2. Cloud technologies. IT departments are no longer delivering every IT service; the movement towards the cloud is real and sustained. But the cloud raises other concerns, such as data security and regulatory compliance: concerns that aren't going away, no matter how convenient cloud technologies can be. And no one's letting you off the hook for providing technology that's secure and compliant.
3. Hybrid end-user computing. Not so long ago, pundits were predicting a massive transition from rich client infrastructures to virtual desktops. But the reality is different. Today, virtual desktops are just part of the picture. Desktop infrastructures aren’t transitioning from one model to another – they’re becoming hybrid, as users seek the ability to work everywhere, from multiple devices, 24/7.

"Client virtualization does not replace physical PCs, but instead adds significant infrastructure costs, creating a hybrid environment of both physical and virtual desktops... traditional datacenter or PC-centric approaches break down." -- David K. Johnson, Forrester Research, Inc., 2012

Isn't there a Better Way?
RES Software believes that technology mega-trends and changing user workstyles demand that the desktop be managed in a fundamentally different way. To do this, the key technology breakthrough is context awareness: managing the user's "workspace" based on each user’s individual context (time of day, location and device). When that context changes, user workspaces should dynamically adapt to that change without disrupting the business user's productivity.

Security for the user's desktop should be aware of this context as well. For example, some IT services should not be allowed outside office hours, or outside the office walls, to protect data security and assure regulatory compliance.

This is why RES Software offers the most comprehensive workspace virtualization solution: lightweight, small-footprint technology that gives IT the tools to manage, automate and secure the user's workspace in a very fast and simple way. It's RES Software workspace virtualization.