According to Forrester surveys, 27% of companies support the iPad today, while another 31% plan to support it in the future. As organizations begin to support connected smart devices such as iPads and smartphones, they also want to connect them to their enterprise data and applications. Companies are turning to desktop virtualization (DV) as a solution to make that happen. DV is a consideration because:

  1. It facilitates employee access to enterprise data and applications from any platform-neutral device.
  2. Certain solutions allow you to convert your existing laptops/desktops into thin clients, enabling you to lengthen the life cycles of the equipment.
  3. Patch management and updates are controlled more effectively, potentially lowering internal management costs.

However, many organizations are not sure where to start when it comes to DV. Because of this, solicitation of information from qualified DV suppliers is messy. As companies reach out to these vendors, Forrester sees that incomplete information is shared and/or project goals are unclear, which results in confusion to the vendor and multiple rounds of Q&A.

One of the ways to overcome this challenge is to focus on internal collaboration and organize yourself before going out to market. The transformation of the desktop from the traditional status quo to a virtualized environment is complicated — it requires the collaboration of a variety of people. DV projects affect a multitude of business and IT areas. In fact, according to Andy Jones, SVP of MCPc, a leader in DV services, successful projects enlist the help of companies’ internal desktop management, networking, storage, security, and software licensing professionals for a unified solution:

“As DV affects workforce mobility, IT infrastructure, and business processes, successful implementations begin with accurately segmenting end users and assessing technology needs and solutions across the entire corporate landscape. This includes discussions with everyone from the C-suite to HR to IT managers to department leads and sales reps. Including multiple viewpoints in DV plans can help bring IT to the forefront as a true business driver, differentiator, and enabler.”

We’ve released a series of reports to help organize yourself before going out to market with a DV RFx (request for information or proposal). If your organization is just starting out, or remains skeptical about the benefits or technical limitations of desktop virtualization, you can still conduct due diligence to prove your hypotheses/ROIs/business cases through an RFx. Through the help of Andy and a number of DV leaders, the reports are intended to help structure your RFx to solicit information and proposals effectively, as well as help facilitate the internal conversations with your business and technical team. Clients who leverage the reports for their projects should expect a shortening of the sourcing and sales cycle. Even though strategies are being formed now, you can prepare yourself for the multidimensional considerations in DV projects by reading the reports: