Windows 10 -- It's Coming, It's Compelling, and It's Made for VDI

Windows 10 — It’s Coming, It’s Compelling, and It’s Made for VDI

Windows 10 is coming, and that is good — this latest release is poised to be the most important version of Microsoft’s platform since Windows XP. Windows 10’s expected success will prompt many organizations to consider upgrades, and the key to many successful large-scale migrations will be VDI, or Virtual Desktop Integration.

Widely expected to be generally available in late 2015, Windows 10 will build on the tablet touchscreen and user experience innovations released a couple of years ago with Windows 8, and the refinements brought in with Windows 8.1. What’s more, Windows 10 should address issues of familiarity and keyboard/mouse utilization of Windows XP, and the stability of Windows 7.

Windows 10 is also likely to be the first version of Windows that truly unifies the platform across desktops, notebooks, tablets and phones, offering a user experience that is more adaptable to the device’s form factor as well as better tools for developers to create so-called Universal Windows applications.

It’s likely that Windows 10 could be the platform that many organizations have been waiting for. And we do mean “waiting.” A lot of companies have held off moving from their obsolescent Windows XP desktops and laptops to newer versions of Windows, only adopting Windows Vista and later if truly required to do so. Why? Migration is expensive, often needing new hardware, new software, lots of IT support time, end-user training, and then after-migration support. Unless there’s a compelling reason for the migration, it’s going to be done only when necessary.

It’s necessary. Windows XP lost its mainstream support in April 2009, and extended support ended in April 2014. What’s more, Windows Vista’s mainstream support ended in April 2012, and extended support will drop in April 2017. Even Windows 7 is beyond its mainstream support date (January 2014).

Windows 10’s back-to-basics approach to the user experience will be welcome. The Start menu is back. The tile interface is under control. There will be only one Web browser experience, not two. And the experience will be more customized for the end device’s form factor, meaning that mouse users won’t be frustrated working with tiles, as they are with Windows 8.x. So for the first time in a while, users may support a migration. Combine that with the weak security and lack of modern functionality in Windows XP, Windows Vista and even Windows 7, it’s time to move.

Virtual desktop can help with the upgrades. In fact, the move to a VDI-based environment will make the migration faster, more comfortable and less expensive, while also laying a solid foundation for future migrations and enhancements.

Consider the scenario where hundreds or thousands of end users are familiar with Windows XP, older versions of Office, and perhaps even other obsolescent applications. Their old environments could be migrated to VDI… and then users could be moved to newer hardware (and Windows 10) later, with minimal fuss. Alternatively, the users could remain on Windows XP hardware for some time, while their user sessions are moved over to virtualized Windows 10 sessions, with new applications. Decoupling the migration of their (now virtualized) workspace from their newer, more secure laptops or desktops will put the user front and center, while making the migration load more manageable for IT.

Mixed environments with a variety of client platforms can use a similar VDI strategy to move users and applications over to Windows 10. The virtual desktops can ensure that users remain productive with the environment, applications and customizations they need, while the company works to upgrade them to the best new technology available. With VDI, printers, storage mappings and even icon placement can be maintained and moved with little muss or fuss.

While users are moving to Windows 10 and modern applications, the organization will realize behind-the-scenes benefits, such as improved backups and other disaster recovery services, lower hardware costs (since VDI places most of the computing burden on the server, not the desktop/notebook client), more efficient network utilization, centralization of IT support, and less need to send IT staff to remote locations to troubleshoot hardware and software.

Once the migration to VDI-based Windows 10 is complete, future upgrades can be handled on the server side, using VDI management tool suites, instead of having to touch each end user’s machine. That will be a huge cost savings.

Windows 10 will offer many advantages to organizations, and has the potential to finally dislodge Windows XP and Windows 7. First impressions of the Windows 10 user experience are favorable, and let’s face it, it’s time to get rid of those old, underpowered, insecure devices.

Sure, it’s early. We don’t have a release date for Windows 10 yet. Still, many early adopters and testers are running the Windows 10 Technical Preview in a virtual machine, which demonstrates how well the platform runs in a virtual environment. Some of them are also experimenting with running Windows 10 on VDI platforms, such as XenApp/XenDesktop, and their early feedback is excellent. Managing a VDI migration will be the way of the future for many deployments – to the benefit of organizations and their users.

Michael Mills – Head of Workspace, Chief Technologist for AppSense

Michael Mills is the head of workspace and a core member of the office of the CTO at AppSense. Michael has been with AppSense for almost six years and has served in many capacities, from sales engineer to technical director of the U.S. Previously he worked as the VP of practice development and technical services at one of Citrix Systems' largest Midwest resellers, building the services practices from $0 to more than $35M in revenue.  Additionally, Michael was the VP of enterprise consulting at a Citrix Platinum Partner, responsible for designing remote access, security and desktop solutions for the Fortune 500 leading customers such as Ford, GM and Caterpillar to evolve their endpoint technology systems. He also spent time evangelizing and educating customers on the value and benefit of thin client computing technologies, server virtualization and desktop optimization.