Endpoints – Digital IT News

Traditional Service Desk to Be Extinct by 2027 Say IT Workers

Taylor Graham — Fri, 11 Oct 2024 15:00:16 +0000

Nexthink has released a new report, “The Death (and Rebirth) of the Service Desk,” which explores the future of IT service desks. A survey of 1,000 global IT professionals reveals that 79% expect the current service desk model to become unrecognizable within three years, and 77% believe new technologies will make it obsolete by 2027. (1)

87% of IT workers also report that, with digital transformation having greatly expanded the size and complexity of enterprise IT environments, incident response is ‘economically unsustainable’ unless helpdesks have significant proactive capabilities. However, while the evolution of the service desk is seen as inevitable, attitudes are uncertain as to what comes next. Positively, nearly all respondents (96%) also say that new technologies – particularly those around AI and automation – make them excited around the future of end user computing (EUC), with the same percentage arguing that the rapid evolution of EUC makes it an attractive future career route. Yet two-thirds (68%) say they fear these technological changes could impact their own career prospects moving forward.

This is evidenced by the overwhelming agreement around the importance of proactive IT:

96% say greater proactivity in anticipating and responding to IT incidents is a top priority for their department.
95% say their department is currently investing significant time and resources into becoming more proactive.
96% say that proactive IT incident response will protect the organization’s productivity and will transform the function and focus of the service desk.
93% admit that being slow to react to an incident can damage ITs reputation internally.

“The ultimate value of any technology is how well it enables people to do their jobs and how it impacts overall company productivity,” said Yassine Zaied, Chief Strategy Officer, Nexthink. “Right now, businesses are spending billions on digital transformation yet seeing mixed results at best. Whether it’s underperforming devices, failed adoption projects, or botched migrations, business efficiency is constantly being halted by poor digital experiences. IT is going to be the nexus for all productivity enablement moving forward, and this research shows that IT workers are already looking to make that transition. The only question is whether executives will provide the resources investment needed to support them in this journey.”

The research also found that while IT workers believe that existing roles will retain or increase their relevance in the coming years, nearly all of them (92%) feel that the service desk will evolve into the ‘experience desk’ in the coming years and that this will require significant technological change. The three most important upskilling areas identified were an understanding of the employee experience (58%), generative AI skills (57%), and an ability to deliver technological training and instruction (53%).

However, despite the openness to a new form of helpdesk from IT professionals, there are significant concerns about how such a transformation will be perceived by the wider organization. Three-quarters (76%) of IT staff say employees are resistant to deploying their own IT fixes, with similar majorities believe that insufficient employee training (75%), and a general resistance to change (74%) will hold back digital adoption of new tools and self-service incident remediation.

“Efficiency isn’t merely a technical problem, it’s about the day-to-day human experience,” added Zaied. “Simply trying to fix problems as they arise means playing a losing game of whack-a-mole. Instead, organizations need to take a holistic approach employees digital experience by building better functioning environments that can improve productivity, rather than impeding it.”

To review the Nexthink “The Death (and Rebirth) of the Service Desk” report, visit the website here.

Addressing the Labor Shortage in the Field Service Industry

¹ All figures are provided by Vanson Bourne, unless otherwise stated. Total sample size was 1,000 IT workers across the USA (400), UK (200), Germany (200), and France (200). Fieldwork was undertaken between 20th May 2024 – 12th June 2024. The survey was carried out online.

The post Traditional Service Desk to Be Extinct by 2027 Say IT Workers appeared first on Digital IT News.

5 VDI and DaaS Alternatives to Citrix and Omnissa

Olivia Rowan — Thu, 10 Oct 2024 14:30:05 +0000

In recent years, the landscape of virtual desktop infrastructure (VDI) and Desktop as a Service (DaaS) has been marked by significant shifts and disruptions, prompting organizations to reevaluate their current providers and solutions. For customers of Citrix and Omnissa, who have faced challenges adapting to these changes, the need for reliable and cost-effective alternatives has become more pressing.

As companies strive to optimize their operations and reduce the long-term costs associated with virtual desktop environments, exploring new options becomes imperative. This article will guide you through four viable VDI and DaaS alternatives that not only promise stability and less disruption but also aim to deliver enhanced performance and scalability, making them worthy of consideration for any organization looking to transition from their current setup.

We asked five companies – Parallels, Nerdio, Anunta, Cybele Software and Workspot- the same questions and here are their responses. Whether you’re grappling with service inconsistencies, seeking better cost management, or simply exploring state-of-the-art capabilities, these options stand out as practical solutions in a rapidly evolving digital workspace landscape.

Parallels

parallels.com

What product/s do you offer that would be alternatives to Citrix and Omnissa solutions including Citrix Virtual Apps and Desktops or Omnissa Horizon 8?

At Parallels, we offer a range of solutions that serve as strong alternatives to Citrix and Omnissa. For flexible application and desktop delivery, we provide Parallels RAS and Parallels Secure Workspace. These solutions offer robust access to applications via VDI and have attracted many customers transitioning from Citrix due to their ease of use and cost-efficiency.

This year, we also introduced Parallels DaaS—a cloud-native alternative to Citrix and Omnissa solutions—and Parallels Browser Isolation, which enhances security by safeguarding remote access to SaaS applications. As secure access to applications and data becomes increasingly critical, this new offering is designed to meet those demands effectively.

And of course, many know us for Parallels Desktop, our virtualization solution that allows users to run multiple OSs on a single device – like Windows on Mac.

With our diverse product portfolio, we provide reliable and flexible alternatives to Citrix and Omnissa, catering to a wide range of use cases and ensuring that our solutions meet the evolving needs of organizations.

What advantages do your products offer compared to these Citrix and Omnissa products?

One of the key reasons customers choose Parallels solutions over Citrix or Omnissa is the almost elegant simplicity of the technology and the associated time to value. They like the ease of use, deployment, and management. For example, one of our channel partners XenTegra One recently said that “Administration is 10 times easier. If a client needs assistance, a call is set up and at most takes 20 minutes to show them the ins and outs. A couple of quick trainings and the IT admin is up to speed.”.

This is especially important given the current shortage of IT specialists. Companies can’t afford to wait months for IT professionals to get up to speed. With our solutions, IT admins can get on board fast, without costly and extensive technical ramp time.

That simplicity extends to our licensing model, as well, and we believe that’s a significant advantage compared to Citrix or Omnissa.

Our all-inclusive licensing model offers clear, predictable pricing with no hidden costs. Deployment and maintenance also tend to be more affordable compared to other solutions for reasons we have already discussed.

It’s also worth noting that we support a wide range of hypervisors and cloud providers, allowing customers to leverage existing infrastructure and minimize disruption to the existing environment.

Whether on-premises or in the cloud, our solutions cover everything under one license, with the flexibility to scale up or down as the organization grows.

How many desktops are currently running your product/s?

Although we cannot share specific numbers publicly, we can proudly say that our products are widely adopted and used by numerous satisfied customers globally.

Do you have particular vertical markets or use cases that are most appropriate for your product/s?

We sell almost entirely through channel partners who serve customers in a variety of industries that need reliable, secure, and scalable solutions for delivering virtual desktops and applications. From a market segment perspective, we enjoy genuine strength and pedigree among small to mid-sized businesses, mid-market organizations, state and local governments, and educational institutions. Within our commercial segments, we work extensively within the healthcare industry – with deep expertise in the Electronic Medical Records (EMR) space.

For example, Aspire Indiana switched from Citrix to our solution because they needed a more affordable and less complex option for their virtualization needs. With Parallels RAS, Aspire Indiana was able to deliver secure, remote access to EMR applications through an HTML5 gateway. Like many customers, they were impressed with the simplicity and user-friendly features of our solution. We’re implementing this same scenario for dozens of customers globally, including some of the biggest names in the industry.

Beyond healthcare, we also serve a number of notable financial services organizations, manufacturing customers, as well as clients in the retail and customer service industries. Again, the flexibility and ease of deployment of our solutions make them a great fit for organizations of all sizes and across various industries.

Are there any infrastructure limitations or specifics that new customers should be aware of to run your product/s?

Our products have been on the market for a long time and have evolved into mature solutions that offer exceptional flexibility and compatibility. They are designed to integrate seamlessly with a wide range of IT environments, ensuring they meet the diverse needs of any organization.

Take Parallels RAS as an example. Initially launched as “2X Application Server” in 2006, it has since evolved into a highly flexible solution that works closely with a wide array of popular technology partners and integrations. Just to list a few: It’s accessible across a variety of devices, giving users the flexibility to access resources via HTML5-compliant browsers or through the Parallels Client application, which supports platforms including Windows, Linux, macOS, iOS, Android, and ChromeOS. It also supports all major hypervisors, from Microsoft Hyper-V and VMware ESXi to hyperconverged infrastructures like Nutanix Acropolis and Scale Computing HC3. Whether on-premises, in the cloud (such as Microsoft Azure or Amazon Web Services), or through a hybrid approach, organizations can create a highly adaptable IT infrastructure based on their unique needs.

Furthermore, we actively gather and implement feedback and requests from our customers. Many features in our products have been directly shaped by customer input, ensuring our products continually evolve to meet real-world needs.

Are you offering any programs or incentives for channel partners that migrate their customers from Citrix or Omnissa to your product/s?

Definitely! We recently launched an attractive promotion offering rebates to partners who migrate customers from Citrix to Parallels. Right now, and until the end of November 2024, Parallels is offering customers one free year of Parallels RAS, Parallels Secure Workspace, or Parallels DaaS licensing as part of a three-year pre-purchased subscription with a suggested promotional standard retail price of USD 50,000 or greater. Plus, customers who enter into a three-year pre-purchased subscription with a suggested promotional standard retail price of USD 100,000 or greater can also benefit from deployment and migration assistance from their certified partners. These partners will get a rebate from Parallels for such assistance.

With this promotion, we aim to make the transition from Citrix to Parallels workspace solutions as seamless and beneficial as possible for both our partners and customers.

Apart from this promotion, we support our partners with a comprehensive partner program. There are several levels available, offering a range of benefits such as deal registration, visibility on our Partner Locator, free NFR licenses, financial support for marketing activities, free training and certification on all of our products, and many other advantages.

What is your licensing structure?

Our licensing structure is straightforward and transparent, with no hidden fees. All Parallels products come with an all-inclusive single license model, giving access to a full-featured set of capabilities. This means customers don’t have to purchase a premium license at a premium price just to get a single feature.

We offer both prepaid and postpaid concurrent user licensing models. The postpaid option is specifically targeted at service providers and ISVs.

Is there any additional information that customers considering their virtual desktop or DaaS options should know about your product/s?

One unique aspect of Parallels is our ability to offer a comprehensive platform of solutions not only for server and cloud, but also for the desktop. This enables us to cater to whatever the customer needs.

We’ve recently implemented a hub-and-spoke model, centralizing control through a robust control plane (the hub) that connects all Parallels products across endpoints, servers, and the cloud (the spokes). Parallels DaaS and Parallels Browser Isolation are the first two services in this model, launched earlier this year.

This milestone is a significant step toward our vision of a centralized hub for all Parallels products, streamlining operations for administrators, and ensuring a cohesive user experience. Customers and partners can confidently rely on Parallels to securely access a wide range of applications, including legacy, cloud, and desktop applications, all within our holistic platform of secure workspace solutions.

Our strategic Parallels platform empowers customers and partners to navigate the evolving end-user computing and security landscape with confidence.

2. Nerdio

getnerdio.com

What product(s) do you offer that would be alternatives to Citrix and Omnissa solutions, including Citrix Virtual Apps and Desktops or Omnissa Horizon 8?

Nerdio Manager for Enterprise (NME) and Nerdio Manager for MSP (NMM) offer robust alternatives to Citrix Virtual Apps and Desktops and Omnissa Horizon 8. Both products are designed to manage Azure Virtual Desktop (AVD) environments, streamlining the deployment and management of virtual desktops and remote apps on Microsoft Azure. They provide a simplified, cost-effective, and flexible cloud-native approach.

What advantages do your products offer compared to these Citrix and Omnissa products?

Lower Cost: Nerdio products are optimized for cost savings by automating Azure resource management, ensuring you only pay for what you use.
Ease of Use: Both NME and NMM are known for their intuitive interfaces, which simplify the deployment, scaling, and management of virtual desktops compared to the complex architectures of Citrix and Omnissa.
Cloud-Native: Nerdio is built specifically for Microsoft Azure, leveraging native Azure technologies without the need for third-party brokers or controllers, unlike Citrix and Horizon.
Flexibility: With seamless integration into the Microsoft ecosystem, Nerdio products provide flexible, multi-tenant or hybrid-cloud environments, and can be deployed in a fraction of the time it takes with Citrix or Horizon.

How many desktops are currently running your product(s)?

Over three million Azure Virtual Desktops are under management between Nerdio Manager for Enterprise and Nerdio Manager for MSP across a wide range of industries globally. Nerdio continues to grow rapidly, with significant adoption among organizations looking to simplify their Azure Virtual Desktop (AVD) management.

Do you have particular vertical markets or use cases that are most appropriate for your product(s)?

Healthcare, Financial Services, Government, Education, and Professional Services have seen significant benefits from Nerdio’s products. Remote work enablement, hybrid cloud infrastructure, compliance-heavy environments, and secure virtual desktop solutions for regulated industries are ideal use cases. Additionally, companies undergoing digital transformation and migrating from on-premise infrastructure find Nerdio particularly suitable.

Are there any infrastructure limitations or specifics that new customers should be aware of to run your product(s)?

Nerdio requires a Microsoft Azure infrastructure as it leverages native Azure services. While the product is optimized for Azure, customers should have sufficient cloud infrastructure in place to support virtual desktop deployment. New customers should be prepared for integrating their existing identity management (like Entra ID), security policies, and networking into Azure to fully leverage Nerdio’s capabilities.

Are you offering any programs or incentives for channel partners that migrate their customers from Citrix or Omnissa to your product(s)?

Yes, Nerdio offers incentive programs for channel partners, including special pricing, marketing support, and training to assist with customer migrations from Citrix or Omnissa solutions. These programs aim to empower partners with the tools needed for seamless migrations and successful onboarding of their customers.

Are there programs or incentives for end customers switching from Citrix or Omnissa to your product(s)?

Nerdio provides migration assistance programs and discounted pricing for end customers switching from Citrix or Omnissa. Additionally, customers may benefit from free migration tools and onboarding support to ensure a smooth transition from legacy systems.

What is your licensing structure?

Nerdio offers a per-user or per-customer/tenant licensing structure, depending on the product (NME or NMM). This licensing model is designed to be flexible, allowing customers to scale based on their actual usage and needs. Subscription-based pricing ensures that customers can optimize their cloud spend as they grow.

Is there any additional information that customers considering their virtual desktop or DaaS options should know about your product(s)?

Nerdio stands out due to its deep integration with Microsoft Azure, enabling native Azure Virtual Desktop management, robust automation features, and extensive cost optimization tools. Customers transitioning to Nerdio benefit from:

Fast deployment: 75% faster setup time than traditional solutions.
Comprehensive support: Dedicated customer success teams and technical experts ensure seamless implementation and scaling.
Innovation: Continuous product improvements, including new features around Microsoft Modern Work, ensure that customers are always operating on the latest technology.

3. Anunta

anuntatech.com

What product/s do you offer that would be alternatives to Citrix and Omnissa solutions including Citrix Virtual Apps and Desktops or Omnissa Horizon 8?

Anunta works with the client to assess their business and tech infrastructure needs and recommend solutions that integrate seamlessly with products from our OEM partners. Our approach provides robust virtual desktop and application delivery services, serving as an effective alternative to popular virtual apps and desktops.

What advantages do your products offer compared to these Citrix and Omnissa products?

Anunta’s approach delivers business value via customized deployments, enhanced performance, and scalability. As platform agnostic, we offer flexibility and optimization based on specific business needs, ensuring a tailored experience that meets various operational requirements for our clients.

How many desktops are currently running your product/s?

At Anunta, we offer solutions across the Digital Workspace to positively impact the Digital Employee Experience (DEX). We specialize in supporting desktop infrastructure across on-prem and cloud (virtual, private, and public) environments. We offer solutions through our partnerships with leading OEMs. While our expertise is in new installations and migrations from one technology to another, several partners have recognized us for our support and maintenance (Day2) offerings.

Do you have particular vertical markets or use cases that are most appropriate for your product/s?

We cater to various industries, including BFSI, Healthcare, Manufacturing, Airline, Retail, and Education. Our solutions are particularly effective for organizations requiring secure, scalable, and efficient remote access for their teams.

Are there any infrastructure limitations or specifics that new customers should be aware of to run your product/s?

Customers should know that infrastructure requirements can vary based on the chosen OEM technology. We provide a thorough health assessment of the existing environment to ensure optimal performance.

Are you offering any programs or incentives for channel partners that migrate their customers from Citrix or Omnissa to your product/s?

We work with our OEM partners to design incentive programs to ease the decision-making process for clients to migrate from Citrix or Omnissa to other technologies.

Are there programs or incentives for end customers switching from Citrix or Omnissa to your product?

End customers migrating from Citrix or Omnissa can benefit from our tailored transition programs, which may include promotional pricing, deployment support, and dedicated consultation to ensure a seamless switch

What is your licensing structure?

Our licensing model is flexible and designed to meet diverse customer needs. Based on the selected OEM solutions and the customer’s usage requirements, specific details can be discussed.

Is there any additional information that customers considering their virtual desktop or DaaS options should know about your product/s?

We recommend that customers consider the importance of end user experience and support in their virtual desktop journey. Our team is dedicated to providing comprehensive support and guidance throughout the implementation process.

4. Cybele Software

cybelesoft.com

What product/s do you offer that would be alternatives to Citrix and Omnissa solutions including Citrix Virtual Apps and Desktops or Omnissa Horizon 8?

Cybele Software offers Thinfinity Workspace as a robust alternative to Citrix and Omnissa Horizon 8. Thinfinity Workspace provides solutions for application virtualization, virtual desktop infrastructure (VDI), and Zero Trust Network Access (ZTNA), making it a comprehensive alternative to Citrix Virtual Apps and Desktops and Omnissa Horizon. Additionally, Thinfinity Cloud Manager enables seamless management of virtual desktops and applications across multiple cloud platforms (Azure, AWS, GCP, IONOS) and hypervisors (VMware, Hyper-V, Proxmox).

What advantages do your products offer compared to these Citrix and Omnissa products? Thinfinity Workspace provides several key advantages:

Simplified Deployment: Thinfinity offers cloud-native and multi-cloud deployment, without the complex infrastructure required by Citrix and Omnissa.
Cost-Effective: Thinfinity’s lightweight infrastructure reduces costs compared to Citrix and Omnissa, which often require substantial hardware investments and licensing fees.
Zero Trust Security: Thinfinity’s ZTNA model ensures secure access without the need for VPNs or inbound ports, streamlining security management compared to traditional solutions.
Cross-Platform Access: Thinfinity supports browser-based access across any device without the need for client installations, enhancing user experience and accessibility.
Automation and Scalability: Thinfinity Cloud Manager automates provisioning, scaling, and management of virtual desktops, offering improved flexibility and reduced operational overhead.

How many desktops are currently running your product/s?

Thinfinity solutions have been deployed in over 5000 organizations worldwide, supporting hundreds of thousands of virtual desktops across various industries. The platform continues to grow, scaling to meet the demands of enterprises, educational institutions, and government entities.

Do you have particular vertical markets or use cases that are most appropriate for your product/s?

Thinfinity Workspace is ideal for various industries, including:

Healthcare: Secure access to electronic health records and specialized applications.
Education: Virtual classrooms and remote access to campus resources for students and faculty.
Engineering and Design: GPU-accelerated software for CAD and graphic design.
Finance: Secure desktop access for financial applications with strict compliance needs.
Government and Legal: Secure application delivery and remote desktop access for confidential documentation.
Oil and Gas: Remote access to specialized simulation software, geospatial data, and compliance-focused applications for managing exploration and drilling operations. This often involves intensive graphics processing, secure data transfer, and access to OT (Operational Technology) networks for monitoring and controlling physical processes, like drilling equipment and pipelines.
OT Networks: Thinfinity’s solutions integrate with OT networks, providing secure remote access to critical industrial systems, ensuring compliance, performance, and security for sectors like manufacturing, utilities, and energy where remote monitoring and real-time control are paramount.
Independent Software Vendors (ISVs): ISVs can leverage Thinfinity to transform legacy Windows-based applications into modern, SaaS offerings without rewriting the software. By virtualizing and delivering these applications directly through the browser, ISVs can offer their clients cloud-based access, improving scalability, reducing deployment complexity, and modernizing their software delivery.

Are there any infrastructure limitations or specifics that new customers should be aware of to run your product/s?

Thinfinity is a cloud-agnostic solution, meaning it can be deployed across on-premises, hybrid, and cloud environments, including AWS, Azure, GCP, IONOS, and other major hypervisors like VMware, Hyper-V, and Proxmox. Thinfinity’s lightweight architecture is optimized for efficiency, typically requiring up to 50% less infrastructure than traditional solutions such as Horizon 8. This makes Thinfinity an attractive alternative, offering scalability with lower hardware demands, reducing operational costs, and simplifying deployment across diverse environments. With its flexible deployment options, Thinfinity can adapt to varying customer infrastructure needs, from small-scale operations to enterprise-level deployments.

Are you offering any programs or incentives for channel partners that migrate their customers from Citrix or Omnissa to your product/s?

Yes, we offer partner incentive programs that reward channel partners for migrating their clients from Citrix or Omnissa to Thinfinity solutions. These programs often include discounted licensing for the first year, training resources, and marketing support to ease the transition and accelerate adoption.

Are there programs or incentives for end customers switching from Citrix or Omnissa to your product?

Yes, for end customers, Thinfinity provides migration assistance, discounted licensing for, and free consulting services to ensure a smooth transition from Citrix or Omnissa platforms. Additionally, we offer a free trial to allow organizations to evaluate Thinfinity before making a final decision.

What is your licensing structure?

Thinfinity’s licensing structure is flexible, offering both subscription-based and perpetual licensing models depending on the organization’s needs. Licensing can be purchased per concurrent user, per named user, or based on usage, making it adaptable for businesses of all sizes. Pricing tiers are also available for cloud, hybrid, and on-premises deployments.

Is there any additional information that customers considering their virtual desktop or DaaS options should know about your product/s?

Thinfinity Workspace is designed to be future-proof and highly flexible, supporting deployment options on-premises, hybrid, or fully as-a-service. Built with a cloud-native architecture, it offers multi-cloud support and automation via Infrastructure as Code (IaC), enabling organizations to standardize VDI across cloud platforms and on-premises environments. Thinfinity helps businesses achieve cloud cost reduction and control through automation, optimizing resource usage and minimizing operational overhead.

One of its key advantages is avoiding vendor lock-in, allowing businesses the freedom to choose between cloud providers such as AWS, Azure, GCP, IONOS, or major hypervisors like VMware, Hyper-V, and Proxmox. Thinfinity’s Zero Trust Security framework ensures secure, reliable access, while its automation capabilities significantly reduce manual management, delivering a seamless experience for IT teams and end users alike. Whether organizations are transitioning to DaaS or need advanced application virtualization, Thinfinity provides a scalable, cost-effective solution that can adapt to any deployment model.

5. Workspot

https://www.workspot.com/

1. What product/s do you offer that would be alternatives to Citrix and Omnissa solutions including Citrix Virtual Apps and Desktops or Omnissa Horizon 8?

Workspot offers a unified digital workplace for the secure delivery of virtual apps, virtual desktops, and web apps from VMs located within on-premises data centers or any combination of the AWS, Azure, or Google clouds.

2. What advantages do your products offer compared to these Citrix and Omnissa products?

The Workspot unified digital workplace allows customers to deliver a secure browser, virtual apps and desktops from a unified cloud-native platform. The platform also provides IT unified observability to optimize user digital experience (DEX), lower cost, and increase security.

3. How many desktops are currently running your product/s?

As a private company, we do not disclose our user count.

4. Do you have particular vertical markets or use cases that are most appropriate for your product/s?

The use cases we see commonly include 3D CAD designers, software developers, contractors, call centers, and remote employees. Popular vertical markets include (but not limited to) financial services, healthcare, retail, manufacturing, higher education, and architecture, engineering, and construction (AEC) employ our solutions.

5. Are there any infrastructure limitations or specifics that new customers should be aware of to run your product/s?

Workspot enables the user to leverage an endpoint device of their choice, including Windows, Macs, iOS, Android, Linux and a web client.
Workspot also enables companies to deliver their virtual desktops and apps from their on-premises data center and/or any cloud, e.g., Azure, AWS or GCP.

6. Are you offering any programs or incentives for channel partners that migrate their customers from Citrix or Omnissa to your product/s?

Yes, Workspot has a program that enables a customer to take their first use case live in 45 days. If the customer migrates to the cloud, there are significant incentives from the IaaS provider.

7. Are there programs or incentives for end customers switching from Citrix or Omnissa to your product?

The biggest reason customers are looking to switch is due to the higher costs of both their server and desktop virtualization platforms. Workspot enables its customers to switch within their existing budget, and in many cases saves between 57%-65% in total cost of ownership.

8. Is there any additional information that customers considering their virtual desktop or DaaS options should know about your product/s?

Workspot’s platform was engineered for simplicity. Many customers are surprised at the speed at which they migrate onto a future-proof platform, and the ease of overall single-console management and operation thereafter.

Promotion Rebates for Partners Migrating Customers from Citrix to Parallels

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Action1 Patch Management Solution Available for macOS

Taylor Graham — Mon, 07 Oct 2024 14:00:40 +0000

Action1 has unveiled its newest product release, featuring enhancements to its platform. One notable addition is a new macOS agent, which allows organizations with varied IT infrastructures to achieve seamless, cross-platform patching automation and comprehensive software vulnerability management.

As the world’s #1 easiest-to-use patch management solution, according to G2, Action1 is committed to transforming and simplifying the patching routine for organizations of all sizes. Now becoming cross-platform, Action1 is revolutionizing macOS patching while consolidating multiple patch management approaches for different platforms.

The newly incorporated macOS support, including the latest macOS Sequoia, helps IT teams streamline vulnerability discovery, prioritization, and remediation for both operating systems and applications across the entire IT fleet. In addition, it offers extended endpoint management capabilities such as software deployment, scripting, and IT asset inventory for macOS devices. Action1 is available at no cost for the first 100 endpoints, without any functional limits for both macOS and Windows — and never expires.

According to the Action1 Software Vulnerability Ratings Report 2024, macOS experienced a 30% increase in exploited vulnerabilities in 2023, making it increasingly exposed to attacks targeting known vulnerabilities.

“With the growing complexity of IT ecosystems, it is a challenge for IT teams to unify vulnerability discovery and patching across all systems. Almost every Action1 customer has a mix of Windows and Mac endpoints. The new macOS support will help our customers protect all endpoints and eliminate security gaps that could expose them to cyber threats targeting vulnerabilities,” said Mike Walters, President and Co-founder of Action1.

In addition, Action1’s latest release includes multiple enhancements to boost the product’s functionality, security, and usability, including:

Addressing NVD Vulnerability Backlog. Action1 can now detect software vulnerabilities for applications listed in its Software Repository beyond the National Vulnerability Database (NVD) data, providing crucial visibility and automated remediation amid the NVD’s update delays.
Software Installation Customization. This enhancement allows customization of built-in and custom software packages without cloning, available for the entire enterprise, per organization, or per endpoint, to ensure continuous patch compliance while preserving future automatic updates.
Real-Time Endpoint Attribute Reporting. Action1’s reporting capabilities are now improved by adding endpoint attributes, including username, comment, OS types, IP address, and more, as selectable columns in custom reports.
Expanded API. Action1 implements new capabilities and integration options, with code samples, supporting advanced custom integrations to address complex, enterprise-level needs.
Multiple Usability Enhancements. The release introduces several UI improvements, including moving endpoints between groups, reworked endpoint organization controls, and many more – all designed to further simplify the already easiest-to-use patch management solution.

To learn more about Action1’s latest release, Action1 Platform now with MACOS Support, visit the website here.

Absolute Security Adds AI Threat Insights Module to its SSE

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‘DaaS Like a Pro’ Recognized ControlUp as the Most Used DEX Solution

Taylor Graham — Thu, 26 Sep 2024 16:01:28 +0000

ControlUp announced that the ‘DaaS Like a Pro’ research organization has named it the most widely used DEX solution in its 2024-2025 End User Computing State of the Union report.

The latest research from DaaS Like a Pro delivers valuable insights into the deployment and usage of DaaS solutions, revealing key trends in end-user computing (EUC) across both public cloud and on-premises environments. This annual report offers a comprehensive overview of the current state of the EUC industry, examining areas such as DaaS adoption, vendors, security, devices, operating systems, GPUs, and manageability. The findings shed light on the key challenges and initiatives that will define the DaaS landscape in 2024 and beyond.

“The DaaS Like a Pro team of experts continue to deliver a comprehensive analysis of the EUC ecosystem with practical guidance and analysis into all aspects of DaaS adoption,” said Simon Townsend, Field CTO, ControlUp. “It’s an honor to be recognized by this influential team as the leading DEX vendor with 24% of the report contributors using ControlUp solutions – double that of the No. 2 solution. This continues to showcase the real and tangible value customers receive from the ControlUp DEX platform with its ability to deliver true real-time visibility and automated remediation to improve DEX across any desktop, any application, anywhere.”

“A new approach is emerging for performance monitoring and analysis tools that goes beyond basic monitoring to encompass the broader Digital Employee Experience (DEX),” said the DaaS Like a Pro report authors. “This approach not only tracks performance but also examines user interactions, application usage, and overall satisfaction. This shift indicates that to truly optimize the digital experience, organizations need more comprehensive solutions that address the full spectrum of employee needs, beyond what traditional monitoring tools can offer.”

The research found that ControlUp is currently the leading DEX vendor with 14% of report contributors using ControlUp Real-Time DX and 10% using ControlUp Edge DX. Microsoft Intune / Endpoint Analytics follows with 12% usage and Citrix Analytics used by 10%.

The detailed report concludes that “the EUC and DaaS landscape is evolving rapidly, with public cloud migration, hybrid-cloud, security, platform transition, and DEX as key focus areas. By embracing innovation and maintaining cost efficiency, organizations can deliver secure, scalable, and efficient virtual desktop and application services, ensuring a competitive edge in the digital era.”

For additional insights from the DaaS Like a Pro research team access the full report here.

To get started with downloading a free trial of the ControlUp DEX Platform, please visit the website here.

82% of Enterprise Windows Endpoint Devices Are Not Running Windows 11 Per ControlUp Study

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ControlUp and Nerdio Partner to Accelerate Microsoft AVD Adoption

Taylor Graham — Wed, 25 Sep 2024 14:00:48 +0000

ControlUp and Nerdio announced an expanded go-to-market partnership at AVD Tech Fest in Amsterdam this week. The collaboration introduces a joint incentive for customers aiming to optimize, manage, and improve digital employee experiences within Microsoft Azure Virtual Desktop environments. This partnership provides integrated tools to boost performance, lower costs, and simplify Azure Virtual Desktop management, while promoting adoption through aligned sales and marketing efforts.

“Our partnership with Nerdio goes beyond technology integration—it’s about empowering organizations to fully adopt and optimize Azure Virtual Desktop through strategic go-to-market programs,” said Simon Townsend, Field CTO, ControlUp. “By combining ControlUp’s true real-time DEX monitoring with Nerdio’s powerful automation capabilities, we are making it easier for businesses to deploy, manage, and optimize their Microsoft DaaS environments. This collaboration ensures that organizations can maximize the value of their investments, enhance employee experiences, and drive greater ROI through streamlined operations and actionable insights. Additionally, our joint go-to-market efforts offer a host of benefits that accelerate adoption, providing a smoother, more cost-effective migration path for businesses transitioning to Azure Virtual Desktop.”

“The combination of Microsoft Azure Virtual Desktop, ControlUp Real-Time DX, and Nerdio Manager for Enterprise is the ideal solution for reducing the cost and complexity of DaaS,” said Joseph Landes, Chief Revenue Officer, Nerdio. “This partnership accelerates the value of Azure Virtual Desktop for IT teams, offering tools that simplify management and monitoring while improving the digital employee experience.”

Building on a technology partnership initially announced in 2023, ControlUp and Nerdio are now expanding their go-to-market strategy to accelerate the global adoption of their integrated solution for Azure Virtual Desktop environments. Sales and marketing enablement initiatives include:

Customer discount incentive – New joint Nerdio and ControlUp customers receive a 40% discount on each solution when purchased together.
Co-selling initiatives – Collaborative sales strategies where ControlUp and Nerdio field teams jointly pursue opportunities with enterprise customers.
Joint events, webinars and technical workshops – Joint participation in industry events, including AVD Tech Fest, and in-depth training sessions, including the ControlUp DEXe on the Road roadshow series where the companies deliver hands-on programs for end user computing best practices.
Partner enablement programs – Training sessions and certifications for joint channel partners and managed services providers to promote and support the combined solution.

Nerdio Manager for Enterprise adds value on top of Azure Virtual Desktop, Windows 365, and Microsoft Intune by delivering hundreds of features that simplify management, ensure efficient operations, and lower Azure compute and storage costs by up to 80%. ControlUp Real-Time DX collects real-time metrics to help IT teams identify, troubleshoot, and remediate problems before they negatively affect employees’ digital experience and productivity. The integration of the two solutions enables the automated deployment and configuration of ControlUp agents to Azure Virtual Desktop desktops directly from the Nerdio Manager for Enterprise console, providing customers with a simple, integrated solution for Azure Virtual Desktop management and monitoring.

For more information about ControlUp and Nerdio for Microsoft AVD or to download a free trial visit the website here. Plan to join ControlUp and Nerdio at ControlUp DEXe on the Road coming to a city near you?

Multi Entra ID Support Introduced by Nerdio for Complex IT Environments

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Bitdefender Introduces the Industry’s First GravityZone PHASR Technology

Taylor Graham — Tue, 24 Sep 2024 17:30:57 +0000

Bitdefender introduced Bitdefender GravityZone Proactive Hardening and Attack Surface Reduction (PHASR), a revolutionary technology that reshapes the implementation and management of defense-in-depth security for businesses. GravityZone PHASR evaluates user behavior, including application usage and resource privileges, grouping users with similar patterns. This method ensures that security policies and controls are accurately aligned with users’ intended privileges and behavior, adapting dynamically as the attack surface changes.

Security teams struggle to keep pace as attacks become more advanced and frequent. This challenge is amplified by current security models and industry focus that over rely on reactive detection and response and a ‘one-size-fits-all’ approach to expanding attack surfaces, exposure management, and endpoint security solutions.

According to Gartner, “by 2028, investments in proactive technologies that improve visibility and reduce exposure will grow twice as fast as investments in reactive technologies that detect and respond to incidents.”¹

GravityZone PHASR is a pioneering security technology integrated into Bitdefender GravityZone, the company’s flagship unified security and risk analytics platform. It is built on years of advanced machine learning (ML) models applied to individual users, groups, applications, and endpoints within Bitdefender GravityZone XDR. It applies proprietary AI algorithms to establish behavioral norms across groups addressing critical areas such as data access rights, application usage, and security permissions resulting in a comprehensive assessment of vulnerabilities and potential attack vectors impacting the business.

GravityZone PHASR enables security teams to anticipate and quickly mitigate emerging risks before they escalate and seamlessly adapts as threats and user roles evolve to ensure security measures always remain aligned with business objectives. For example, if a user’s responsibilities change or a new attack technique emerges, GravityZone PHASR automatically suggests policy adjustments to maintain protection. This proactive approach empowers organizations to dramatically reduce fluctuating attack surfaces.

Key Benefits of GravityZone PHASR include:

Dynamically adaptive security controls tailored for each business – GravityZone PHASR integrated with GravityZone endpoint security and risk analytics, correlates user behaviors with known threat exposures and attacks based on factors such as job type, industry, and geography. This determines the optimal attack surface configuration unique to each company minimizing risks without compromising operational efficiency.

Fundamental shift to proactive prevention and environment hardening – GravityZone PHASR identifies and closes security gaps before they can be exploited allowing businesses to shift from a traditional reactive detection approach to security to a leading-edge proactive prevention model. It delivers security hardening specific to user groups, endpoints, and any third party connected to the network recommending actions for security teams to take including blocking a suspicious user or application with single-click mitigation.

Optimize current security investments – GravityZone PHASR maximizes an organization’s existing security investments by identifying and implementing policy changes that have the greatest impact on reducing overall risk such as those associated with supply chain attacks, insider threats, mergers and acquisitions and more.

“The attack surface continues to expand making it extremely challenging for security teams to keep pace with fluctuating levels of risk in their organization stemming from employees, customers, third-party partners and various systems,” said Andrei Florescu, president and general manager at Bitdefender Business Solutions Group. “GravityZone PHASR is a true game changer and aligns with our broader vision of providing a holistic view of organizational risk in one unified platform. This approach provides businesses with enhanced security automation and real-time control over their risk posture, empowering them to strengthen defenses and stay ahead of evolving attacks.”

As we continue to enhance our security technologies to address the growing demand for proactive hardening and attack surface reduction, Bitdefender GravityZone PHASR will be available to a select group of customers as part of the GravityZone Early Access Program, with broader availability planned for 2025. For more information about Bitdefender GravityZone PHASR, visit the website here.

Advanced Mobile Threat Detection Unveiled by Bitdefender

¹Gartner, Innovation Insight: Attack Surface Management, Mitchell Schneider, Pete Shoard, John Watts, April 9, 2024

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ControlUp Named Leader in the 2024 Gartner Magic Quadrant for DEX Tools

Taylor Graham — Tue, 27 Aug 2024 17:30:28 +0000

ControlUp announced its recognition as a Leader in the inaugural Gartner® Magic Quadrant for Digital Employee Experience (DEX) Tools, highlighting its Completeness of Vision and Ability to Execute.

“Being named a Leader in the Gartner inaugural Magic Quadrant for DEX Tools, we believe, validates our belief that ControlUp is truly at the forefront of this market, delivering innovative solutions that not only meet but anticipate the evolving needs of our customers,” said Asaf Ganot, ControlUp Executive Chairman and Co-Founder. “This recognition, we believe, is a testament to our relentless commitment to innovation and to driving the DEX market forward. We are more energized than ever to continue advancing our vision—reimagining DEX with true real-time visibility, actionable AI-driven insights, and automated remediation, all with the goal of empowering IT teams and employees to achieve unbounded productivity—across any desktop, any application, anywhere.”

ControlUp believes this positioning reflects its commitment to and strength in improving the digital employee experiences across the endpoint landscape, from virtualized workspaces to physical endpoints, applications, unified communications, and endpoint security.

The ControlUp DEX platform equips IT teams with the tools to resolve issues quickly, proactively prevent tickets, and continuously deliver a superior digital experience to employees. ControlUp empowers IT teams with:

True real-time visibility to monitor their virtual environments and physical devices with a uniquely short data capture interval of three seconds.
Automated remediation with AI-powered insights that provide comprehensive monitoring capabilities across an organization for internal and remote employees, including automation, remediation, and proactive synthetic testing.
Any desktop, any application, anywhere access to help IT teams address digital workplace challenges, regardless of use cases or existing technologies.

According to a recent review on Gartner Peer Insights, a customer in the retail sector remarked, “The end-to-end visibility allows us to have better insight into desktops/applications and alerts us of issues so that we can be proactive with resolving issues instead of reactive which enables for a better user experience.”

Another customer in the IT Services sector shared, “ControlUp Edge DX enables organizations to better serve their most costly resource. Their people! 70%+ of an organization’s costs can come from labor, and ControlUp enables you to understand how you can make the experience and productivity of your people even better no matter what device or location they work from.”

To learn more about the ControlUp DEX tools, visit the website here.

ControlUp Announces New Distribution Agreement with Ingram Micro for DEX Solutions

Gartner definition of DEX tools:

Gartner defines DEX tools as those that “measure and continuously improve the performance of and employee sentiment toward company-provided technology. Near-real-time processing of aggregated data from endpoints, applications, employee sentiment and organizational context surfaces actionable insights and drives self-healing automations, optimized support and employee engagement. Insights and self-healing can enhance employee interactions with self-service portals and chatbots. They also help IT support, asset management, procurement and other teams whose work depends on reliable information”

Note: A complimentary copy of the 2024 Gartner Magic Quadrant for Digital Employee Experience (DEX) Tools will be available for download starting August 28, 2024, at the ControlUp website.

Gartner® Magic Quadrant for Digital Employee Experience (DEX) Tools, Dan Wilson, Stuart Downes, Tom Cipolla, Autumn Stanish, Lina Al Dana, August 2024.

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Malwarebytes Adds Support for ARM-Based Chips

Taylor Graham — Fri, 16 Aug 2024 18:00:52 +0000

Malwarebytes announced comprehensive support for ARM-based architecture across its ThreatDown endpoint security suite. Designed specifically for corporate use, ThreatDown solutions deliver powerful threat protection while equipping IT teams with user-friendly, effective tools. This update enhances security, performance, and efficiency for users on Windows ARM devices like Copilot+ PCs, including models such as the Microsoft Surface Pro, Lenovo Yoga Slim and ThinkPad, and Dell Inspiron, among others.

ARM-based PC shipments are forecasted to have 25% market share by 2027, yet not all software supports these cutting-edge devices. ThreatDown solutions will help organizations stay ahead of the threat landscape and offer protection for all ARM-powered devices.

“As ARM architecture continues to gain traction across a broad range of devices—from personal computers to cloud servers—ensuring robust security measures for these systems is crucial,” said Bob Shaker, VP Cybersecurity Product and Services, Malwarebytes. “While there may be no known exploits or zero-days against ARM architecture today, we’re ready for the threats that will come tomorrow. Our customers will have the peace of mind to secure their next generation of hardware from the ever-evolving threat landscape.”

“Artificial intelligence is the future, and that AI future will soon run not only in the cloud but also on endpoint devices,” said Frank Dickson, Group Vice President, Security & Trust, IDC. “AI processors will leverage both ARM and x86 instruction sets, and the resulting AI devices will require sophisticated protection regardless of the architecture.”

Growth Opportunity for the Channel

This support allows ThreatDown solution customers and partners to fully leverage the improved power and battery life of Windows ARM devices while maintaining robust cybersecurity defenses.

“As ARM-powered devices gain in popularity, the channel will be able to grow the account size of each of their customers to protect more devices with endpoint security meaning more revenue, more profits, and more options for security support,” said Brian Thomas, SVP of Global Channels, Malwarebytes. “Support for ARM devices is a win for partners and a win for their customers.”

For additional information about ARM-based support, visit the website here.

Malwarebytes Enhances MSPs’ Endpoint Security with ConnectWise Integration

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IGEL DISRUPT Munich Agenda and Primary Sponsors Announced

Taylor Graham — Tue, 13 Aug 2024 14:00:58 +0000

IGEL has announced an exciting and informative new agenda, along with sponsors, for IGEL DISRUPT Munich, the industry’s largest end-user computing (EUC) event. Building on the success of IGEL DISRUPT 24 in Miami earlier this year, this dynamic event is returning to Europe and will be held on September 16 and 17 at the Infinity Hotel and Conference Centre in Munich. The event will feature fresh content that will engage attendees with thought leadership, technical bootcamps, and customer discussions on endpoint cybersecurity, while also offering insights on driving innovation in the evolving hybrid work environment, both now and in the future.

“IGEL continues to redefine the very essence of endpoint computing with our exclusive Preventative Security Model that shifts the focus from reacting to threats to preventing them,” said Klaus Oestermann, CEO, IGEL. “During IGEL DISRUPT Munich, we’ll dig deeper into the trends and best practices that will defend our endpoint environments while improving user experiences and reducing IT management time and total cost of ownership for endpoints by as much as 75%. It’s the EUC’s can’t miss event where visionaries, technologists and customers converge to explore how to secure endpoints, today and tomorrow.”

IGEL DISRUPT Munich attendees will benefit from a content-packed, single-stop event covering everything across the EUC ecosystem with executives from every major EUC vendor in one location – including Microsoft, HP, LG, Lenovo, Citrix, Omnissa and Island. In addition to major industry announcements and keynotes, the two-day event will include a CxO industry round table, technical Microsoft, Citrix and Omnissa bootcamps, informative content tracks and insights on the future of EUC.

DISRUPT Munich will also host the industry’s largest EUC technology expo. Featuring leading brands driving innovation in the new, hybrid working world, the expo will offer hands-on access to the latest products across the industry in a single show floor experience.

IGEL DISRUPT 24 Munich is sponsored by Microsoft, HP, LG Business Solutions, Lenovo, Citrix, Omnissa and Island as well as dozens of other EUC leaders. To view the full IGEL DISRUPT Munich 24 agenda and register now visit the website here.

IGEL Releases New IGEL OS Support for Windows-Powered Enterprises

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82% of Enterprise Windows Endpoint Devices Are Not Running Windows 11 Per ControlUp Study

Leigh Porter — Tue, 06 Aug 2024 16:53:54 +0000

ControlUp announced initial findings from its new ControlUp Study with the Edge DX Windows 11 readiness assessment tool. Across a sample set of over 750,000 enterprise Windows endpoint devices, the findings reveal that 82% have not yet migrated to Windows 11, while only 18% are running the new Microsoft operating system. Of the devices yet to migrate, 88% are ready for migration, 1% can be upgraded to meet the requirements prior to migration, and 11% need to be fully replaced.

Assessing endpoint devices before migrating to Windows 11 is a critical step before migrating to Windows 11, especially since most organizations need to complete this before Microsoft ends support for Windows 10 on October 14, 2025. Windows 11 requires specific device features and system requirements, including a 64-bit CPU, Secure Boot, and a TPM 2.0 chip, to ensure security and performance. Older devices lacking these features won’t support Windows 11, therefore, there is a need for early action. Delaying the transition can result in significant expenses and logistical challenges. Scrambling to upgrade in the eleventh hour could lead to increased costs and operational disruptions. Potential supply chain issues, like hardware shortages or shipping delays, could further complicate the transition as reported in the ControlUp study.

“The clock is ticking for enterprises to adopt the more secure and capable Windows 11, yet many organizations are stuck, unsure about their environment’s readiness,” said Simon Townsend, Field CTO, ControlUp. “But doing nothing is not an option. With more than four in five devices still needing to make the switch, now is the time to fully assess Windows 11 readiness to ensure a seamless transition with less downtime and disruption. ControlUp is simplifying this assessment with a new one-click widget that instantly identifies devices that are out of compliance with Windows 11 hardware requirements.”

“The last few years have forced organizations to continually re-evaluate their endpoints,” said Shannon Kalvar, IDC Research Director. “With the Windows 10 end-of-support date approaching, it’s imperative for organizations to plan their move into the next generation of operating systems and consider enabling AI on endpoints. Understanding an organization’s posture around this event, amidst the broader digital landscape changes, is critical to advancing their digital strategy.”

The new ControlUp Windows 11 readiness assessment tool is built into the company’s unified DEX solution for physical endpoints and apps. It delivers immediate assessment and insights into an organization’s Windows 11 readiness across an endpoint estate. The new tool is available for a limited-time free trial with a download of the ControlUp Edge DX 50-user VIP pack.

The ControlUp Windows 11 readiness data is compiled from a sample set of over 750,000 enterprise Windows devices managed by ControlUp as of early August 2024. More detailed data insights and trends, categorized by industry, company size, geographic location, and additional parameters, will be available soon. Learn more at https://www.controlup.com

ControlUp Edge DX Enhancements to Humanize DEX

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