With attention to devices and operating systems no longer crucial, IT organizations will finally be able to focus on the things that really matter in end-user computing (EUC): on making sure that applications work as needed, that corporate information is adequately secured and that users have what they need to maximize productivity.
The decisions that organizations need to make for EUC will once again seem straightforward. They will have escaped to the cloud and the journey, for now, will be complete.
Let’s finish this sequence of posts by summarizing how the EUC environment has changed for the better in the eyes of all parties involved.
For the business, EUC is no longer an impediment to change, growth and transformation. Mergers and acquisitions can be concluded more rapidly, offices can be opened (or closed) at much lower cost and return on investment measured directly. With the greater granularity of control afforded by the cloud services platform, there are also dramatic improvements in the secure-ability of EUC assets and the auditability of user transactions.
For users, there will be much more flexibility for them to work with the devices and (in some cases) the applications they prefer – although improved reporting and auditability may also expose them to more measurement of their relative productivity with their preferred alternatives. They will feel that they have more voice in decisions about the tools they use for work – that their contribution is more democratic.
IT organizations will have escaped from the vicious spiral that afflicts them today. Per user costs will be significantly lower and focus will have shifted from their cost to the business to the benefit they can bring to the business. Best of all, they can now (potentially) satisfy everyone – the complete opposite of the situation today.
Let’s conclude by considering the vision for end-user computing we propose.
“Computing” is now under the hood – focus has shifted to users, applications and data. Any application can be accessed, but control over entitlements is under tighter IT control than before. Any device can be used to access those applications, but how device capabilities can be used is also closely managed by centralized policies.
IT will have achieved greater control, by managing less and managing better. It will also have greatly simplified its processes of management and support, since these will be common across all applications and user devices.
This really will be better end-user computing.
