By Pam Takahama, Product Line Manager, VMware View – Federal Government
Last year the release of View 4.5 was immediately embraced by the federal market fueled by the introduction of CAC (Common Access Card) support and with FIPS 140-2 certification. Federal customers were already focused on using View to support use-cases such as training centers and emergency management teams but the updated release spurred interest for larger more mainstream federal office workers as well. The momentum continues today but federal agencies are facing new challenges with the federal budget crisis.
One wonders how far federal agencies will be required to go to close the gaps. I bring this up because someone recently asked me “how low would you go to save your Agency?” For example, would an Agency consider using a free email service like Yahoo? In our budget-challenged era, why should an agency pay for software that can be had for free? When times are tough, the tough get creative. It is very clear that we are all going to be asked to “do more with less”. The reality is that security and compliance measures, among other things, would prevent federal agencies from using Yahoo’s free email service. So how do government agencies continue to thrive amidst declining budgets and mandates; how will they manage “to do more with less?”
I recently met with a regional National Guard organization that is using View to support their on-demand workforce. Historically, there was a lengthy and costly procurement process that left them with surplus equipment once the work assignment was complete. The equipment sat on a shelf until the next time it was needed but the reality is it would likely be outdated given the evolution of software, and the dynamic requirements of that environment. With VMware View, this organization was able to design a highly available zero client based solution that can support a couple of people to a full blown staff in minutes. With the implementation of CAC and the removal of data from the end point devices to the datacenter, the View solution offers the assuredness of a highly secure environment. And the fact that it offers the same look and feel of a traditional desktop means they don’t have to train end users saving them thousands of dollars and precious man hours. This is just but one example of how Agencies are using View to drive greater efficiencies; see our latest press release for even more examples.
So the question should not be “how low would you go to save your agency” but rather “how high can you raise the efficiency-bar”? The VMware View momentum continues in the federal market…tough times or not.
