Industry executives and experts share their predictions for 2019.  Read them in this 11th annual VMblog.com series exclusive.

Contributed by Henning Volkmer, President & CEO of ThinPrint Inc.

Three Reasons the Desktop will Reign in 2019

When it comes to the desktop, did you see the writing on the wall in 2018?  After many years of people looking to abandon the traditional desktop in favor of individual cloud applications, Microsoft has found a way to add value to the end user computing (EUC) space.

To highlight this added value, there are three recent developments that are sure to significantly influence how we look at the desktop in 2019, while providing a wide range of opportunities for system integrators and service providers. This is a chance for many organizations to re-think how they provide desktops.

1)     Microsoft 365

With the initial launch taking place a while ago, we're reaching the threshold to mainstream adoption of Microsoft's licensing model for the modern desktop. With Windows 10, Office and enterprise mobility options included, the company provides an all-inclusive package that lets organizations choose just how they want to work. Whether it be Desktop PC or Laptop with local Office installations, working on a mobile device with Office, managing mobile devices, or access to virtual resources, Microsoft is allowing a complete array of options to choose from.

This is a huge benefit for those looking to modernize the way they work, follow Microsoft's "Modern Desktop" concept and take advantage of being able to work from any device at any location on any task.

2)     Windows Virtual Desktops

The announcements Microsoft made at Microsoft Ignite were probably the clearest indicator of how serious it is about the desktop. For the first time, Microsoft will use its Azure cloud platform to offer a Windows 10-based virtual desktop, available only through Microsoft. Windows Virtual Desktops offer the same compatibility with applications as a standard Windows 10 desktop especially Office 365. This is a huge, exclusive differentiator from the Windows Server-based Remote Desktops, which on-premises installations or desktop-as-a-service provider favor. And, it is sure to add excitement to a marketplace that has long been dominated by just two of Microsoft's partners.

To bring additional value to the Windows Virtual Desktop offerings, Microsoft's launch partners include companies such as, ThinPrint, CloudJumper and Citrix. This is a clear indicator that Microsoft is going to look to its ecosystem to provide value add for specific applications, services or environments.

3)     Desktop-as-a-Service

As much as Windows Virtual Desktops will draw attention to Microsoft's own offerings, they will make a wider audience aware of the convenience and security that virtual desktop environments offer. Many of those organizations will probably decide they are not quite ready for a standardized cloud platform to provide their desktops. However, they will look for a local Desktop-as-a-Service (DaaS) specialist to build their environment on a mix of Windows Server-based remote desktops for employees with less demanding computing needs who can be satisfied with the most cost-efficient platform. On the other hand, employees with more demanding computing needs would receive Windows 10-based virtual desktops on more expensive hardware.

Many of the same partners who Microsoft tapped for their platform such as Citrix, VMware, ThinPrint, CloudJumper and a slew of industry specific offerings, would provide support for specific functions like printing, administration and management and large-scale implementation.

With all these options being offered and being constantly developed further, people are being presented with entirely new ways to work. As exciting as the new is and as much as we should take advantage of these options, it is important to not forget to evaluate where the new needs to be connected to the tried and true, like printing, so workflows will continue to work flawlessly.

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About the Author

Volkmer is the President and CEO of ThinPrint Inc., driving the execution of ThinPrint's strategy as the leading provider of endpoint print management software and services.