How to Meet EUC Challenges with End-to-End Modernization

Today's technology environment is highly varied, and this presents a wide range of challenges to IT managers. While traditional methods of delivering services - such as the client/server model - remain in widespread use, the emergence of new devices and delivery methods such as cloud computing mean companies must consider new approaches to ensure the experience for their users is both convenient and secure.

A successful end-user computing (EUC) strategy should therefore provide a productive digital workspace that offers flexibility for the individual and security for the enterprise. To achieve this, it's important to modernize your systems and ensure that endpoint devices such as desktops are no longer treated as an afterthought.

The EUC challenges facing enterprises in the new environment

A key question for businesses when addressing EUC issues is how to ensure they can cope with the agility today's employees and customers expect. Getting the user experience right must be a primary consideration, so the IT department will need to understand who its users are and how they’ll be interacting with the technology.

For instance, are they mobile? What applications do they use, and will these be suitable for virtual deployment? Do they have any specialized interface demands, such as touch screens or text-to-speech? These could all present unique issues that will have to be addressed during any modernization process.

At the same time, security will always be a central concern, especially as the number of threats continues to grow and the costs for failing in this regard increase exponentially. For instance, research by Trend Micro found that in 2020, almost a quarter of organizations around the world suffered seven or more cyber attacks, while 83% of firms expect that such attacks are 'somewhat' to 'very' likely to be successful in the coming 12 months.

What's more, IBM calculates that last year, the average cost of a data breach to a business was $3.86 million. Given so many IT professionals view successful cyber attacks as an inevitability, its therefore vital firms are doing all they can to protect their endpoints, and EUC devices must be at the forefront of these efforts.

The particular challenges facing high-risk industries

These risks are compounded for firms operating in especially sensitive or high-risk industries. In healthcare, for example, IBM noted the average cost of a security breach is more than twice as much as for other sectors, at $7.13 million. Yet many of these businesses will also have their own unique challenges and requirements when it comes to EUC solutions. Here are some examples:

Healthcare

Aside from the high cost of data breaches, Intel noted that in the healthcare sector, key challenges include the need for real-time, secure collaboration and a wide range of different demands depending on role, which may call for specialized devices. This will often need to be delivered using legacy networking and data center infrastructure, all against a backdrop of tight budget constraints.

Financial services

Meanwhile, financial services firms have their own unique set of challenges. While security concerns are again major considerations, EUC solutions also need to be agile enough to respond to a frequently-changing regulatory environment. Activities such as mergers and acquisitions are especially common in this sector, which means IT departments may often find themselves having to integrate disparate tech systems and manage multiple locations.

Public sector

For public sector organizations, issues often include complex procurement processes and a diverse range of user requirements. For certain sectors, such as education, there’ll also be the need to manage mobile services and locations where there are limited IT skills and support services available. When it comes to security, policies and requirements can differ significantly from region to region, which may require IT professionals to handle a complex set of requirements. Again, this must be done against the backdrop of strict budget limitations.

Developing a complete modernization strategy

In order to address these challenges, it's vital that EUC modernization processes bear in mind a few key principles. To begin with, IT teams should identify clear project objectives that can guide their decision-making throughout the process. These may often include some of the following:

• Improved operational efficiency
• Easier remote access
• Simpler application updates
• Improved desktop management
• Extending the lifecycle of existing endpoints

It also pays to separate your end-users into a few key groups based on their profiles and expected usage. This can then help you identify suitable tools and delivery models for each. The fewer profiles you have, the easier your task will be.

Intel suggests three basic user segments that can be used as a starting point:

• Task workers - These individuals will typically only use one or two virtualized applications and have simple connectivity needs. This may include data entry clerks, contact center workers and others with fairly repetitive jobs where performance and mobility needs are limited.
• Knowledge workers - These employees will be creating or consuming large amounts of content, so strong connectivity is a must. They'll need more video and mobile requirements than task workers and are likely to require multitasking and collaboration functionality. This can cover a wide range of job roles, from teachers and students to physicians or office workers handling multiple applications.
• Power users - The most demanding end-users, this category may include people dealing with large amounts of data, such as forecasters and other analysts, engineers and others who’ll need to visualize data. They’ll need more mobility, high performance for demanding applications and possibly even unique interface requirements, from touch screen inputs to multiple monitors.

Identifying these users ensures that you can deliver the most appropriate solutions to support their individual roles and aren’t spending resources unnecessarily for users who don't need more powerful capabilities.

3 principles to keep in mind during a modernization

Throughout any EUC modernization, it's vital you keep the user experience at the forefront. It's easy to think more about the technology itself without factoring in the impact it’ll have on day-to-day work of employees. Therefore, it helps to bear in mind these three principles to ensure the best chance of success.

Engagement

Today's users are more tech-savvy than ever and it's no longer enough to distribute new technology and expect users to adopt it without question. Therefore, it's important to ensure they have input throughout the process. If users can offer their opinion on what features and platforms will work best for them, they're likely to be happier and more willing to adopt new solutions.

Integration

EUC solutions can't be viewed in isolation, apart from other elements of a firm's IT network. Technology such as virtualization means every endpoint is now closely connected with the data center, so it's vital they’re able to cooperate smoothly with every other part of the business.

Simplicity

Finally, it's important to keep EUC as simple as possible. Not only will this help keep costs down, but it cuts deployment times, reduces the need for training and results in a more streamlined user experience.

Get these right and you can ensure that your EUC modernization projects meet with approval from end-users and put your business in the best possible position to cope with the security an agility challenges today's environment creates.