Client Virtualization Straw Poll
IT professionals have a lot on their plate, from managing hardware, software and network security to delivering an exceptional end-user experience and doing it all on a tight budget. Enter client virtualization as a way for IT to centrally manage end-user software applications, save precious IT dollars, provide better mobile computing opportunities and strengthen network security.
CDW's Client Virtualization Straw Poll surveyed 200 IT managers at medium and large businesses to understand how they plan to implement client virtualization and identify their roadblocks to success.
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To view an in-depth analysis of the Client Virtualization Straw Poll, download the full report.
- IT professionals recognize the benefit of client virtualization, including: reduced costs, easy software distribution, increased IT productivity and improved IT support
- Despite the benefits, 97 percent of respondents report experiencing challenges with deployment
- More than half of organizations – 59 percent – say client virtualization goals are as important as server virtualization goals, driving home the need for more up-front analysis, education, and testing to ensure a smooth implementation
Client Virtualization is Selective
Although 91 percent of those organizations considering or implementing client virtualization plan to implement within the next 12-24 months, just eight percent plan to virtualize all end-user applications.
Barriers Keep Businesses at Bay
Despite the benefits that client virtualization offers organizations – including return on investment and improved productivity – those who are not considering or implementing client virtualization report a number of concerns.
Recommendations
- Identify Goals: Establish measurable goals for implementation and secure management buy-in
- Do Your Research: Review technology options, solicit advice from successful implementations and conduct a frank assessment of your IT department's skills and knowledge
- Prep, Test & Prepare: Keep your end-user community aware of the changes and goals. Test each step. Manage user expectations and promote the end-user as well as organizational benefits
- Measure the Savings: Measure savings in terms of real business outcomes (e.g., power savings and reduced telephone support time); but keep in mind intangible savings (e.g., better management with a single image, faster system upgrades and more control over security). Promote your successes, converting each to hard dollar savings
CDW hired O'Keeffe & Company to survey IT professionals from medium and large businesses (with more than 100 employees) in September 2010. The total sample size equates to a margin of error of ± 6.9 percent at a 95 percent confidence level.
