VDI Success Factor – Make the User Experience Better, Not the Same
Posted by Tom Rose on Tue, May 05, 2009 @ 03:03 PM
In his recent interview with Leostream CEO Eric Hanselman, Scott Lowe asked Eric to pick the top three challenges that must be addressed for VDI projects to succeed. Eric said you must first win over the end users by making the VDI experience as much like a traditional desktop as possible. He then proceeded to discuss the usual list of features the connection broker vendors are waging war over - user authentication process, screen layouts, display performance, etc.
I think Eric is right, the user experience is the biggest VDI challenge. But I also think the VDI vendors are neglecting the most important aspect of the user experience: personalization. IT tells us this is the biggest pushback they get when rolling out VDI pilots to end users. Here's how their conversation typically goes:
IT: We know you like your PC, but we're going to give you this new desktop that's almost as good. We'll be able to manage it a lot easier, and you'll be able to run the latest and greatest corporate apps sooner. The only real change is you'll have to be on-line to use it.
User: Hmm. My job requires me to be connected most of the time, but I do need to work off-line occasionally. Any other changes I'll notice?
IT: Well, you won't be able to install your own apps or plug-ins. It would cost us too much in data center storage.
User: Take a hike.
No surprise end user rejection is stalling VDI rollouts. Getting users to accept change is hard, even when they stand to benefit. When I worked for the leader in self-service password management, one of our biggest problems was convincing users to reset their own passwords instead of calling the help desk. It wasn't until we started collaborating with the IT Security, Desktop Ops, and Service Management teams to market the obvious benefits - no waiting on hold, no risk of sharing personal authentication info with an unknown call center rep, instant desktop access, faster return to productivity - that end users finally got on board.
Similarly, for VDI to succeed, the experience must be better than the traditional desktop. Imagine if IT's conversation with users went more like this:
IT: We know you like your PC, but we're going to make your desktop even better. We'll be able to manage it a lot easier, and you'll be able to run the latest and greatest corporate apps sooner.
User: Will I notice any changes?
IT: Yes. You'll be able to access your personal desktop from any thin terminal, notebook, or PC in any of our offices around the world, whether you're on-line or off-line. You'll still be able to install any apps or plug-ins you want, but now if you install one that breaks your desktop, we'll be able to fix the problem in minutes, without any data loss. And your data - even the stuff you store on your local C: drive - will be continuously protected.
User: Do I have to wait for production, or can I be in the first test group?
That's our goal here at Unidesk - make the VDI experience better than a traditional desktop so IT and end users becomes allies. Fully addressing the personalization issue is a major requirement in making this happen, and unlocking the full potential of VDI.
-Tom Rose
Unidesk Chief Marketing Officer