Desktop Virtualization Meets Managed Services
I asked several managed service providers yesterday whether their customers were interested in Macs and Linux as secure, easy-to-manage alternatives to Windows PCs. The answer was a resounding “no.” Instead, the MSPs said, many of their customers are willing to virtualize their desktops, shifting most applications up to a server.
The discussion points, which surprised me a bit, occurred during the Ingram Micro Seismic partner conference in Chicago. Here are more details.
There are several approaches to desktop virtualization. One basic approach involves running desktop virtualization software (such as Parallels or VMware) to let users easily hop between desktop operating systems (Mac OS, Linux and Windows) and applications. Simple enough.
But the conversation in Chicago focused on a different approach. In a typical scenario, MSPs said, the user logs into any desktop (at work or from home) and “retrieves” their desktop settings and application images from a secure server. This approach is particularly popular in health care and legal verticals, where customers want their data centralized and secured.
On the one hand, the info above is pretty basic. But I’m intrigued that MSPs are having more success pushing virtualized desktop approaches rather than basic efforts like running Mac OS X or Linux.
One MSP noted that a Midwest solutions provider had tried to offer Linux servers and desktops as part of an overall HaaS (hardware as a service) strategy — but the effort failed miserably because small businesses are so Microsoft-centric in their thought process.
Still, I remain convinced that Linux and Mac OS X will gradually become more significant to managed service providers.
Joe:
I’m with you. I think most MSPs are dismissing OS X, in particular, without a complete analysis.
Dave
Dave: I think most MSPs serve up what they use on their own. And that means Windows. But I’ve got to tell readers: I’ve run Ubuntu Linux without a single crash for more than a year, and I exchange OpenOffice files with Microsoft Office users with zero problems.
I’m also on Mac OS X a good portion of my day. In fact, Macs are our business standard here at Nine Lives Media Inc., parent of MSPmentor.
All my patch management and security headaches are gone. I’m not saying that Ubuntu and Mac OS are truly more secure than Windows. I just think they’re targeted less frequently than Windows, and they’re also more stable than Windows.
Still, I realize MSP customers have specific Windows apps they want to use. And it may be a bit too early in many markets to tell SMBs why they should run Linux. But Mac OS X? It should be part of an MSP’s tool set.
You both raise valid points about the usefulness of OS X and Linux in SMBs and existing skill sets for both among MSPs. But it doesn’t really matter what an MSP’s skill set is if it doesn’t match what a customer wants. Virtualization is growing so fast among SMBs that the only direct technical competitor for VMware right now is Virtual Iron, which focuses almost exclusively on SMEs.
Done right, virtualization eliminates most of the headaches and a lot of the cost of running either specialized hardware or tons of individual servers. It gives even IT-skills-constrained SMBs the potential for the kind of automation and cost savings that used to be available only in data-center-scale IT operations.
I’ve been a major skeptic about desktop virtualization, but it makes a lot more sense (especially for a customer that’s looking into HaaS or more broad-spectrum MSP contracts in order to reduce its own IT skills requirement) to run virtual desktops than it does to introduce an additional operating system or two into an infrastructure that may already be more complex than they’d prefer.
Virtual desktops have the potential (unproven so far among SMBs at least) to give IT central control of all the computing resources and drastically reduce walking-around technical support and maintenance. Administering and fixing a user’s desktop from an admin console within IT is a lot easier than walking over to figure out what virus the’ve downloaded or what unauthorized apps are conflicting with their legitimate business applications.
Centralizing security and storage, reducing the number of vendors (both hardware and OS vendors) and one-PC-at-a-time patches and updates are just icing on that cake. Why add MORE OSes when you can let users keep what they’re used to and just reduce the cost of buying and managing it?
Kevin: I knew a Kevin Fogarty in a previous career stop. Do we know each other?
Also, you mention Virtual Iron. Can you please let us know if you have a specific relationship with that company? Are you a customer? Investor? Employee? I always encourage full disclosure so that readers have a better feel for the perspectives shared on this site.
And by the way, it’s fine if you have a relationship with Virtual Iron. Just seeking full disclosure.
Thanks for reading MSPmentor, and for the perspective on virtualization.
I think the reason why most SMBs stick with windows isn’t just the apps but its the MSPs not showing us SMB owners how files would be the same (or highly similar) to move back and forth from OpenOffice to MS Office. This is one of the most obvious cases where techie answers won’t cut it but good business sense explanations would allow for more seamless conversions in operating systems. I’d consider Linux if I was shown how I could work back and forth easily between the two. Just my $.02 as an SMB owner myself.
Stu
Hey, Joe, I am the guy you’re thinking about, but luckily most of the charges were dropped and the tests came back negative.
Re disclosure: I don’t have a finanical relationship with Virtual Iron or any other software company. I only report on them for other tech-news sites. As a result, they often don’t like me very much, however much the comment above sounded like an endorsement. I was talking more about the general benefit of virtualization vs support of multiple OSes than I was the advantage of one specific company over another. Sorry for the confusion.
Interesting viewpoint on OS X..I read the article as I was wrapping up a wireless problem with an iMac, about which I know just a little bit. I agree that most SMBs stick with what they know best, Windows (thankfully), and most MSPs do the same.
Re- virtualization – the enterprise is already seriously looking at Web 2.0 and SaaS…not the consumer, ad-driven apps, but at the larger players’ plans, such as MS Office, etc. I think it was Forrester who, back in April, forecast that by 2010, 4.5 BILLION would be invested in cloud computing, primarily business apps, by enterprise organizations.
I’m sure that as MSPs, we’ll see similar growth in the SMB market, particularly as SMB favourites like Microsoft move further into the SaaS model.
Jim Van
http://www.logiomm-inc.com
Kevin: Thanks for reconnecting and clarifying your pts. on Virtual Iron. Great to hear from you.
Jim: Sure, Microsoft is doing SaaS. But don’t underestimate Google Apps and ZoHo for SMB stuff. Hofstra University out on Long Island is standardizing on Google Apps in the cloud. And Zoho is working on some rather amazing cloud-based apps, including CRM and productivity apps.
We use Zoho here…both the CRM and HR apps are, indeed amazing and get even better…and I have no doubt that Google Apps will give MS a good run for their money. The enterprise folks will go with what they know best, including MS, Sun and the lot. But for SMBs, we’re seeing growing interest in Zoho and Google Apps.
It’ll be interesting to see where the market is in just a couple of years…. I still think the MS name is going to pull a lot of SMB’s into using their offerings until it becomes apparent that there are apps that are equally good or better in the cloud and start looking at them….
Jim: I hesitate to endorse specific applications since each user has a different set of needs. But I will say this: The media — myself included — has to push hard to make sure we cover non-MSFT and non-GOOG applications in the SaaS space. Zoho is onto something, and is an intriguing company for readers to watch.