https://www.channelfutures.com/wp-content/themes/channelfutures_child/assets/images/logo/footer-new-logo.png
  • Home
  • Technologies
    • Back
    • SDN/SD-WAN
    • Cloud
    • RMM/PSA
    • Security
    • Telephony/UC/Collaboration
    • Cable
    • Mobility & Wireless
    • Fiber/Ethernet
    • Data Centers
    • Backup & Disaster Recovery
    • IoT
    • Desktop
    • Artificial Intelligence
    • Analytics
  • Strategy
    • Back
    • Mergers and Acquisitions
    • Channel Research
    • Business Models
    • Distribution
    • Technology Solutions Brokerages
    • Sales & Marketing
    • Best Practices
    • Vertical Markets
    • Regulation & Compliance
    • Diversity, Equity & Inclusion
  • MSP 501
    • Back
    • 2022 MSP 501 Rankings
    • MSP 501 Information Center
  • Intelligence
    • Back
    • Galleries
    • Podcasts
    • From the Industry
    • Reports/Digital Issues
    • Webinars
    • White Papers
  • Channel Futures TV
  • EMEA
  • Channel Chatter
    • Back
    • People on the Move
    • New/Changing Channel Programs
    • New Products & Services
    • Industry Honors
  • Resources
    • Back
    • Advisory Boards
    • Industry Organizations
    • Our Sponsors
    • Advertise
    • 2022 Editorial Calendar
  • Awards
    • Back
    • 2022 MSP 501
    • Channel Influencers
    • Circle of Excellence
    • DE&I 101
    • Channel Partners 101 (CP 101)
  • Events
    • Back
    • CP Conference & Expo
    • MSP Summit
    • Channel Partners Europe
    • Channel Partners Event Coverage
    • Webinars
    • Industry Events
  • About Us
  • DE&I
Channel Futures
  • NEWSLETTER
  • Home
  • Technologies
    • Back
    • SDN/SD-WAN
    • Cloud
    • RMM/PSA
    • Security
    • Telephony/UC/Collaboration
    • Cable
    • Mobility & Wireless
    • Fiber/Ethernet
    • Data Centers
    • Backup & Disaster Recovery
    • IoT
    • Desktop
    • Artificial Intelligence
    • Analytics
  • Strategy
    • Back
    • Mergers and Acquisitions
    • Channel Research
    • Business Models
    • Distribution
    • Technology Solutions Brokerages
    • Sales & Marketing
    • Best Practices
    • Vertical Markets
    • Regulation & Compliance
    • Diversity, Equity & Inclusion
  • MSP 501
    • Back
    • 2022 MSP 501 Rankings
    • MSP 501 Information Center
  • Intelligence
    • Back
    • Galleries
    • Podcasts
    • From the Industry
    • Reports/Digital Issues
    • Webinars
    • White Papers
  • Channel Futures TV
  • EMEA
  • Channel Chatter
    • Back
    • People on the Move
    • New/Changing Channel Programs
    • New Products & Services
    • Industry Honors
  • Resources
    • Back
    • Advisory Boards
    • Industry Organizations
    • Our Sponsors
    • Advertise
    • 2022 Editorial Calendar
  • Awards
    • Back
    • 2022 MSP 501
    • Channel Influencers
    • Circle of Excellence
    • DE&I 101
    • Channel Partners 101 (CP 101)
  • Events
    • Back
    • CP Conference & Expo
    • MSP Summit
    • Channel Partners Europe
    • Channel Partners Event Coverage
    • Webinars
    • Industry Events
  • About Us
  • DE&I
    • Newsletter
  • REGISTER
  • MSPs
  • VARs / SIs
  • Agents
  • Cloud Service Providers
  • Channel Partners Events
 Channel Futures

Technologies


Shutterstock

Desktop computer

New Microsoft Managed Desktop Service Raises Implications for MSPs

  • Written by Jeffrey Schwartz
  • October 1, 2018
Microsoft’s new desktop as a service will include configuration, provisioning, security, management and tier-1 help desk support provided by the company’s technicians.

MSPs are grasping the implications of the new Microsoft Managed Desktop (MMD), its desktop as a service that includes a PC shipped to users with the customer’s system image and around-the-clock management, all bundled into a monthly subscription.

The new MMD service, announced just prior to last week’s Microsoft’s Ignite conference in Orlando, Florida, was quietly under development for 18 months by an organization led by general manager Bill Karagounis.

Initially, the service will combine Surface PC device as a service with select PCs provisioned, managed, patched and supported by Microsoft technicians. The devices will include Microsoft 365 Enterprise, the subscription-based bundles of Windows 10, Office 365 and Enterprise Security + Management (EMS) cloud service, rolled out a year ago. Over time, Dell and HP, which have their own new desktop as a service offerings, will offer MMD.

Microsoft is not the first managed desktop as a service. In August, VMware announced a Dell-managed service based on its Worskspace One managed desktop platform and HP extended its desktop-as-a-service offering. The companies haven’t yet said how they’ll reconcile these offerings with MMD.

The bundle of Microsoft 365 with the service will provide security updates, backup and many of the new features added to the bundle at last week’s Ignite conference. It will also use telemetry to provide AI and analytics, designed to improve the service’s capabilities over time.

“MMD relies on the power of Microsoft 365, running in a consistent, lightweight reference architecture that continues to evolve to allow our customers to take full advantage of our intelligent security capabilities to protect them from nascent threats,” Karagounis said in a post announcing MMD. “Importantly, MMD is built on modern devices that meet our specification and run-time quality bar.”

In a presentation to customers at Ignite, it was emphasized that the service is operated by Microsoft.

“We have Microsoft-staffed help-desk people that will be taking calls from customers to work through hardware and software issues and we are able to work backward through your help desk as well, and we can do that over the phone as well as via chat,” said Windows senior product marketing manager Nathan Mercer.

Depending how much traction MMD gains, the service raises questions for how it will impact MSPs and other solution providers that offer desktop-management services in the future.

“Anything that takes away from any potential business on my side, I’m never going to be too happy to hear about,” said Warren Tsang, a partner with LogicShark Consulting in New York. “Am I surprised to hear about it? No, because I think things are headed that way anyway.”

Indeed, many Microsoft partners, notably MSPs, are concerned what MMD will mean to their businesses, according to Larry Walsh, CEO and chief analyst at the 2112 Group.

“Managing endpoints, and particularly Windows PCs, is a core part of their offerings, Walsh noted in a blog. “The average partner earns as much as 50 percent of its revenue through services — both professional (provisioning and customization) and managed (remote monitoring and management). Microsoft offering a service that’s wedded directly to the underlying operating system is a threat to MSPs large and small.”

Patrick Moorhead, chief analyst and founder of Moor Insights and Technology, said he can see why some partners would be upset, but just like Office 365, they can still retain the interface between Microsoft and the customer, he said in an interview during Ignite.

“While the partners might not be doing all of the services, they can still make money and own the relationship,” Moorhead said. “Quite frankly, if the channel already has the business, their customers, presuming their satisfied, are probably not going to want to switch.”

Peter Fidler, president of New York-based WCA Technologies, agreed that there are striking similarities to the fears stoked when Microsoft launched Office 365.

“We embraced it as an opportunity that would help our clients to take their mission-critical email and put it in the cloud,” Fidler said. “We will also embrace this opportunity.  If you have a trusted-adviser relationship with the customer, then this is not a threat. This will have an impact on some of the managed-service tools we use to support our customers.”

Karagounis has indicated that the plan calls to enable partners to offer MMD.

“As we expand the offering, our partners will play a key role in helping us bring MMD to market and support customers in their transition to a modern desktop,” he noted.

Besides the two large OEMs, service providers Accenture – and its Avanade subsidiary – DXC, Computacenter and HCL, are the first partners that tapped to bring it into their own services. DXC will serve as a delivery partner for MMD as part of its own MyWorkStyle service, according to Ali Shadman, the system integrator’s CTO for digital transformation and workplace mobility.

“Microsoft Managed Desktop offers the complete vision for modern desktop delivered as a service,” he said.

Tags: Agents Cloud Service Providers MSPs VARs/SIs Analytics Desktop Security Strategy Technologies

Most Recent


  • Public Cloud
    IDC’s New Public Cloud Numbers: Microsoft Azure Edged Out AWS in 2021
    Long the leader, AWS appears to be losing ground to competitor Azure, at least per IDC.
  • cybersecurity
    Zscaler, Cisco, Symantec/Broadcom Lead Fast-Growing SSE Market
    SSE has a number of benefits over classic on-premises approaches.
  • Conversation Intelligence Improves Outcomes for Contact Centers, Observe.AI Research Shows
    However, two-thirds of contact centers still rely on manual processes for critical workflows like agent coaching and quality assurance.
  • Cloud data
    Commvault, Oracle Extend Partnership to Develop Metallic DMaaS on OCI
    Commvault’s Metallic Data Management as a Service is the first SaaS-based data protection offering available on Oracle Cloud.

Leave a comment Cancel reply

-or-

Log in with your Channel Futures account

Alternatively, post a comment by completing the form below:

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Related Content

  • Virtual Desktop
    6 Enhancements to Microsoft’s WVD, Plus a New Name: Azure Virtual Desktop
  • Cloud computing concept
    Cloud Computing Adoption Isn’t Slowing — Need to Convince Clients?
  • USB drive
    A Coup and a Theft: Why MSPs Can’t Let Clients Get Lax About USB Security
  • Welcome Mat
    Ex-Telarus Exec Scott Forbush Leaves Upstack for PPT Solutions After 5 Months

Upcoming Events

View all

MSP Summit

September 13, 2022 - September 16, 2022

Channel Partners Conference & Expo

May 1, 2023 - May 4, 2023

Galleries

View all

Conversation Intelligence Improves Outcomes for Contact Centers, Observe.AI Research Shows

June 29, 2022

Heads Up, Partners: Google Cloud, New Relic Make Big Moves

June 28, 2022

Google Cloud Sustainability Summit: New Programs, Tools for Partners

June 28, 2022

Industry Perspectives

View all

How to Differentiate to Leverage 5G’s Revenue Opportunity

June 28, 2022

Why MSPs are Attractive Cyberattack Targets

June 24, 2022

IT Partner Programs Must Evolve to Meet Market Demands

June 21, 2022

Webinars

View all

The Digital Worker: How to Empower Customers with a Flexible, Scalable VDI Solution to Enable Remote Work

June 30, 2022

VEP Platform for Delivery of uCPE, SD-WAN and SASE

June 29, 2022

Growing Partner Revenue and Customer Satisfaction with Power Management Services

June 23, 2022

White Papers

View all

Work Goes Remote – (and Other Top ITOps Trends)

May 25, 2022

The New Bottom Line: How MSPs Can Meet the Healthcare Crisis While Evolving Their Businesses

April 19, 2022

How to build a Security Operations Center (on a budget)

April 4, 2022

Channel Futures TV

View all

Vonage a ‘Single Communications Stack Provider’ for Partners, Customers

IBM, Partners and the $1 Trillion Hybrid Cloud Opportunity

June 26, 2022

Agents Share ‘Secrets,’ Industry Opportunity

May 11, 2022

AT&T, Microsoft, Cisco, ThreatLocker on Unlocking Partner Potential

May 6, 2022

Twitter

ChannelFutures

.@zscaler, @Cisco, @symantec lead fast-growing #SSE market. @DellOroGroup dlvr.it/ST4pTV https://t.co/5j8cgkKboV

June 29, 2022
ChannelFutures

#ContactCenters using conversation intelligence were 10 times more likely to feel very prepared for the future,… twitter.com/i/web/status/1…

June 29, 2022
ChannelFutures

.@Azure beat #AWS in 2021, per @IDC. #publiccloud dlvr.it/ST4RhJ https://t.co/MOuS1ORe46

June 29, 2022
ChannelFutures

.@Commvault and @Oracle partner to create @metallic_io data protection service @OracleCloud #dataprotection… twitter.com/i/web/status/1…

June 29, 2022
ChannelFutures

Companies included on the #MSP501 list represent innovative and influential market leaders providing managed servic… twitter.com/i/web/status/1…

June 29, 2022
ChannelFutures

Want to see the complete 2022 Channel Futures MSP 501 list all in one place? It’s now available for download.… twitter.com/i/web/status/1…

June 29, 2022
ChannelFutures

.@LogicallyMSP is acquiring Cornerstone IT for its cybersecurity and BDR capabilities. dlvr.it/ST3HLH https://t.co/RsUoNjRw1E

June 29, 2022
ChannelFutures

To build trust, #MSPs, vendors and #SMBs need to work together on #cybersecurity, says @barracuda.… twitter.com/i/web/status/1…

June 29, 2022

MSP 501

The industry's largest and most comprehensive partner awards program.

Newsletters and Updates

Sign up for The Channel Report, Channel Futures Update, MSP 501 Newsletter and more.

Live Channel Events

Get the latest information on the next industry-leading Channel Partners event.

Galleries

Educational slide shows and images from live events.

Media Kit And Advertising

Want to reach our audience? Access our media kit.

DISCOVER MORE FROM INFORMA TECH

  • Channel Partners Events
  • Telecoms.com
  • MSP 501
  • Black Hat
  • IoT World Today
  • Omdia

WORKING WITH US

  • Contact
  • About Us
  • Advertise
  • Newsletter

FOLLOW Channel Futures ON SOCIAL

  • Privacy
  • CCPA: “Do Not Sell My Data”
  • Cookie Policy
  • Terms
Copyright © 2022 Informa PLC. Informa PLC is registered in England and Wales with company number 8860726 whose registered and Head office is 5 Howick Place, London, SW1P 1WG.
This website uses cookies, including third party ones, to allow for analysis of how people use our website in order to improve your experience and our services. By continuing to use our website, you agree to the use of such cookies. Click here for more information on our Cookie Policy and Privacy Policy.
X