End User Computing
What is End User Computing?
End User Computing (EUC) incorporates user access to enterprise applications and data anywhere, anytime, using one or more devices to access virtual desktop infrastructure (VDI) located either on-premises or in the cloud.
EUC moves away from individual points of delivery for desktop type, application, and database and merges them onto a single platform to improve efficiency.
EUC provides support for a broad range of client devices including traditional PC, tablet, smartphone, or a thin-client terminal.
A company can either provide its end-users with EUC devices or exercise a bring-your-own-device (BYOD) type of policy.
Whatever platform is used, it must be scalable, manageable, and innate, thereby reducing the expertise level an administrator would need.
Hyper-Converged Infrastructures (HCI) are the most commonly used platform.
An effective EUC strategy includes all the necessary tools a business requires to maintain continuity and facilitate growth.
Additionally, it should allow for access both on-site and remotely.
Why Use End User Computing?
There are many benefits to end user computing including cutting bottom-line costs, increased efficiency, and also provides the ability to offer enhanced flexibility for today’s hybrid workforce.
It also provides an added security benefit as any sensitive company or government regulated data does not reside on the end device but is housed on the application server itself.
There are 5 major reasons a company should utilize EUC within its company network.
- Mobility
- Operating System (OS) Migration
- Refresh Cost
- Endpoint Security
- Management Constraints
Mobility
As the need for hybrid work continues to increase, the ability to provide an adaptive work environment that supports end user mobility becomes paramount.
EUC meets that demand by allowing users BYOD functionality allowing them to work from a personal device or access a desktop through VDI from anywhere.
OS Migration
The OS migration requirement for corporate resources seems to be infinite and can provide a huge headache for an enterprise IT team.
Since the OS resides on the application server it effectively eliminates the need to push upgrades altogether. This is a powerful reason to adopt EUC.
Refresh Cost
Enterprises can save money by eliminating client software license upgrades; however, the major benefit is not having to ensure that the client hardware used for EUC access has the capabilities to execute the application code with the performance needed to keep users happy.
Using the VDI environment to relegate application code to the application services, licenses can be better controlled, and the execution environment is all in the data center.
Endpoint Security
Utilizing EUC to control the end-user environment allows the IT team to keep an updated OS with embedded security on the end-point device.
Now if control of the hardware is lost the data is not vulnerable. Additionally, a two-factor authentication policy can be implemented to further secure the endpoint.
Management Constraints
Before EUC, each new endpoint added to IT management headaches.
EUC provides the simplistic management approach of simply provisioning another virtual machine or VDI for a new user instead of having to image, protect and track another hardware asset.