Ruben's EUC Industry Bento Box - March 2024

Industry News & Insights

1. VMware End-User Computing acquired by KKR - Stormy weather, perfect storm, or clear skies?

   

   The sale of VMware's End-User Computing (EUC) business from Broadcom to KKR, a private equity firm, has been finalized. This is great news for our friends working at VMware EUC, as well as for partners and customers, we're no longer in “Limbo Land.” Unfortunately, several questions remain unanswered. For instance, whether Horizon will be supported on a non-VMware platform is still up in the air. If I were responsible for a product like this, ensuring support for platforms like Nutanix AHV or Microsoft Hyper-V would be a priority, as it makes sense from a competitive and customer demand standpoint. At the end of the day, time will tell. Additionally, I anticipate the team will secure a deal with VMware, ensuring Broadcom continues to make VMware vSphere Desktop Edition available for existing and new Horizon customers at a significantly discounted price.

   On the other hand, VMware by Broadcom and VMware EUC continue to navigate stormy waters. On a weekly basis, we hear feedback from customers and partners about mitigating risks, exploring alternatives, or implementing alternative Desktop as a Service (DaaS) and Virtual Desktop Infrastructure solutions. The significant increase in costs, shifting focus, and concerns about trust are driving many customers and partners to seek alternative solutions.

   It's always essential to stay ahead of the curve regarding risk management. Gartner's recent analysis of VMware's EUC division divestiture emphasizes the need for a multiyear End User Computing strategy that considers potential impacts on product strategy. To effectively mitigate risk, it's important to consider dependencies, costs, and possible VDI and DaaS alternatives like Dizzion, as well as the timeline required to migrate from current products.

   According to Gartner, core VMware Horizon EUC offerings like VMware Horizon and Workspace ONE are at the lowest risk of deprecation or retirement. At the same time, niche products like AppVolumes or Dynamic Environment Manager are at higher risk.

   For a comprehensive understanding, consider reading Gartner's "Prepare for the Divestiture of VMware's EUC Division" document by Stu Downes - Craig Fisler - Sunil Kumar and Tom Cipolla.

   Additionally, Gabe Knuth, Senior Analyst at TechTarget, shared his excellent analysis on the VMware sale to KKR -- a highly recommended read! Shankar Iyver, SVP and GM EUC division at Broadcom also published this blog post: "End-User Computing Division of Broadcom embraces its future as a standalone business".

   You can learn more about KKR by checking out their full portfolio which includes more than 200 invested companies such as QPark, Magic Leap, KnowBe4, Cloudera, Doordash, Epic Games, Exact Software, Alludo (Parallels is part of this company as well), BMC, Barracuda and many others.

2. The ROI in AI (and how to find it)

   The IT industry is increasingly exploring generative artificial intelligence (genAI), with investments projected to reach $42 billion annually by 2030. However, quantifying the return on investment (ROI) for genAI presents challenges. While direct financial gains can be elusive, the indirect benefits, such as enhancements in productivity and innovation, are significant. Gartner's Rita Sallam highlights the complexity of measuring ROI, pointing out that financial outcomes from genAI are often indirect and manifest over time. The potential of genAI to automate tasks and boost efficiency is clear, but the industry needs to refine its approach to evaluating ROI. A comprehensive assessment that considers both direct and indirect impacts is essential to fully grasp genAI's value. Additionally, Lucas Mearian, Senior Writer at Computerworld magazine, has written an insightful article on ROI in AI, detailing numerous data points for further understanding.

3. Scammers use deepfakes to steal $25.6 million from a multinational firm

   Do you recall some of the wild episodes from Netflix's "Black Mirror" series?

   This story could easily be one of them. In Hong Kong, scammers managed to steal $25.6 million from a multinational company by using deepfakes in a sophisticated fraud. They impersonated the company's UK-based CFO and other executives during a video call with a finance employee, convincing him to transfer the funds to local bank accounts. The deepfakes were likely created from publicly available videos of the actual individuals. Hong Kong police have arrested six people linked to similar scams, highlighting the growing threat of deepfake technology in criminal activities. Click the link above to read the full article on Engadget.

4. One month with Microsoft's AI vision of the future: Copilot Pro

   An example of Microsoft Copilot Pro in Excel - Credit @itsPaulAi

   Microsoft's Copilot Pro, available for a $20 monthly subscription, enhances Office apps with AI-driven features and provides priority access to the latest OpenAI models, along with advanced image generation capabilities. The review highlights the mixed effectiveness of these features, pointing out the impressive results of the improved Designer tool with detailed prompts, but also noting inconsistencies in AI-generated content. While some Copilot Pro functionalities prove indispensable, others require further refinement. The subscription extends AI capabilities across Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and Outlook, with varying degrees of utility and effectiveness, indicating potential areas of improvement and expansion in Microsoft's consumer AI offerings. Tom Warren, a senior editor at the Verge wrote the extensive article linked above and shared his observations of using co-pilot for a month.

5. WIRED Interview: Nvidia Hardware is Eating the World

   

   Jensen Huang, CEO of Nvidia, envisions a future where AI advancements, including self-driving cars and medical breakthroughs, play a dominant role. This vision is inspired by conversations and Nvidia's history of revolutionizing computing through GPUs. Huang has steered Nvidia beyond its origins in graphics cards for gaming and has positioned the company as a key player in the AI chip market, holding over 70% of sales. Despite a competitive landscape with tech giants and startups alike vying for a piece of the AI computing pie, Huang remains focused on innovation, such as the development of AI factories and exploring new computing paradigms beyond Moore's law. Challenges such as supply constraints and geopolitical tensions haven't deterred Huang's vision for Nvidia and the transformative potential of AI in industries and everyday life. Lauren Goode, a senior writer at WIRED covering the business of Big Tech and the industry's most interesting people, conducted a fabulous interview with Jensen Huang (linked above) that is definitely worth a read.

For the Geeks

1. Work From Home From Work - WFHFW, wait... what?!

   Explore the future of End-User Computing trends, including the concept of 'Work From Home From Work' (WFHFW), and how they might replace traditional 'Work From Home' setups. Please watch the video above for an intriguing and thought-provoking perspective. It's bound to make many people wonder and likely smile, giving you a great topic to discuss over lunch.

2. See world-first Apple Vision Pro with Desktop as a Service

   

   Thomas Poppelgaard showcases and discusses the user experience (UX) of Desktop as a Service (DaaS) with the brand-new Apple Vision Pro. He highlights its integration with technologies like Dizzion Frame, Microsoft Windows 365, Citrix, and Parallels. Released on February 2, 2024, Apple Vision Pro marks Apple's entry into spatial computing, seamlessly blending digital and physical spaces. Thomas has created an impressive video demonstrating the UX with various End-User Computing (EUC) technologies on Apple Vision Pro. The showcase environments in the United States and Europe that Thomas utilizes feature over 40 different applications including Autodesk Revit, AutoCAD, Inventor, Unreal Engine, and Enscape, all powered by powerful NVIDIA GPUs running in Azure, AWS, or GCP. The full blog post titled "End User Computing UX with Apple Vision Pro" provides detailed insights and is definitely worth a read!

3. Welcome to Team Remote Graphics Experts (RGE), "Where the Future of End-User Computing meets Reality"

   

   The content from our Team RGE 2024 Virtual Community Event, held on February 15th, 2024, is now available for download! This event showcased the latest advancements in End-User Computing, featuring insights into GPU technologies from industry leaders like Intel, AMD, and NVIDIA. It also highlighted developments in remoting protocols, as well as virtual desktop and application solutions from Amazon, Citrix, Dizzion, Microsoft, and VMware. Additionally, the event explored the realm of Workspace AI, among other topics. Access to content from over 10 sessions is now available without requiring registration.

4. Boosting Graphics with Frame: GPU Options, Tools and Best Practices

   

   GPUs are not just for gamers anymore. They're the secret sauce in high-performance computing, AI, and professional graphics. Whether editing videos, rendering 3D graphics, or running the latest applications, GPUs are your best friend.

   In the world of Desktop as a Service (DaaS), GPUs play a pivotal role in delivering a top-notch user experience. They support essential application APIs such as DirectX and OpenGL and alleviate the burden on your CPU, particularly in highly demanding use cases. This means smoother performance, higher frame rates, and happier users. Click the link above to read the full blog post.

   Looking for an even more in-depth review? Explore the complete GPU solution guide authored by yours truly!

5. Microsoft PC Manager: A Comprehensive Overview

   Microsoft PC Manager is a user-friendly "PowerTool” designed to boost PC performance, manage storage, control pop-ups, run health check-ups, and provides other various tools in its toolbox . Currently, the application is available in the Microsoft Store for download.

   John Savill examined this solution, which optimizes your Windows PC, and created an informative overview video:

   Bonus: Simple Ways to Create Engaging, Cinematic Presentations

   

   Garr Reynolds, renowned speaker and author of books such as "Presentation Zen" delves into the creative world of cinematic presentations using Keynote's Magic Move and Remove Background tools. While Keynote is used as the primary example, the ideas presented are applicable to PowerPoint and other solutions.

   In this tutorial, Garr will guide you through the process of using the Magic Move tool and creating a “Ken Burns effect” to add a touch of cinematic interest to your slides. This technique of dynamic zooming will transform static slides into engaging visuals. You'll also learn how to seamlessly integrate text behind elements, enhancing the visual storytelling of your presentations. Whether you're a student,teacher, business professional, or enthusiast, this tutorial provides practical insights to help you captivate your audience with dynamic, cinematic visuals.

Thanks for reading; if you have any questions, don't hesitate to get in touch with me!

Want to take Frame on a free 12-hour test drive? Click here! If you are active in the EUC community with e.g., Amazon, Citrix, Microsoft, Nutanix, or VMware, and you want to use Frame for 1 year for free. Just let me know so I can tell you more about the Frame Community Program.

Ruben Spruijt
Field CTO, Dizzion
ruben.spruijt@dizzion.com
@rspruijt