Ruben's EUC Industry Bento Box - October 2024

This End User Computing (EUC) Bento Box is a monthly selection of relevant and exciting content. It is designed to be easily digestible and keep you up to date on the latest trends and developments in the EUC industry!

Inside the bento box, you will find various articles, blog posts, tools, white papers, videos, best practice guides, and more. Each entry includes a summary/description to help you maximize your learning with minimal reading! So, whether you're an EUC geek , a seasoned professional, or just starting in IT, we’re sure the Bento Box has something for everyone. Let's dive in!

Industry News & Insights

1. Gartner MQ for Desktop as a Service (DaaS)‍

The 2^nd Magic Quadrant (MQ) for Desktop as a Service has been published and it’s a must read for everyone interested in End User Computing and Digital Workspaces. Dizzion has been recognized as “Visionary” for its strong vision and execution capabilities, one of only two vendors out of a whopping 14 total! As digital workspace demands grow, Dizzion’s multicloud and hybrid DaaS solutions provide secure, scalable, and regulatory-compliant environments. With robust managed services, the company supports clients at every stage, enhancing business continuity, security, and operational efficiency. Dizzion’s innovative approach and customer-centric focus continue to drive the evolution of digital workspace

Gartner clients can access the research (G00802050) or you can download the Gartner MQ for DaaS that is available in the link above. Great teamwork, I love it when a plan comes together!

Bonus: Great video story by Jed Ayres CEO at ControlUP “If it was Easy …” The message applies to ControlUP as well as Dizzion. Thanks, Jed, for your great message!

2. AI Prompt Engineering - Unraveling the CO-STAR Framework:  A Guide to Structured Goal Setting with Real-World Examples

CO-STAR (Context, Situation, Task, Action, and Result) prompt engineering is a way to create clear instructions for AI systems:

• Context: Give background details.

• Situation: Describe what’s happening.

• Task: Explain what you need help with.

• Action: List steps to take.

• Result: Define what success looks like.

This method helps get precise, useful answers from AI by breaking requests into simple steps.

This article is a great read into CO-STAR Framework including real-world examples, I personally use it quite often in my daily activities powered by AI.

Talking about AI, the article ‘IBM will train you in AI fundamentals for free, and give you a skill credential - in 10 hours’  will help you understand AI fundamentals. If you're more of a podcast person, I highly recommend  ‘The AI Show’ by Paul Roetzer and Mike Kaput.
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3. We’ve been thinking about AI all wrong

Daniel Miessler's blog argues that our understanding of AI needs a shift: instead of seeing AI as just chatbots or image generators, he proposes thinking of it as an "Intelligence Pipeline" made up of tasks typically done by humans. This perspective helps you and me to clarify how AI can handle complex workflows efficiently and with accuracy, impacting various fields and potentially transforming economic productivity. For more insights, read the full article.
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4. Ferrari exec foils deepfake attempt by asking the scammer a question only CEO Benedetto Vigna could answer

If you thought Black Mirror was just fictional television, think again. AI-driven voice cloning attacks are becoming a real and growing risk for companies, with attackers impersonating executives over the phone to extract sensitive information. In a recent incident, a Ferrari executive suspected an impersonator posing as the CEO and confirmed their identity by asking a specific question about a recent conversation.  

Security experts recommend using multi-channel identity checks, call-backs to verified numbers, and shared passphrases to counter these sophisticated attacks. Staying informed about these tactics can help prevent falling victim to advanced AI-based scams.

Also, a man charged in AI-generated music fraud on Spotify and Apple music that allowed him to fraudulently obtain $10M in royalty payments. Read more here.

5. Remote Work Won’t Make You Happy, Here’s What Will

‍In a recent Forbes article, Tracy Brower suggests that while remote work has its benefits, it may not inherently improve happiness or job satisfaction. Instead, factors like meaningful work, positive relationships, and a sense of accomplishment are shown to be stronger factors contributing to well-being. The article highlights the importance of balance, autonomy, and supportive workplace culture as essential to fulfilling work experiences, regardless of where they are based. For more insights, you can read the full article here.

Bonus: A great motivational speech from Denzel Washington, "Fall Forward"

For the Geeks!

1. Application Life Cycle Management

Rob Beekmans from Omnissa recently published a blog article to the Community blog about Application Lifecycle Management (ALM). This article details how apps go from development to deployment while staying secure and efficient. It explains how tools like Omnissa's App Volumes can help IT teams manage app updates separately from the main system, simplifying processes and reducing costs. This approach keeps apps running smoothly and minimizes disruptions for users. Want to know more about AppVolumes within Dizzion Horizon and Frame? Feel free to reach out -- I’m happy to help 😊.

2. Unveiling the True Cost: Single-User Microsoft Azure Virtual Desktop vs. Windows 365

Azure Virtual Desktop (AVD) and Windows 365 are both virtual desktop solutions suited to different needs. AVD supports both multi-user and single-user desktops and can be cost-efficient but requires specialized expertise to manage. Windows 365, on the other hand, provides a simpler, personal desktop experience with predictable costs, making it an attractive option for small to mid-sized businesses. This GO-EUC research highlights the unique strengths of each solution, helping businesses determine the best fit for their desktop virtualization needs. Recruiting and keeping skilled IT professionals in both End User Computing and infrastructure is becoming increasingly challenging, especially with AVD. Shifting management of these roles to a Modern Management (Intune) team could simplify operations by allowing management of PCs and cloud PCs in one place, ultimately reducing costs and boosting efficiency. While some may resist moving away from AVD’s complexity, this streamlined approach aligns with a “less is more” mindset that promotes faster, more predictable operations – like with Dizzion Frame and beyond.

3. Meta Orion, True Augmented Reality Glasses

Meta has unveiled Orion, its first true augmented reality (AR) glasses, designed to seamlessly blend digital content with the physical world in a compact, wearable form. With advanced holographic displays and integrated AI, Orion enables immersive experiences like hands-free video calls, multitasking, and interactive visualizations. This prototype represents a major step in Meta’s journey toward consumer AR glasses, to push AR capabilities forward. Read more about Meta Orion’s launch and features by clicking the link above.

4. The Year of MSIX

Tim Mangan (one of the godfathers of App-V) has declared MSIX ready  to be the primary application packaging choice for Windows, dubbing 2024 as “The Year of MSIX.” Although MSIX initially faced some challenges, its compatibility has now reached 90% thanks to improvements in tools and features. MSIX offers enterprises a stable, secure application packaging solution with simplified management and improved compatibility, positioning it as an effective replacement for App-V as it nears end-of-life. Tim’s ongoing work has helped MSIX evolve to meet these enterprise needs confidently including his Report Cards on MSIX.

5. ControlUp Radio Episode 14 – Benny Tritsch

In Episode 14 of ControlUp Community Radio, host Douglas Brown interviews virtualization expert Benny Tritsch, who introduces his EUCScore methodology, a tool for benchmarking end-user computing (EUC) environments. Benny discusses how EUCScore supports the EUC community, shares insights on digital experience (DEX) metrics, and explores the future impact of AI and machine learning in EUC. He also offers a vision for EUC’s evolution over the next decade. If you want to see EUC score in action check this website, it is packed with awesome benchmarking results: https://ux.dizzion.com/

Bonus: The vSphere Experience in Las Vegas

Last week, I attended IBM TechXchange in Las Vegas, where Dizzion was a Premier sponsor, showcasing its DaaS on IBM Cloud VPC solution to 8x000 attendees. I also led a session on Private AI, with Frame, NVIDIA on IBM Cloud. On Thursday evening, I had the chance to experience the Sphere, a unique venue with 168,000 speakers and world largest LED screen both inside and out. Capturing its scale on camera was challenging, but I recorded a few clips to share the experience here and here and here.  Amazing!
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Thanks for reading; if you have any questions, don't hesitate to get in touch with me!  

Want to take Frame for a spin? Try Now for instant access to Frame! If you are active in the EUC community with e.g., Amazon, Citrix, Microsoft, Nutanix or Omnissa, and you want to use Frame for 1 year for free. Just let me know so I can tell you more about the Dizzion Frame Desktop as a Service Community Program.

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