Navigating the Next Wave of EUC and Virtualisation Innovation

Hi everyone, Craig Stones here. I’ve spent over 35 years in the IT industry, and if there’s one thing I’ve learned, it’s that change is the only constant. Right now, the End-User Computing (EUC) and virtualisation space is going through one of its most significant transformations in years. It’s a time of major shifts, new partnerships, and what some are calling a ‘hypervisor renaissance’.

For many organisations, this period is creating a lot of questions. But with uncertainty comes incredible opportunity. It’s forcing us all to re-evaluate long-held strategies and ask deeper questions about our IT infrastructure.

The Hypervisor Renaissance is Here

For years, the virtualisation landscape was relatively stable. Many of us built entire careers and infrastructures around a select few technologies. Now, with major industry shake-ups, the game has completely changed. We're seeing a surge in new partnerships, like the one between Omnissa and Nutanix, which is bringing fresh choices to the market.

This isn't just about replacing one piece of tech with another. It’s a fundamental rethinking of how we build and manage our environments. As Kevin Bacon from Nutanix pointed out during a recent panel, many customers are now re-evaluating decisions made years ago, questioning if those choices still make sense for their business today. The ideal hypervisor should be something you don’t even have to think about; it should just disappear into the infrastructure.

This shift is driving innovation at an incredible pace. Companies are being forced to adapt, offering more flexible and disaggregated solutions. We’re seeing hypervisors bundled with existing licences and the rise of compute-only offerings that integrate with existing storage investments. This gives us, as IT leaders and architects, more options than ever before.

On-Prem, Cloud, or Hybrid? The Eternal Question

The conversation has naturally extended to the cloud. Is it time to go all-in? The short answer is, it depends. As Ryan Costello from Google Cloud aptly put it, a spike in licensing costs doesn't automatically make your workload a perfect fit for the cloud. A simple "lift and shift" approach often leads to higher costs and management headaches.

Successful cloud adoption requires a change in operational thinking. It’s about embracing a cloud-native mindset, focusing on delivering value rather than just managing infrastructure. For many, a hybrid approach remains the most practical path forward, allowing organisations to strategically place workloads where they make the most sense, whether that’s on-prem for latency-sensitive applications or in the cloud for global scalability.

What’s clear is that the ultimate goal is a seamless, local-like experience for the end-user. Whether the desktop is virtual or running on local hardware, the user shouldn't be able to tell the difference. This is pushing providers to innovate on everything from protocols to hardware, delivering better experiences for virtual conferencing and security.

Why Community and Adaptability Matter More Than Ever

In a rapidly changing landscape, none of us can afford to stand still. This is where community becomes so vital. We need to learn from each other, share experiences, and stay curious. I’ve always encouraged people to attend sessions on products theyaren’tfamiliar with. The insights you gain from exploring new technologies can spark the ideas that will shape your organisation’s future.

The way we interact with technology is fundamentally changing. As Christopher Reed from Omnissa highlighted, AI is set to reshape everything. The interfaces of tomorrow might look nothing like the screens of today. Our ability to adapt and embrace these changes will determine our success.

We're not just choosing new platforms; we're designing the future of work. It’s a journey that requires openness, flexibility, and a commitment to continuous learning.

What are your thoughts on these industry shifts? How is your organisation navigating this new era of EUC and virtualisation? I’d love to hear your perspective in the comments below.

#ITStrategy #DigitalTransformation #CloudComputing #EUC #Virtualisation #ITManagement #TechInfrastructure #Citrix