Posted on Fri, May 18, 2012 @ 01:18 PM
Last week, San Francisco was abuzz for Citrix Synergy 2012. The agenda was packed, as 6,500+ in attendance—including your MCPc team—were ready for the announcements, keynotes, breakout sessions, game-changers and more.
There were certainly more conference announcements than I could list within this blog post (my personal notes are more than 10 pages), but I’ll do my best to focus on the highlights and include links and resources to the details.
The Mobile Workforce & Cloud Services
From one product to an entire suite of innovative business technology, Citrix has grown its diverse portfolio aimed at two areas of focus:
“Citrix is one of the few independent software vendors that offers competitive products
in cloud computing, mobility, virtualization, networking and security, and social collaboration.”
- Gartner, from a Citrix presentation at Synergy
Trends highlighted by Al Monserrat, Citrix’s SVP of Sales and Services, as the driving force behind the company’s focus include:
- Consumerization, forcing more IT changes in the next 10 years than any other trend
- Workforce demand for BYOD
- Transition from the PC era to the cloud era
(Sorry about the quality -- this is from my iPhone. From Group VP and GM, Cloud Platforms Group at Citrix Systems, Sameer Dholakia's keynote. So what IS cloud? For us, of course, it's anyplace workspace.)
Achieving Mobile IT
There’s a “life splice” happening, and it’s the reinvention of work-life balance. We’ve seen it first-hand with MCPc customers, as the mobile workforce is the driving force behind our new anyplace workspace™ mentality.
Executives and employees continue to demand the ability to work from any place, on any device, with full access to needed data and applications—while IT managers require the management and control to facilitate a mobile workforce securely.
New Citrix technologies highlighted at the conference that make this possible include the following:
- GoToMeeting with HDFaces is now available as a free iPad application.
- GoToAssist is now free for iPad and Android for remote support and IT management.
- Podio acquisition—the workflow management system for collaboration, including tasks, discussions, activities, data, social, apps, and more.
- ShareFile StorageZones that allow executives to choose where data is store (in the cloud or on premise) for optimized performance and compliance.
Many more were introduced or mentioned at the show. What others are you looking forward to using, or have you tried and already have feedback? We’re interested to hear your thoughts in the comments below.
From the PC Era to the Cloud Era
Just as organizations and executives expect to connect wirelessly over any device, mobility also requires the cloud and virtualized IT infrastructure, processes and data. A few Citrix announcements on the cloud front include:
- Project Avalon connects XenApp and XenDesktop. Wired (@wired) reports that Project Avalon “enables enterprises to transform some of their most important workloads, Windows desktop and Windows applications, to run on cloud infrastructure.”
- CloudGateway 2—the updated version enables enterprise mobility with attention to application management.
- Citrix Cloud Platform—the first commercially supported cloud orchestration system based on Apache CloudStack.
For more on how your business can grow, innovate and improve with the cloud, check out Citrix’s 2012 Innovation Award Finalists (VIDEO). It includes the stories of three different organizations (insurance, technology and education) that have each changed their businesses with Citrix cloud services and technology.
Your Thoughts?
What are the highlights from Citrix Synergy that you found to be of most value, and how are these technologies delivering your anyplace workspace?
Please share your comments or any questions from the conference in the comments below.
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Jed Ayres, Senior Vice President, Partner Management & Marketing, is responsible for driving MCPc's relationships with industry partners as well as the overall go-to-market strategy of the organization. He has more than 17 years of IT industry experience. Connect with Jed on LinkedIn.
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Posted on Thu, Dec 01, 2011 @ 10:29 AM
Using my iPad as my only computing device for the past eight months has been possible thanks to security and access processes that MCPc has in place.
The following are considerations from Ira Grossman, vice president of personal systems at MCPc, to help set up your organization to enable iPad-only executives and employees. --Darin Haines, Group President, Advanced Technology Group
Set Up for Security
iPads and other mobile devices brought in to your workforce give employees ownership, familiarity and mobility—allowing work to become something you do, not somewhere you go. However, when a new device enters your environment, it can also pose potential threats to the environment’s security.
Having an airtight onboarding process for new and employee-owned mobile devices gives organizations control. Before allowing mobile devices to connect to any corporate systems, we recommend that employees understand and agree to mobile device management policies and practices.
Opting devices in to mobile device management software is another way to make sure that users are securely connecting to your networks. For example, AirWatch allows us to track where all corporate iPads are, access remote wipe functionality if needed, push down profiles, restrict applications and more. It’s a multi-faceted process that protects both the iPads or employee-owned devices, and our company’s infrastructure and intellectual property.
Manage the Personal & Professional Device
One of the reasons Darin—and employees like him—love the iPad is because it unites his personal and professional lives. He can use it to video conference with customers across the ocean, then turn around and use it to check in on what’s happening at home via FaceTime. It houses his personal and professional travel plans, checklists, documents, photos and more.
This brings us to an IT manager’s dilemma: employee-owned devices come with personal files and data.
To balance the different types of information on iPads and other devices, sandbox or segment user data into personal and professional accounts that live on the same device. For secure storage and access to professional documents, messages, and our internal CRM applications or systems, our employees use Citrix Receiver.
A key benefit of this approach is that when an employee leaves the company or when his or her device may be at risk, you can remotely wipe all business-related materials from his or her device without removing personal data. The mechanics of this functionality will vary based on platform used, but some are able to selectively wipe devices in a matter of seconds.
Related Resources
With more executives bringing their own devices to the workplace, mobile device management is a hot topic among our customers and readers. Following are a few additional resources you may find helpful when planning your organization’s mobile device management strategy:
Final Thoughts
Enabling your employees to use their own devices in the workplace—whether iPads, tablets or mobile phones—can help increase productivity and ultimately make work something you do, not a place you go.
Have processes in place so you can securely onboard, monitor, manage and remove necessary devices from your network, and make sure your organization has helpful applications that make being an iPad-only executive possible for your workforce.
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Ira Grossman, VP, Personal Systems Group, has more than 15 years of technology project management experience and is an expert in lifecycle management and mobile device management for the enterprise. Connect with Ira on LinkedIn.
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image credit: Robert S. Donovan
Posted on Tue, Nov 22, 2011 @ 09:20 AM
Editor’s Note: The iPad-Only Executive series deep-dives into the daily life of Darin Haines, group president of MCPc’s Advanced Technology Group. For about eight months, Darin has been using his iPad as his only computing device—for phone calls, video conferencing, content production, presentations and more.
In this series of three blog posts, we’ll go through a day in Darin’s life as the iPad-only executive, see the applications that make it all possible, and discuss the backend considerations in securely managing “renegades” like Darin.
A Day in the Life of the iPad-Only Executive
A lot of people ask me, “are you really an iPad-only executive?” It’s the truth. At the end of the day, my iPad is my only computing device. I started using it exclusively about eight months ago because I truly believe that work isn’t a place you go—it’s something you do. The iPad let’s me do work. I believe there's a convergence of market transitions that are significantly affecting where, when and how we work. Moreover, I see a rapidly evolving workspace that is more mobile, virtual, social and visual.
Think it’s not possible? In this post I’ll share with you a day in my business life using the iPad as my only computing device, as well as some of the applications that make it all possible.
Spend a Day with My iPad
Prepare for the day …
6:00 a.m.—Good morning! One of the first things I do is check my email on the iPad…while still in my pajamas!
6:15 a.m.—Open iCal to check what’s scheduled for the day…yes, still in my pajamas, but now with a hot cup of coffee in hand!
6:30 a.m.—Launch my NYTimes and WSJ apps to catch up on daily headlines and news for the morning.
6:45 a.m.—What should I wear today? There’s a GQ app for that.
Check-in to work …
8:00 a.m.—If I’m on the road, which is typically a couple of weeks a month, (likely booked through my United Air app), I’ll fire up our virtual private network (VPN) client to log into MCPc’s corporate network.
8:30 a.m.—Launch Cisco Mobile to catch up on voicemails and calls for the morning.
9:00-11:00 a.m.—Launch Citrix Receiver to see our CRM, run through opportunities in the pipeline, catch up on where we are from a work-order perspective, and access the Microsoft productivity suite of applications that I may need
Throughout the Business Day—OpenAir to file traveling expenses; Keynote to create or modify presentations for clients; Pages for proposals; Cisco WebEx conferences to communicate via video to our teams.
Take a personal break …
4:00 pm.—Check-in with Gracie, my 5-year-old daughter, via FaceTime to see how her day at school went.
Close shop …
4:30 p.m.—Check-in with LinkedIn, Facebook and more for social networking that happened throughout the day.
Post-Dinner—HBO Go to catch up on my favorite series and movies; FaceTime with Gracie again, likely read her a bedtime story.
Before Bed—Launch Nimsoft to see our entire corporate network and identify any issues about which I may need to alert the corporate team.
The iPad does a great job of bringing together my personal and work lives. Everything I need to make it through the day lives on, or can be accessed through this one device. The form factor of the iPad makes it simple and easy for me to communicate anytime from anywhere.
Your challenge: Can you go one full day using your iPad or tablet as your only computing device?
Check out some of the applications included in the timeline above to ease the transition, or look for my next blog post, Winning Applications for the iPad-Only Executive, for more details on how to use the right applications to make life as an iPad-only executive a reality.
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Darin Haines is Group President of MCPc's Advanced Technology Group, focusing on solution delivery, and has over 16 years of experience in leading the technology function in mid-sized and enterprise-level organizations. Connect with Darin on LinkedIn.
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Posted on Thu, Nov 03, 2011 @ 12:36 PM
Last week, Citrix announced its plan to acquire App-DNA, specifically touting the benefits of App-DNA’s AppTitude application management software as a complimentary tool for the Citrix Desktop Transformation Model and process. In short, by automating many of the manual tasks associated with application compatibility testing and migration, organizations can significantly expedite their paths toward virtualization.
How Might This Affect Your Virtualization Plans?
For companies that are already fully virtualized, there are no direct, immediate implications. However:
- If you’ve only virtualized a portion of your end users, Citrix/App-DNA may help you more swiftly get any remaining user segments on board.
- If your organization is planning an acquisition or merger, you may use the features offered by Citrix/App-DNA to more quickly analyze acquired user applications, and determine which can and cannot be virtualized.
For companies that have yet to adopt virtual desktop infrastructure (VDI), this is welcome news to help overcome a significant stumbling block on the path to adoption — application compatibility. Although App-DNA has been around for some time, its acquisition by a trusted name in virtualization provides legitimicy for its tools — and VDI in general — for use within enterprise organizations, where the functionality can really be a time- and money-saver.
Regardless of VDI experience to date, IT professionals need to know the implications of Citrix’s App-DNA acquisition to fully take advantage of the technology available, and make informed virtualization decisions moving forward.
Automated End-User Segmentation and Analysis
At MCPc, we’ve believed for years that end-user segmentation is a critical first step in both physical and virtual desktop deployments. Why? To determine which applications will or will not exist in your new environment, and how to deploy them, you need a clear understanding of your user population. Consider:
- What Applications are in use or planned for roll out
- How Applications are utilized across different departments or end-user groups
- How the Applications work and inter-operate with each other
- How all end users use the Applications to connect to their data sources
After understanding the user base and preferred applications, the next step for VDI deployments is application testing for compatibility, remediation needs, packaging or repackaging for virtual environment support, etc. App-DNA’s product line is primarily used to support these and related functions, and to help IT professionals more efficiently manage and migrate applications into a virtual environment.
In essence, information provided by App-DNA does much of the end-user segmentation and related analysis for you. It helps IT professionals easily understand which users and applications are good virtualization candidates, and which are not, quickening the pace toward virtualization.
Here’s an analogy: Say I have to make bread for 5,000 people. If I make it by hand, kneading the dough is going to take a long time, but it’s a critical step in the process. If I have a Hobart machine that will do the kneading for me, the job will be completed a lot faster, meaning the bread will be ready sooner. App-DNA is like the Hobart machine for virtualization projects — it kneads the dough for you.
The Power of Collective Knowledge
In addition, there’s an added benefit of the collective knowledge stored in App-DNA’s data bank. In a fully manual assessment, your team may come across an application that it’s not familiar with from a virtualization standpoint, for which it would have to run manual compatibility tests and determine the migration potential through trial and error.
When using App-DNA, however, it’s likely that one of the thousands of users before you had experience with that application. Thus, the software has stored data on whether it can be virtualized, and how to handle the migration.
Technical Training Needed to Leverage App-DNA
Before this new toolset can reach mass adoption and potential, Citrix engineers must become familiar with it. Though the majority of engineers I know have gone through the segmentation > compatibility testing > remediation > planning process, most have not had a convenient toolset to do it with.
I don’t know what Citrix’s long-term plans are for this acquisition, but its historical approach with smaller products and tactical solutions like App-DNA has been to integrate them into an existing product set, rather than creating a separate standalone product.
Therefore, I suspect that Citrix will likely include App-DNA in a set somewhere, either within XenApp or XenDesktop, and add App-DNA training to its existing Citrix course curriculum.
In the meantime, make sure that your IT staff understands App-DNA’s capabilities, and when it makes the most sense take advantage of the solution.
Your Thoughts?
What do you think about Citrix’s acquisition of App-DNA? Does it make your decision to virtualize easier, or help you convince an executive team that its time to make the move? Share your thoughts and questions in the comment section below.
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Andy Jones is Senior Vice President of Sales. He has more than 15 years of IT industry experience, and is an expert on cloud, virtualization and managed services solutions. Connect with Andy on LinkedIn.
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Image credit: photostock via FreeDigitalPhotos.net
Posted on Tue, Apr 26, 2011 @ 12:27 PM
An increasing number of companies are allowing employees to use personal devices in the workplace, a trend known as Bring Your Own Device (BYOD) — or Bring Your own Technology (BYOT), Bring Your Own PC (BYOPC) or Bring Your Own Computer (BYOC) — and named the biggest CIO challenge of 2010 by TechRepublic.
Several technology and cultural advancements have combined over the past 5-10 years to make BYOD a necessary reality. Key drivers include:
- The consumerization of IT and commoditizing of laptops, smartphones and tablets brings end users to demand the ability to use their own devices in the workplace.
- Expectations from millennials, or Generation Y, require organizations to meet the desires of their employees to work remotely and flexibly — anytime, and from anywhere.
- Virtualization and cloud computing enable organizations to provide secure and manageable data accessibility to the network from non-corporate devices.
As with any new technology, the implications of BYOD can be both positive and negative:
- Employees are empowered by using personal devices in the workplace, and it’s been shown to increase overall job satisfaction and productivity. BYOD can help attract and retain top performers that seek flexible work hours and mobility. IT benefits from a simplified technology infrastructure and reduction in end-user troubleshooting.
- On the flip side, BYOD brings concerns for data security and system compatibility to the forefront.
Who Can Use Personal Devices at Work? Almost Anyone.
BYOD spans multiple industries, often with unique uses and challenges.
In the medical industry for example, the first thing that may come to mind is data security, and HIPPA privacy laws. However, the Boston Medical Center is currently piloting BYOD among doctors who prefer the simplicity of the iPad for writing notes at patient bedsides.
Placing specific restrictions and stipulations on the use of outside devices is one way that IT supports and controls personal devices brought into the workplace. To help regulate the Boston Medical Center, mobile device fingerprinting allows IT to identify every device on its network and automate certificate installation, which guarantees that only authorized devices and users can access a network.
With access to critical data funneled through employee-owned devices, remote-access software that enables offsite support, management and virtualization — such as VMware View or Citrix Access Gateway, XenDesktop and/or XenApp — keeps corporations in control.
Whirlpool is another company on board with BYOD. Kevin Summers, the chief information officer at Whirlpool, said that eventually the appliance-maker expects 60 percent of work computing equipment to be employee-owned. Other companies embracing BYOD include Carfax Inc., Pharmaceutical Product Development Inc., USAA and more.
To Maintain Control, Take it Early.
Ensuring that your company is ready for its employees to bring a variety of personal devices to the workplace means having clear policies set in place. Be sure that your employees understand both the rules and consequences of your policies, and that the policies are enforced.
When outlining your company’s BYOD policy, some IT and C-suite considerations include:
- A model for BYOD — is it truly “bring your own” or will your company offer a stipend? In stipend models, it’s important to determine the amount the company will spend on the purchase of an employee’s device, and/or voice and data plans.
- Installment of company software on personal devices, such as client hypervisors and remote-access software in case of device loss or theft.
- Policies and contracts that clearly state who owns what data.
- Signed corporate policy agreements stating that if the personal device is lost, stolen or infected, the entire device will be cleared of all data — which may include personal images, documents, etc. — to avoid disclosures of confidential company information.
- Predetermined list of allowable devices and applications, which can significantly improve IT support and compatibility.
- Procedure for requesting new devices and applications, and for gaining approval on new technologies.
- Process and timeline for removing company access, data, and secure software from device when it will no longer be used for professional purposes.
- Support policies that outline when issues will be handled by IT, the end user or the device manufacturer.
- Additional considerations from Dan Woods of Forbes are also available.
BYOD also requires that IT will rely on virtualization technologies to securely and professionally manage business operations and devices.
Conclusion
By approaching BYOD with an open and aware policy, you prepare everyone – end users, IT and executives – for what is to come, and lay the foundation for a sound transition.
Other MCPc blog posts related to BYOD include:
Is your company integrating BYOD as a part of your organization’s IT and business strategy? What are you doing to get started, or what challenges have you overcome thus far?
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Andy Jones is Senior Vice President of Sales. He has more than 15 years of IT industry experience, and is an expert on cloud, virtualization and managed services solutions. Connect with Andy on LinkedIn.
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Image credit: nixxphotography / FreeDigitalPhotos.net
Posted on Tue, Oct 19, 2010 @ 01:33 PM
In MCPc’s small but mighty Marketing department, we spend a great deal of time planning, meeting, executing and following up on customer events. With such a diverse group of people with whom we want to reach and build relationships, I admit that it can be challenging to plan events that are both fun and informative. Everyone has busy schedules so we are always trying to think about what is worth your valuable time.
This past Friday’s event made me realize just how valuable such events can be; truly worth all of the hard work that goes into them.
Our Marketing Coordinators and masterminds behind the event, Lauren and Erin, met me out at Hill'n Dale Club in Medina, Ohio where we had about 30 customers and prospective clients in attendance. We all enjoyed chicken and ribs that fell of the bone, redskin potatoes, corn on the cob, a great salad (or should I say I had a little greens with my ladle of ranch dressing) and deliciously chewy sugar cookies and brownies.
Getting Down to Business
Steve Libby, our Citrix Field Sales Manager, was prepared with his IPad and presented a concise overview of the Citrix story. He shared with us that today almost any mobile device can be converted into a business tool, speaking a universal language that allows it to communicate with other devices and corporate networks. The Citrix solution is truly amazing technology that is changing the way we all do business.
All Work and No Play…
When Steve’s presentation was over, it was time to shoot.
As I was walking to the shooting area, all I could think of was Jeff Goldblum in the movie Independence Day as he was explaining how he’d give the mother ship a computer virus and mumbled “this will buy you some time to do your stuff, take them out.” I started to think, “Wow, my job is diverse.”
The atmosphere was relaxed. We were clothed in jeans, boots, and sweatshirts, I in my Akron Zips gear and my team in their Kent State Golden Flashes apparel. (What is a Golden Flash anyway?). The interaction was light and very enjoyable. Steve Libby and our sales team had the opportunity to discuss virtualization with our clients while cheering (or chuckling) as others attempted to shatter the clays into tiny pieces.
In marketing, we don’t often get the opportunity to meet and get to know our customers in person, so this was a true pleasure, particularly for Lauren and Erin.
As our turn approached, nerves in check, I stood back and watched as Erin and Lauren gave it their best “shots.” The results were not exactly what they had had hoped for as that 12-gauge shotgun was just a little too overpowering. I too only nicked one clay of my ten opportunities. Our turn was completed and the next round of true marksmen stepped forward.
A short time later, Charles, a very patient and kind customer, encouraged us to give it another “shot.” He took us under his wing, brought out the 20-gauge shotgun and gave us personal guidance on how to execute this skill properly: fingers lined up, focus on the right eye, butt of the gun up against your chin, tuck it into your shoulder and follow the clay as it moves across the landscape. And wouldn’t you know it: Erin hit two clays and I hit three in a row. Lauren nicked one but as our instructor said her form was excellent.
An Unexpected Lesson
You know what I never expected to get out of this event? I learned a lot about my team. I knew they would seamlessly execute this event. But what I found out is that they are true competitors. They want to excel in everything they do and they didn’t want to give up. They are passionate and give everything 110%. Herein lies the true value of the MCPc Marketing Department, and really everyone at MCPc: What we do, we do to the hilt and take complete ownership. It’s one of MCPc’s three main differentiators: our people, process and technology. The pride in our work is second to none. This event gave my team the opportunity to demonstrate these tremendous attributes even if I was the only one who noticed.
Even better, as we were leaving, Erin was pumped up and said, “ I feel so…so…liberated. I did it.” I was sincerely happy for her, and proud of her and Lauren — two awesome women with so much potential for their professional careers. I’m sure those of you in management positions know exactly what I’m talking about.
So, at the end of the day I realized that not only are these events an excellent way to get to know our customers better and a true catalyst for enhanced business relationships, they also offer opportunities for people to shine, grow and gain experiences that otherwise may never have occurred.
Have you had an experience in your career that surprised you with an unexpected lesson? Or if you attended on Friday, feel free to share what you enjoyed about this event. It was truly our pleasure.
A big thank you goes out to our sponsor Steve Libby with Citrix, and all of our customers who attended this event. We appreciate your partnership with MCPc, and look forward to more traditional and not-so-traditional business dealings in the future.
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Anne Browning is Marketing Manager for MCPc and is responsible for the development and execution of corporate marketing strategies that enable us to better communicate with, reach and serve IT professionals. Connect with Anne on LinkedIn.
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Pictures courtesy of Copyright © J.DELL Photography