Immidio Flex+: User Environment Management that Fits

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1 Immidio Flex+: User Environment Management that Fits This whitepaper accompanies Immidio s move into the field of User Environment Management (UEM) following their introduction of Flex+. The move into UEM is a major milestone in Immidio s evolution from creators of a profile management product to providers of a full UEM solution. Immidio Flex+ is the successor of Flex Profiles and has been designed and developed in close collaboration with Immidio s rapidly growing customer base. Flex+ offers a mature UEM solution at a fraction of the cost of comparable products. Flex+ distinguishes itself from other UEM solutions in a simple way, by offering a solution that fits with: your existing Windows architecture: central or decentral physical and virtual desktops: fat or thin your existing Windows infrastructure: no dedicated (extra) servers required the products you already selected: embrace instead of replace your timeline: setup in days not weeks your available budget: offering the best possible TCO More importantly: Flex+ will fit your future, regardless of the choices you make about your Windows infrastructure later on. This whitepaper will explain the Immidio vision on UEM, the role of Flex+ in this vision, and the benefits that can be captured by deploying Flex+ within your current Windows infrastructure. If this whitepaper convinces you of the value that Flex+ holds for your company, then you ll find more information on how to get started with Flex+ today in the final paragraph of this document. A Changing Landscape for the Workplace Many papers have been written about the new world of work. At the same time, many organizations are struggling with the consequences of this emerging context, and have a hard time meeting the expectations of their workforce. Research by Gartner shows that attracting and retaining staff ranks as a top 10 priority for businesses in The relevant principal drivers for this new world and UEM are Workshifting and the Consumerization of information technology. Workshifting: Employees want, and expect, to be able to work any time and anywhere they choose. They are able to use different applications and devices to best match the context and location they work in. Consumerization: The average employee is increasingly techsavvy, and bringing private experience, solutions and devices into the workplace. This is happening either directly (e.g. by physically bringing in a private device) or indirectly by demanding the same capabilities from his work environment as he Immidio White paper 1

2 is privately accustomed to. The next generation workforce (Generation Y, the digital natives ) is very demanding in this context. Workshifting and Consumerization are driving changes in demand for workplaces in the corporate market, the most important are: The use of multiple devices, including bring your own device (BYOD). The ability to work in different locations, within or outside the corporate network and facilities. A consistent and personalized user experience across locations and devices. Dynamic configuration of the user experience: adopting the settings (including security) and experience relevant to the location the user is working in. The expectation that applications will just work and are always one click away to install and use. The products of the existing big Windows infrastructure vendors (e.g. Microsoft, Citrix, VMWare) do not deliver all the required capabilities to address these changing needs. As a consequence, many organizations address this by configuring, customizing and tweaking their existing infrastructure with scripts, group policies and whatever else is required to meet internal customer demand. The effective deployment of a UEM solution eliminates the need for these customizations thereby decreasing cost while increasing reliability and customer satisfaction. The CIO agenda: Eliminating Distortion The current economic climate presents CIOs with tough challenges. According to Gartner research IT organizations will have to deliver on multiple priorities without an increase in their IT budget. In order to achieve this, Gartner states that CIOs in many industries will focus exclusively on eliminating distortions in 2012 as they face severe economic, financial and other challenges. This is the year to emphasize eliminating distortion rather than reducing the cost of distortion. As explained above many organizations have introduced distortions when trying to close the gap between current workplace demands and the capabilities of their existing Windows infrastructure products. A good UEM solution can eliminate most of these. Correspondingly, in order to reduce and eliminate costs it is essential that the implementation of a UEM solution is timely and cost effective, and that the solution presents a low total cost of ownership (TCO). Immidio: Turning Workplaces into Flexplaces Immidio enables organizations to address the changing needs that result from consumerization and workshifting as outlined in this paper. Immidio s strategy has always been to build on the capabilities of the existing Windows infrastructure and offer an evolutionary path towards a better overall solution. This strategy effectively delivers a winwinwin situation. From a business perspective, existing investments are not lost but further leveraged with a small incremental investment that significantly raises the value of your current Windows infrastructure. From an IT perspective, existing architecture, technology and product choices can be sustained, while eliminating manual overhead (e.g. maintenance of group policies and scripts). As a consequence of this simplicity, there is a decreased number of helpdesk calls that are also simpler to resolve. From an end user perspective, satisfaction is significantly raised by offering a personalized experience with choice, consistency, and significantly improved performance. Introducing Flex+: UEM that Fits The Flex+ conceptual architecture offers a visualization of the powerful concepts behind Flex+. In this system the User Environment layer consists of the personal settings a user can apply for both the Windows environment and the Windows applications. The main purpose of the Personalization layer is to ensure that the user s personal settings for Windows and applications are properly delivered to the system he or she is using (be it a physical or a virtual system). The Dynamic Configuration layer adds an additional step in the delivery of the appropriate environment to a user. In this last step final adjustments are made to provide an Immidio White paper 2

3 environment that is relevant to the specific situation of the user, for example within or outside the corporate network. The next paragraphs will elaborate on the specifics of each layer. Figure 1: Immidio Flex+ Conceptual Architecture User Environment The User Environment comprises both the User Environment settings as well as the configuration settings of the Windows applications that are available to the user. User Environment settings Users will tweak the Microsoft Windows environment to their personal preference: the desktop image, specific desktop shortcuts, etc. In addition to these personal preferences, specific userrelated network resources can be made available by the IT department, for example network printers and drive mappings. Finally, for the applications the user is authorized to use, the application shortcuts and file type associations need to be created. All these User Environment related settings can be managed via the Flex+ management interface, and can then be delivered to the user via the Personalization layer, and tailored to their specific situation via the Dynamic Configuration layer. Application Configuration Management Flex+ Application Configuration Management allows the application configurations to be centrally managed. This means first that you are able to configure the initial settings of an application without having to rely on the defaults of the installed or virtual application. Secondly, it also offers the organization a way to enforce a specific application configuration. This can be relevant from either a compliance perspective, or be used to ensure that an application will always work at startup. The latter is relevant for applications that might not work correctly if the user incorrectly configures the application, which is a common problem for clientserver applications. Both user satisfaction and helpdesk load can benefit greatly by using Application Configuration Management appropriately. Besides the configuration settings for the application itself, Application Configuration Management can also be used to set the appropriate resources for the application, for instance automatically creating the drive mapping to the network drive that contains all photo materials when a user starts Photoshop. Immidio White paper 3

4 To enable business users to determine themselves which application configuration can be used for an application, Immidio has developed Application Profiler. The business user configures the application from within the application, and Application Profiler will save the settings in a configuration file that can be used with Flex+. Of course it is also possible to create multiple configuration files where the Personalization and Dynamic Configuration layers will determine which configuration file should be applied to a specific user in a specific context. Personalization The Personalization layer is where Immidio has its roots with Immidio FlexProfiles, the predecessor of the current Flex+ product. The Personalization Layer enhances the capabilities of Windows profiles in three steps: 1. Decouple The user profile is decoupled from the Windows profile. By doing this the profiles can be separately managed by Flex+. A related benefit is that there is no more strict relation between the Windows version and the Flex+ profile. This implies that in the event of an upgrade to a new Windows version (e.g. from Windows XP to Windows 7) all relevant profile settings can still be used. The value of this capability in enterprise Windows migration programs is tremendous. 2. Segment and Compress Traditional Windows profiles contain all Windows and application settings in one profile. This makes troubleshooting or resolution of issues difficult, as it is hard to isolate a single application or Windows setting. In case of unresolvable issues the usual response is to rollback to an older profile backup, which besides solving the issue at hand rollbacks all other settings to older versions as well. Whereas this might repair the profile, the negative consequence for the user experience is irreparable. Flex+ profiles are segmented to resolve these issues that arise from a monolithic profile. For each application the settings are kept in a separately managed segment folder or file. Flex+ also allows you to configure which Windows settings are segmented and managed separately. The availability of segmented settings increases transparency for problems and resource usage, and greatly improves the ability to effectively support users who face problems (without impacting other application or Windows settings). On top of that, Immidio offers functionality that allows users to selfservice their profilerelated problems. By using the Flex+ SelfSupport tool, users can reset or restore a specific application or Windows segment themselves, without impacting any of the other segments. Flex+ compresses all profile data. Compression leads to significant storage savings: reductions of 20% and higher are no exception. It is interesting to note that for some customers the lower storage cost due to compressed profiles was already delivering the required ROI. 3. Deliver on the Fly In an enterprise context, long waittimes are a common problem with Windows profiles. Immidio effectively eliminates these delays in two ways. First, Flex+ profile data is only delivered when it is really required ( on the fly ). This is made possible by the segmentation of profiles as explained in the previous paragraphs. The relevant profile segment is only delivered when an application is launched. This greatly reduces the wait at logon, as the amount of profile data delivered is minimized. Secondly, the compression of all profile data effectively reduces the amount of data that needs to be transported across the network. This might seem a marginal improvement compared with the first point but reductions of up to 20% are no exception and this has proved to be a significant improvement from users perspectives. Immidio White paper 4

5 All profile updates are handled in realtime, and do not require the user to logoff to update the profile data. This effectively drives a consistent user experience; the latest settings will always be available when a user (re)opens an application (even if this is a second session on another (virtual) machine). Application Migration Immidio Flex+ enables users personal application settings to roam from one operating system to another (e.g. from Windows XP to Windows 7), as long as the application is storing its configuration in the same location as the user profile (i.e. uses the same registry and AppData locations). In any application version upgrade, either as part of an operating system migration or as part of the application s lifecycle management, Flex+ Personalization manages the personal application settings. However, some of these upgraded applications might not store the personal application settings in the same location as the previous version, causing users to lose some of their settings. With Immidio Flex+ an XMLbased application migration mechanism is introduced, which can migrate personal application settings between application versions. An XML file for migrating Microsoft Office 2007 to 2010 is included in Flex+. Dynamic Configuration Tailoring the environment to a user s specific situation is the final step in delivering a relevant Windows desktop to them. Many organizations have implemented contextualization capabilities via complex customizations using organizational units, dispersed group policies and scripting. The Flex+ Dynamic Configuration layer effectively allows organizations to remove these hard to maintain customizations, which contributes directly to the CIO s goal of eliminating distortions. The Dynamic Configuration layer turns dispersed and scripted into centralized and nonscripted, greatly improving the maintainability of the relevant setup. The figure below illustrates how reusable Condition Sets, which check specific parameter values for user, device and location, can be defined. In the example below a Condition Set is created that validates whether a user is connected to the corporate network. A rule can then be defined that uses this Condition Set to make the environment relevant to the user s situation. In this example, a banking application is only available to users on the corporate network. Note that the Condition Sets can of course be reused against multiple rules, which greatly improves the maintainability of the setup. With Flex+ all Condition Sets are configured using a graphical userinterface, eliminating the need for programming skills, and any related programming defects created by complex distributed setups. The flexibility of the Dynamic Configuration layer is tremendous: the possibilities are limited only by your imagination Immidio White paper 5

6 Figure 2: Flex+ Dynamic Configuration The Added Value of Flex+ Immidio Flex+ is designed to leverage and optimize your existing investments. In short, it is a small addon to your existing infrastructure that has a big impact and advantages. This is what sets Immidio apart from the other UEM vendors: Flex+ will fit your current situation whether it is desktops, SBC or VDI. Affordable, Fast & Simple. No extra dedicated backend servers are required. Flex+ taps into your existing infrastructure, leveraging and extending the Windows capabilities that are already in place. The scalability is therefore only limited by the scalability of your current infrastructure, not by Flex+. Maintainability, supportability and performance are key value drivers. This paragraph will elaborate on the benefits of Flex+ from different perspectives: the business and users, the IT manager, the IT architect and finally the IT administrator. Key Benefits for Users and the Business The key business benefit that Flex+ brings is addressing the changing needs driven by Workshifting and Consumerization. With this, Flex+ directly contributes to the top business priority of attracting and retaining staff. Besides this, the increased user satisfaction will reduce frustration and improve productivity. The user gets an optimal user experience through: A personalized and relevant Windows desktop. Consistent behavior regardless of device, virtual or physical desktop and Windows version. Increased performance. Improved stability and support: no rollbacks of the complete profile to address a problem with one application. Selfservice: reset or rollback to previous settings for a specific application. A dynamic desktop that does not require logon/logoff for changes to take effect. Key Benefits for the IT Manager For many IT organizations the overall goal is to empower the business: supporting their growing needs while staying in full control. The key benefit of Flex+ is that it enables an IT organization to support these growing needs at marginal additional cost. Flex+ effectively increases the value of your existing Windows infrastructure, not just by adding capabilities but also by eliminating the customizationrelated distortions organizations have created in order to deliver dynamic desktops. Immidio White paper 6

7 In short, Flex+ has three key points of value for an IT manager: The lowest UEM license cost in the market, the ability to leverage existing skills and infrastructure without the need for new dedicated backend servers and an evolutionary transition into segmented profiles, result in the lowest cost to implement UEM in the market. Low TCO: improved manageability due to eliminated distortions, fewer helpdesk calls that are simpler to resolve, no need for dedicated backend servers. These in combination with the lowest UEM license cost in the market effectively deliver the lowest TCO for UEM in the market. High added value in enterprise migrations, both for application migrations and Windows migrations. Flex+ can provide an easy transition by moving the existing personal settings into the new environment. Key Benefits for the Architect Flex+ fits in with and strengthens the architectural choices already made, not just on an architectural level, but also for the products that have been selected within this architecture, be it SBC, VDI or desktops. For example, when used with VDI Flex+ allows nonpersistent VDI that is personalized, reducing storage costs and simplifying deployment. The inherent benefits of the Flex+ architecture are that it: Fits the current architecture and infrastructure. Fits the existing profile strategy. Extends the existing infrastructure without the need for additional servers scalability is determined by your standard architecture and infrastructure. Offers a structured approach to eliminate the distortions related to customization with organizational units, dispersed group policies and scripting. Minimizes the number of application packages (MSI installers or virtualized applications (e.g. AppV)), combining a single application package with multiple sets of configuration settings. Is very beneficial in migrations: both application and Windows migrations. Allows an evolutionary transition to segmented profiles, where the profile is incrementally cleaned in each step of the evolution. Offers improved user performance without the need to scale. Drives lower storage costs as a result of compression. Delivers dynamic desktops due to dynamic profile updates (no need to log on/off). Improves maintainability through reduction of complexity by using a centralized approach to all personalization and contextualization that taps into existing infrastructure. Key Benefits for the IT Administrator The benefits for the IT administrator are twofold. First, there is a reduction in the effort required to maintain and run operations. Second, the number of helpdesk calls and the time required to resolve them are minimized. As this paper has explained, the introduction of Flex+ allows an organization to eliminate the customizationrelated distortions that are created when providing personalization and contextualization for dynamic desktops. A short summary of the potentials here are: Improved maintainability by elimination of dispersed group policies, organizational units and scripting for personalization and contextualization. Minimization of the number of Windows packages through using Flex+ to inject configuration settings in a standard Windows package. Improved performance of your existing infrastructure by onthefly delivery of compressed profile information. Improved manageability of profiles: better overview and insight due to segmentation of profiles. In general, simpler infrastructure that is easier to manage and maintain will lead to fewer helpdesk calls and happier users. Besides fewer calls, the introduction of Flex+ shortens resolution times for the remaining helpdesk calls. This is due to the central management of all personalization and contextualization settings in a simple graphical user interface, and the increased transparency offered by segmented profiles into what is Immidio White paper 7

8 potentially causing problems. Another benefit of the segmented profiles is that problemsolving can also be limited to a specific application. This is in stark contrast of course with the common resolution of rolling back the entire profile, losing all the other settings in the process. On top of that, Flex+ provides the option of offering selfservice to selected users. Via this capability they can rollback a specific segment of their profile to a default, or a previous version of that segment. Get started with Flex+ today Convinced? Then you can get started with Flex+ today! Anyone with generic Windows infrastructure skills and experience can start without any additional training. A 30day free trial of the Flex+ software is available on the Immidio website. The free trial allows you to download the installation package to evaluate Flex+ without any technical limitations. As soon as you complete the download, you will receive your personal free trial license. Immidio Background Information Burgemeester Stramanweg AA Amsterdam The Netherlands T: +31(0) F: +31(0) E: info@immidio.com Founded in 2008 and based in Amsterdam, the Netherlands, Immidio develops products in close collaboration with its customers, affiliated virtualization experts, and the international virtualization community. Immidio solutions are exclusively delivered through the Immidio website, with an international network of technology peers and partners. Immidio: Products Immidio provides point solutions to help organizations solve virtualization technology challenges in Microsoft Windows environments. The benefits of using Immidio products include increased IT productivity and a significant reduction of costs. Immidio White paper 8