Whoever wrote this well-known song probably never realized how prophetic it would turn out to be. After all: do you still remember the first desktops that were so big you could hardly carry them all by yourself? And what about the first wireless phones which were nowhere near reaching the status of a handheld device? Now, only a few decades later, Microsoft introduces a fist-sized smartphone that can operate as if it were a PC! Sometimes time just cannot fly fast enough!
Will fixed workplaces soon become history?
With the Lumia 950 and Lumia 950 XL Microsoft quite literally lives up to its name. As both smartphones operate under Windows 10 Mobile, they immediately offer their users the look and feel of a real PC. Thanks to a polycarbonate casing they are also light as a feather. The real genius, however, is hidden in the Continuum feature of Windows 10 which allows for connecting a secondary full HD display, either wirelessly or through the Display Dock. While computing, all ‘normal’ functions of the phone remain fully operational. This innovation did not go unnoticed given the recent introduction of the Windows 10 Mobile powered HP Elite x3 phone with its Continuum targeted accessories. As a result, the traditional fixed workplace with ditto PC may be a step closer to its disappearance.
Virtual environment, real savings
Today, the ‘heavier’ applications required in a business environment will not actually run on the phone, but Continuum will let you use these applications in full screen through remote desktop or the browser. In the years to come however, employees and business relations will most likely be able to just plug in their own device any place and do their thing. The advantages in terms of flexibility and cost savings due to reduced investments in PCs and workstations are obvious. With only a smartphone to ‘pack’, combining business with pleasure during holidays becomes even more accessible than it already is.
‘Missing link’
The thing that would complete this experience is a high-end workspace management solution running on the back-end and offering a context-aware user experience, live profiles and universal access to IT resources, while leaving control of the virtual desktop environment firmly in the hands of the IT department. Now if only such a solution would be available…
Do you want to know more about our workspace management for VDI? Please contact Appixoft via our contact form or e-mail (info@appixoft.com).