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    VMware Previews Advances in Endpoint Management

    At the VMworld 2017 conference today, VMware previewed a Workspace ONE service due out late next year that extends the management services VMware makes available via its AirWatch to both desktops running Windows 10 and MacOS and Google Chromebooks running ChromeOS.

    Previously, VMware provided the ability to manage mobile devices running Apple iOS and Google Android. Sumit Dhawan, senior vice president and general manager for end-user computing at VMware, says VMware is committed to dissolving the silos that exist between different classes of endpoints to unify the management of those devices and the actual end-user experience via a Workspace ONE cloud service.

    “It’s now become a platform,” says Dhawan.

    As part of being a platform, VMware revealed that Workspace ONE will also include peer-to-peer (P2P) software distribution technology to install large applications to distributed PCs at scale. This capability eliminates the need for dedicated branch office servers.

    In addition, VMware unfurled VMware Workspace ONE Intelligence, an add-on service that leverages analytics and machine learning algorithms to provide insights and automate functions such as device security and provide unique digital workspaces or optimize performance. Workspace ONE will also provide the ability to enforce and manage security policies and data loss prevention (DLP) across devices and applications inside and out of the cloud.

    Earlier this week HP, Inc. also announced that it will be delivering a desktop-as-a-service offering built on top of Workspace ONE. In effect, IT organizations will have multiple paths to invoking Workspace ONE capabilities.

    For those organizations that prefer to manage apps and devices on their own, VMware will continue to offer its Horizon 7 on-premises and in the cloud. VMware this week pledged to integrate Horizon 7 with VMware Cloud Foundation and Dell EMC VDI Complete next year as well. VMware also previewed an integration between Horizon 7 and a VMware Just in Time Management Platform (JMP) that can be employed to automate the management of desktops via a single console.

    It may take a while for VMware to make all these new capabilities generally available. But regardless of the path chosen going forward, the days when IT organizations managed each individual desktop separately are clearly coming to an end.

    Mike Vizard
    Mike Vizard
    Michael Vizard is a seasoned IT journalist, with nearly 30 years of experience writing and editing about enterprise IT issues. He is a contributor to publications including Programmableweb, IT Business Edge, CIOinsight and UBM Tech. He formerly was editorial director for Ziff-Davis Enterprise, where he launched the company’s custom content division, and has also served as editor in chief for CRN and InfoWorld. He also has held editorial positions at PC Week, Computerworld and Digital Review.

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