How can enterprises use EO.workspace to enable cost reduction strategies?
Cost reduction is one of the top reasons enterprises consider virtualization — and, when in operation, one of the top reasons they abandon it. Do virtual applications and desktops actually reduce costs? As a result of previous negative experiences with other solutions, this is a common question we receive from many businesses. To answer it, it’s necessary to understand the factors that enable businesses to save money when virtualizing applications and desktops.
Negative virtualization experiences are frequently the result of missteps in the sales process and project scope that misread the customer’s environment and needs. Implementation and adoption of incorrect strategies, as well as the existence of project-related issues, cause some businesses to discover, 2 to 3 years later, that the solution they had planned to reduce costs actually does the opposite. As a result, they decide to postpone or even cancel their virtualization efforts.
The harsh reality is that virtualization now accounts for almost 10% of IT software budgets (Statista) precisely because it has a track record of cost reduction. If a project is well scoped, well planned, and executed with the right technology, virtual applications and desktops can be a successful cost-reduction tool in three areas: hardware, support & helpdesk, and licensing.
Hardware
One of the most noticeable benefits of EO.workspace implementation is that enterprises can cut their hardware total cost of ownership (TCO) by more than half. Firstly, through the use of virtual applications and desktops, enterprises can reuse old hardware, extending the average PC life cycle of 3–5 years to more than 10 years.
One of our clients, with a call center operation, managed to reduce the time it took employees to start working from 4 minutes to less than 30 seconds, while keeping their 6-year-old computers. This was possible by reusing this hardware to provide access to the virtualized applications, extending the PC life cycle and boosting employee efficiency. With over a thousand employees, this customer was able to save not only a significant amount of money but also time.
Many of our clients use Chromebooks or even Raspberry Pi devices to access their applications and desktops via EO.workspace, without impacting user experience.
Secondly, since all applications run in a remote virtual environment, cheaper devices can provide, and most of the time enhance, access without losing quality or performance. The computing capacity of these devices is no longer critical because users are working in applications running on a remote virtual environment. Many of our clients use Chromebooks or even Raspberry Pi devices to access their applications and desktops via EO.workspace, without impacting user experience.
Support & Helpdesk
Not many companies realize that a virtual application and desktop solution has a significant impact on the workload of IT departments. Despite being perceived as a less important outcome, support and helpdesk teams report a 70% decrease in requests (such as printer setup, backups, antivirus, and Microsoft 365 version issues) after using application and desktop virtualization. This happens because it is easier to manage a single, well-defined, self-contained environment that every user accesses than a different device for every user.
Furthermore, data, settings, and applications are stored on EO.workspace servers (on premises, cloud, or hybrid: you choose), making it easier for IT departments to manage application access and permissions, which frees up IT staff time and allows them to focus on critical projects.
Licensing
Did you know that many enterprises don’t have control over licensing at every level and have no idea how much they are spending on it? We frequently discover an unnecessary waste of money in licenses that businesses pay due to a lack of visibility and application delivery flexibility.
In fact, 100% of organizations with 30,000 – 100,000 employees think that they are over-licensed and losing money with nearly 20% stating that they are ‘very over-licensed’ (Thompson). Licensing costs can be reduced by analyzing how and where the money is spent, identifying the applications users truly require, and managing licenses accordingly.
For example, EO.workspace delivers Windows and Linux applications to end users in the same integrated environment. This allows enterprises to better manage licensing and assign users the applications they need for each role, regardless of the operating system used.
One of our clients uses EO.workspace to leverage the best approach for this seamless Windows & Linux world: SAP users were divided into groups according to their use and needs, with some having access only to SAP GUI for Java on Linux, reserving SAP Windows Client for power users. The customer was able to decrease their licensing costs by more than half.
In Perspective
The graph below compares the total cost of ownership (TCO) of a traditional desktop, virtual applications and desktops, and an EO.workspace solution. When we consider hardware, support and helpdesk, and licensing (not including the licensing for the virtual application and desktop solution), we can see that virtual applications and desktops enable a 31% cost reduction in comparison to a traditional desktop, while EO.workspace’s enhanced cost reduction features enable an even greater 63% reduction.
Total Cost of Ownership
Hardware+Support+Licensing
Additionally, when considering virtualization platform licensing, infrastructure and management, the OpEx and CapEx of competitors such as Citrix or VMware Horizon have been shown to be twice the TCO of an equivalent EO.workspace architecture. Our solution will help your company cut current IT costs and position itself strategically for present and future growth.
Do virtual applications and desktops really reduce costs? The answer is YES!
Overall, virtual applications and desktops can help reduce costs significantly, especially when combined with the right solution and planning — and EO.workspace helps businesses achieve those savings.
Want a Demonstration?
Recommended For You
CIS Virtualizes Bank Branches
NOS Virtualizes Critical Applications
