Over the past couple of weeks Dell and Micosoft executives have questioned the longevity of the tablet. Is this wishful thinking on behalf of two large IT organsations that have been obliterated by Apple’s tablet dominance or a valid point?
Such a question is a great spur for debate within an IT organization and has led me to think through how I would respond in the broadest possible sense. Should IT start to base their strategy and services on multiple devices which includes a tablet or concentrate on desktop/laptop alone?
In my view IT has to focus on a strategy that supports a dual operating system for Desktop and Mobile. With tablets able to fit into either category. I could envisage a need within a large enterprise for tablets with different operating systems.
If I’m in a large enterprise today I would base my dual operating strategy around a Windows provision for my information workers who are content creators and then an Apple based provision for my mobile workers and content consumers.
I would not restrict my business utilizing other operating systems such as Android, Phone 7, OSX. I would want my information worker applications to operate on these platforms. Users would be free to use but they would have to self support.
For standard information worker applications I’d plan around an evergreen Microsoft strategy of Exchange, Sharepoint, Lync and Office. I would have the necessary Microsoft infrastructure to support native external support without the need for middle ware such as Citrix.
Why so much Microsoft? Quite simply Microsoft has the most comprehensive offer for information workers with the most effective delivery mechanism via their cloud and on premise solution. When applications are reviewed separately Microsoft may not be market leading but as a complete whole that can be managed and utilsied by end users they are far ahead of the competition.
MS Licenses are expensive but this cost is off set by a reduced need for staff numbers required to manage a mixed estate. Their Office 365 offer continues to mature and I would review Office 365 as a delivery mechanism and use MS’s pricing as a benchmark for an internal on premise provision.
Given the simplified Microsoft estate I would review the number of technical staff required within internal IT. I would also review the existing contractual arrangements with system integrators. System integrators often have to manage complex estates and within a simplified Microsoft estate I’m not sure what value they can add to the IT provision.
Couple of comments on the above. I don’t mention the version numbers as I would institute a policy that would maintain the latest version of software. Secure-id would only be used for sensitive application data such as finance etc.
Applications should be built on industry standards of HTML however I recognize there will be industry specific applications. These should be placed within the remit of business IS rather than Infrastructure IS with the costs borne directly by the business. I would have concerns about building bespoke applications within Microsoft office applications. Such applications can prove beneficial however the support of the application would have to include the ability to upgrade as we move through the Microsoft 2-3 year upgrade cycle.
One open question is whether by default all my workers would automatically receive a desktop option with a mobile as a secondary option or would I allow my business to choose a mobile device as a primary device and a desktop device as an optional secondary.
Google OS will also be in the mix and is especially relevant for small to medium enterprise today but for large enterprise today I would move forward with a dual Windows/Apple strategy.
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