Ruben's EUC Industry Bento Box - July 2024

The Trouble with VDI (Virtual Desktop Infrastructure)

Using on-premises VDI is like clinging to phone booths in a smartphone era—it's outdated and impractical. Scaling and maintaining on-premises VDI is tough, and decision makers often see it as boring, complex and obsolete solution. Tech teams struggle with limited investment, tech debt, knowledge and skill issues, stuck in maintenance mode without room for innovation.

To move forward, adopt a smarter approach to Virtual Desktops and applications with DaaS (Desktop as a Service) that emphasizes simplicity and flexibility. Instead, look for cloud solutions designed for simplicity and multi-cloud/hybrid capabilities.

The key is to embrace smart, simple DaaS solutions and leave the complexities of on-premises VDI behind. Harry Labana (SVP and GM at Proofpoint and well known in the End User Computing space) wrote an excellent article about the trouble with VDI and a clear solution direction with DaaS including Dizzion Frame. “Thankfully, the industry is innovating with simplicity and multi-cloud/hybrid solutions in mind. Innovators like Sonet.io, Workspot, Dizzion (Frame) offer multi-cloud and hybrid solutions engineered for simplicity” Read Harry's insightful blog by clicking the link above.

Nearly all AT&T cell customers' call and text records exposed in a massive breach.

The recent AT&T breach has underscored the ever-present vulnerabilities within our digital landscape, affecting both individual and organizational security. As leaders in your respective fields, understanding the ramifications of such incidents is crucial for fortifying your defenses.

In her insightful blog, Rachel Tobac delves into the specifics of the AT&T breach, its broader implications, and actionable steps to mitigate risks. This post is an essential read for CEOs and CIOs committed to safeguarding their enterprises against evolving cyber threats. Stay informed and proactive by exploring Tobac's expert analysis and recommendations.

Klaus Oestermann of IGEL: Five Things I Wish Someone Told Me Before I Became A CEO

Oestermann's reflections provide a wealth of practical advice and strategic insights, from navigating corporate challenges to adopting innovation and growth. His perspectives not only shed light on the difficulties of executive leadership but also inspire a forward-thinking approach to driving organizational success. Klaus is CEO of IGEL, an advisor and investor and was SVP and GP at Citrix his blog is a phenomenal read!

Firing employees for simulated keyboard activity highlights the dangers of perverse incentives

Recently, Wells Fargo made headlines for firing over a dozen employees accused of faking keyboard activity to seem productive. Bloomberg uncovered this through regulatory disclosures, though details remain sparse. Wells Fargo stated the employees were dismissed for "simulation of keyboard activity creating the impression of active work," emphasizing their commitment to high standards and ethical behavior, despite skepticism due to the company's scandalous past.

This incident raises important questions about employee compensation in the era of AI and automation: What are employees truly paid for, and how can these systems fail? Brian Madden wrote an insightful blog post that is worth reading.

The new VDI/DaaS persona, the GenAI developer

With the advent of local Generative AI and Small Language Models (SLMs) that run on personal devices, the options for local AI processing are rapidly expanding. Microsoft has introduced new Copilot+ machines featuring AI chips (NPUs) optimized for local AI workloads. Apple is also joining this trend with their AI initiative, "Apple Intelligence." These advancements over the past two years signal the beginning of a significant shift in the industry. New roles are emerging, such as GenAI developers, GenAI integration developers, and GenAI power users who leverage local AI. This evolution is creating a new user profile that integrates DaaS with advanced developer tools.

Marius Sandbu has written an excellent blog post discussing these developments, including hands-on experiences using Dizzion Frame Desktop as a Service with powerful NVIDIA GPUs to support this new End User Computing persona. You can read his full blog by clicking the link in the title above.

Speaking of AI, an interesting read is "Goldman Sachs says AI is too expensive and unreliable — firm asks if 'overhyped' AI processing will ever pay off massive investments." Additionally, check out "Reid Hoffman meets his AI twin." Fun fact: Have you seen Ruben's digital twin on YouTube already? For instance, check here and here.😊

Formula 1 cars, explained for rookies (with Max Verstappen)

If you're curious about Formula 1 racing, like I am, and want to learn more, check out the videolinked above. In this video, F1 driver Max Verstappen explains what makes these cars so special. You'll learn about their design, how they're built, and what makes them so fast. The video also takes you behind the scenes to see how a racing team operates and what it's like to drive an F1 car. It's a great way to understand the sport better, whether you're new to it or already a fan.

Tired of remembering passwords or worrying about hackers? You're not alone. Enter passkeys - a new, super easy way to keep your online accounts safe. In the video linked in the title, John Savill explains what passkeys are, why they're beneficial for both users and organizations, and how you can start using them today. Imagine never needing to remember a password again, using a unique key that only you have. By the end, you'll see why passkeys are the future of online security. Say goodbye to password stress and hello to a safer, simpler way to log in.

Widescreen Marvel: Las Vegas Sphere Showcases Spectacular Visuals

The Las Vegas Sphere is leveraging the power of 150 NVIDIA RTX A6000 GPUs to deliver an unmatched visual experience. Both NVIDIA and Tom's Hardware explore how these high-performance GPUs are transforming the Sphere into a technological marvel, featuring 1.2 million programmable LEDs, 16K resolution, and 16 times the pixel density of a 4K display. Central to this is the Big Sky camera system, which captures uncompressed 18K images at 120 fps using its 77.5mm x 75.6mm sensor and custom fisheye lens. The camera's massive data output, filling a 32TB storage card in just 17 minutes at 60 fps, required bespoke solutions to achieve 60 GB/s transfer speeds for efficient offloading to external storage. These two blogs are a great read.

Citrix licensing issues and questions

In this post, Dennis Span, a seasoned expert in Citrix technologies, provides a comprehensive overview of the Citrix licensing challenges you might face and offers practical advice on how to overcome them. Whether you're dealing with compliance concerns, cost increases, management issues, or optimizing your licensing strategy, this blog has the information you need to ensure your Citrix environment runs smoothly and efficiently. You can read the blog here. If you are looking for a simpler and often better DaaS alternative, please let me know - happy to help. 😉

Microsoft Icons architecture

Anyone who frequently creates architecture diagrams or illustrations in PowerPoint is likely familiar with a common frustration: Microsoft offers a wealth of icons in SVG format but integrating them into PowerPoint can be cumbersome. Michael Kortas decided to create a small application that extracts SVG icons from Azure and organizes them neatly in PowerPoint, maintaining the directory structure. The generated PowerPoint deck is now available for download on GitHub.