Unisys unveils Desktop Virtualization solutions

Unisys Corporation has announced Unisys Workspace as a Service solutions, a comprehensive range of advisory and cloud-based services for desktop virtualization – the transfer of certain functions from mobile as well as traditional fat-client devices to data center- and cloud-based resources.
The Unisys solutions enable enterprise clients to define and build a standardized, cost-efficient cloud-based desktop virtualization infrastructure based on EMC® VSPEX™ and other leading virtualization architectures. The clients can manage that infrastructure with Unisys’ assistance or on their own to deliver consistent cloud, device and application performance that keeps workers productive no matter where they are.

According to recent Unisys-sponsored global research, 43 percent of information workers rely on three or more devices to get work done – many of which are self-purchased. In addition, nearly 40 percent use unsupported “bring your own” applications or cloud services. If uncontrolled and lacking a solid hosting infrastructure, a burgeoning BYO environment can lead to inadequate delivery of support services, potential security breaches and unnecessary cost.

“The end-to-end approach we take to desktop virtualization empowers clients to impose order on a potentially chaotic IT environment,” said Dan Huberty, chief technology officer, Unisys Global Managed Services. “Unisys Workspace as a Service solutions start with end-user requirements and are designed to work compatibly with other cloud and enterprise data center offerings. As a result, we can give organizations extraordinary flexibility in their choice of cloud infrastructure models, greater consistency in end-user experience for a wide range of workers, heightened information security, and reduced infrastructure management and end-user support costs.”

Unisys Workspace as a Service solutions comprise the following:
· Advisory Services: Help identify how desktop virtualization can address specific end-user computing challenges and prioritize required actions.
· Solution Design Services: Develop solution architectures to meet identified use-case requirements – including integration of existing resources.
· Deployment and Migration Services: Implement solutions and provide an orderly way to transition users from their current environment to the managed Unisys Workspace as a Service solution.
· Virtual Desktop End-User Management Services: Provide comprehensive support for a consistent end-user experience for all end-user personas.
· Desktop Virtualization Infrastructure Management: Management of the underlying data center and cloud infrastructure for the Unisys Workspace as a Service solution.

“Companies are increasingly turning to EMC VSPEX Proven Infrastructure as powerful, cost-effective engines for their clouds,” said Michelle De Hertogh, Senior Director, Global Alliances and Service Providers, EMC Corporation. “Unisys Workspace as a Service solutions give EMC clients a new way to build a flexible, cost-efficient infrastructure and deliver comprehensive, uniform support services to their end users in a virtualized desktop environment.”

Unisys can help clients define and implement desktop virtualization infrastructure based on EMC VSPEX, VCE™ Vblock™ Systems, Citrix XenDesktop®, VMware® Horizon™ Suite™ and other leading architectures. The infrastructure can be deployed as a private cloud in the client’s data center, managed by either Unisys or the client; as a hosted private cloud in a Unisys data center; or in a shared cloud environment.

On the end-user side, Unisys Workspace as a Service solutions enable client organizations to define distinct personas for specific groups of users based on their job profiles. The client can then determine what type of support each persona requires and which functions can be offloaded from their devices into the virtualized cloud environment.

Unisys Workspace as a Service also draws on Unisys’ full suite of IT support solutions, including predictive analytics tools that monitor application, device and network performance to proactively seek and preemptively remediate issues that affect end-user productivity. Unisys managed services can be delivered through Unisys 12 global data centers and 20 multi-language managed services centers – all holding ISO certifications for service management, service quality and information security.