Gotham rolled out this self-assessment at an event this week, and I thought I would share it with our Blog followers.
First of all, let me clarify my use of the term DaaS. DaaS does not refer specifically to an outsourced or cloud Desktop. DaaS is your internal desktop offering, offered as a service. This can be delivered via traditional internal methods, cloud methods, or some hybrid. The important inflection to DaaS is that you’re offering your users a Desktop Service. It’s a productization issue. Your users know they will get a platform that supports their applications and profile. You’re responsible for that platform and its productivity.
Question 1: – Do you have a specific person in your organization who is responsible for your desktop offerings? A Desktop Czar of some type?
Since we’re now selling a product called DaaS, we need to think of it as a product. The bestselling car of all time is the Toyota Corolla, with over 40 million sold. So imagine we’re going to sit down with Toyota to get some lessons about how to create and manage an excellent product.
Do you think it’s likely that there’s someone at the helm of the Corolla product? It would seem unlikely that Toyota just gets each group head together (engines, tires, etc.) and makes product decisions that way.
If you’ve got a desktop czar, give yourself 25 points.
Question 2: – Do you have a specific person responsible for virtual desktops?
Sorry no points for that, everyone has one of those. But, if your virtual czar is either the same person as your desktop czar or reports to the desktop czar, give yourself 25 points.
Question 3: Does your desktop group have a healthy amount of control regarding the technology silos they depend upon?
Let’s look back our Corolla metaphor. Imagine the product manager for Corolla meeting with the engine group at Toyota. Do you think that the engine group would simply explain what engines they have available and let the Corolla manager pick? I imagine there’s a healthy give and take regarding requirements. Give yourself 25 points if you think there’s a healthy power relationship between your desktop product manager and the technology silos.
Question 4: Is your desktop group responsible for application packaging and delivery?
Here’s the thing about Desktop as a Service. Desktops aren’t really a thing. They only exist as a conduit for applications delivered in the context of a user’s profile. Applications are a thing. In fact, they’re The Thing. If your application packaging and delivery group is separate from your DaaS group, zero points. If they’re the same, 25 points.
Well? How did you do? That’s the good news about a self-assessment. Only you know, and of course you can take the test as often as you’d like. No Charge. :)