Expanded Utility and Simplified Management with Windows-Based Collaboration

Windows-based Intel Unite cuts UC and CX adoption risk by using existing PCs, simplifying management, patching and deployment for businesses. Published on UC To

Elliot Mulley-Goodbarne

“Barriers to adoption” is a phrase that has been spoken about a lot over the past decade or so, as service providers look to expand their customer base past technophiles.

Despite the growth seen in UC and CX solutions over the last two years, users face fundamental challenges when adopting new products, such as training staff to use the solution.

For service providers, these challenges are multiplied when developing a proprietary OS, as the responsibility for all facets of the user experience falls on the provider’s shoulders. Although they may ultimately have control, it comes with steep development costs, as well as the tricky task of assuring organisations that your technology can be depended on.

As Dave Buchholz, Global Director of Technical Sales Enablement for Intel Unite says, adopting a new OS without any issues or pain points is no mean feat for businesses. “Investing in a new operating system requires the customer to have a high level of trust in the vendor and their ability to provide training and bug fixes. That’s a key consideration, on top of the initial investment any kind of operating system requires the provider to maintain, patch and secure the system, regardless of what OS it is.

“Any new, proprietary device requires IT professionals to write new requirements and policies, and put specific procedures in place to secure those devices running on each specific operating system. For example, solutions that run on Linux variants can be difficult to patch for a Windows-oriented IT department. That’s a big ask for a lot of businesses”

The Answer is Clear

Developing an OS and having the control that can make or break a business is a compelling argument, but such an undertaking requires the skills and capital to pull off well. In short, it’s an expensive risk.

That risk becomes even harder to justify when you take a step back and assess one of the most popular operating systems is open to be taken advantage of. As Buchholze explains, Windows is a great option due to its legacy at the heart of consumer technology.

“The Windows operating system already exists within almost every IT environment. When you deploy a Windows-based solution, it does not require you to develop brand new maintenance or security procedures to maintain devices, because it uses the same platform as your existing Windows environment, so patches are readily available and easy to install.

“If new hardware is needed, however, the budgeting and procurement process can be streamlined because the familiar Windows PC is easier to pitch to decision-makers, and most organisations will already have deep relationships with trusted Windows PC suppliers.”

Staying on Top

By using Windows, Intel Unite can be deployed on a familiar system that everyone will have come into contact with in some way. Buchholze said that the Intel Unite solution demonstrates the perks of using Windows, namely, the ability to give customers a solution that they can utilise in many ways, not just as a collaboration enabler.

“A big benefit that the Intel Unite solution demonstrates is that, because it is an application that runs on top of Windows, it can serve dual purposes: firstly, as a normal Windows computer to run Windows applications or surf the internet, and also as the hub for collaboration when needed. Nearly all other collaboration solutions on the market are one-trick ponies by comparison.

“As a result, collaboration spaces are reconfigured and the number can be quickly scaled up or down without the need to remove or add computers if compatible computers already exist in the room. This is worth noting because Intel Unite can use hardware that already exists in the environment meaning businesses, schools, and healthcare operations are able to reduce deployment costs and the risk associated with testing a new solution by using desktops and laptops they already own”

For more information, visit Intel Unite here.

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