Ana Ekman, Enterprise Account Executive
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From a single pane of glass to controlled flexibility

An IT leader’s journey from vendor lock-in to choice 

Ten years ago, I championed the “one vendor, single pane of glass” model. It promised simplicity, predictability, and control. And for a while, it delivered. 

I stood by it, helping customers streamline their environments around a unified stack. 

But over time, that model started to feel more like a cage than a framework. Real-world needs shifted.  

This is how I moved away from a rigid stack and embraced vendor-agnostic strategies focused on performance, adaptability, and the people actually using the tech. 

Chapter 1: When the VDI harmony wavered 

In 2016, I was a VMware evangelist. The Software-Defined Data Center (SDDC) vision was clear – abstract the hardware, virtualize everything, and manage it from “the single pane of glass”. Compute (vSphere), storage (vSAN), networking (NSX), desktops (Horizon), and management (vRealize Suite) all delivered by one vendor’s platform. 

And it worked. Customers embraced Horizon for what it promised: a fully integrated desktop and app virtualization platform tied into the SDDC backbone, delivering reliable performance and centralized control. 

Then came Broadcom’s $69B acquisition of VMware in 2023. Perpetual licenses were removed. Subscriptions became rigid, with high minimums and late penalties.  

In 2024, VMware’s EUC division was spun off as an independent company named Omnissa, taking Horizon with it. But Horizon’s technical dependencies on what is now Broadcom’s vSphere/vSAN created new licensing complexity, turning what was once integration into unintended lock-in. 

One of my longtime customers said it best: 

“We built everything on VMware. Now we’re stuck. What’s next?” 

That was my wake-up call. Resilience in IT is not just about technology. It is about the freedom to pivot when the environment changes. 

Chapter 2: Take back control with visibility 

If you’re relying only on a vendor’s native tools, you lose visibility the moment their priorities shift or their systems go offline. 

End-to-end observability puts you back in control. 

Tools like ControlUp Real-Time DX provide cross-platform visibility into sessions, performance, infrastructure health, and real user experience – all in real time. 

Why it matters: 

Controlled Flexibility VDI

Example: 

One customer noticed a spike in support tickets tied to slow logons. Horizon tools showed no obvious issues. ControlUp traced the problem to a profile sync delay. A GPO adjustment dropped average login time by 35 percent – overnight. 

When you own the data, you’re not waiting for things to break. You’re already fixing them.

Chapter 3: Gain freedom at every layer 

Once visibility is in place, the next step is strategic decoupling, starting with your hypervisor and desktop delivery layers. 

1. Virtualization Agnosticism 

Avoid building your virtual application and desktop delivery environment around a single hypervisor. Choose platforms that support multiple backends. 

Parallels RAS, for example, is hypervisor-agnostic by design. Whether on-premises (Hyper-V, Nutanix AHV, KVM, and ESXi), in the cloud (Azure, AVD, AWS), or hybrid, RAS supports this out of the box, letting you optimize for cost, performance, or location, all from a single console. 

Why it matters:
When licensing models shift or infrastructure priorities change, you can pivot quickly without rearchitecting your desktop layer. 

2. Desktop delivery agnosticism 

Different user groups have different needs. Alongside Horizon, pilot alternative application and desktop delivery options like: 

Why it matters: 

You get the flexibility to align desktop delivery models with app requirements, connectivity, and user locations – without overpaying or overengineering. 

 

“Setup of Parallels RAS is easy. It took less time to migrate to Parallels than we would have used to maintain our previous solution.”
— John Hornnes, Project Leader, Vetserve AS 

Chapter 4: Your VDI playbook for lasting harmony 

Modernizing your virtual application and desktop delivery stack isn’t just about swapping platforms. It’s about aligning with business goals, ensuring security compliance, and delivering better user experiences without complexity.  

Here’s a high-level, practical rollout plan: 

1. Start with real user personas 

Go beyond departments. Profile users by resource needs, peripherals, session behavior, and location. Use session data from ControlUp (if possible) or historical support trends to identify performance gaps and key personas. 

2. Pilot with purpose 

Choose one or two platforms that best align with your business. Start with 20-50 users in targeted pilot groups. Focus on: 

Don’t just test the tech. Measure impact on workflows, productivity, and operational simplicity. 

 

Every pilot should answer two questions:
1. Does it work technically?
2. Does it move our strategic goals forward? 

3. Measure what matters 

Use a tool like ControlUp to set baselines and compare results across environments. Focus on real-world impact, not just averages: 

Use short surveys to validate user perception. If the dashboard looks green but the users feel red, dig deeper. 

4. Standardize what you can 

Use consistent image and app delivery methods. Leverage: 

Reduce sprawl. Keep builds lean and maintainable. 

5. Automate where it counts 

Use Infrastructure as Code (IaC) tools like Terraform or leverage the Parallels PowerShell API to deploy and configure environments in a predictable, automated way.  

Focus on: 

Even basic automation pays off when you’re managing multiple platforms or sites. 

6. Plan your transition in waves 

Roll out by user group, department, or site. Keep it phased, manageable, and reversible. 

How to approach it: 

 

Controlled Flexibility VDI

Example:

Parallels RAS includes built-in Citrix migration utilities that convert published apps and desktops automatically – no need to rebuild everything from scratch. 

7. Validate and optimize 

Post-migration, don’t just check if systems are running – check how users feel. 

What to track: 

If users are more productive and fewer tickets come in, you’re on the right path. 

 

Conclusion: Modern VDI is about the journey (not the destination)  

Build your roadmap around what delivers results. 

Prioritize: 

  1. Freedom of choice (avoid lock-in) 
  1. Flexibility to your business needs 
  1. Simplicity (especially amid talent shortages) 

 

Over what’s trending. 

And never forget – modern virtual application and desktop delivery isn’t a destination. It’s a cycle of improvement, refined with every rollout, every feedback loop, and every user experience. 

Epilogue: You set the tempo 

You’re not stuck. You’re not locked in. 

The future of virtual application and desktop delivery is about building for change. 

Start small. Choose one thing – visibility, virtualization, or delivery. 

Run a pilot. Let your data and your users guide the way. 

Because in today’s IT landscape, agility wins. Every time. 

 

Legal Disclaimer 

The views and opinions expressed in this article are my own and do not reflect the official policy or position of Broadcom Inc., VMware by Broadcom, or any other company mentioned. All trademarks and registered trademarks are the property of their respective owners. This content is provided for informational purposes only and does not constitute legal, financial, or technical advice. 

 

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