Desktop transformation projects are becoming increasingly critical to the success of wider digital transformation strategies. Desktop transformation is also essential for continued DEX optimisation and ensuring employees at all levels of the business have the devices, applications, and levels of performance they need.
As Q4 2024 looms large, why is it that desktop transformation projects always seem to miss deadlines and critical milestones? Why are you always behind on objectives? And does this slower-than-anticipated progress even matter? Is it a storm in a teacup or a perfect storm?
Increasingly, the slow progress on desktop transformation is becoming a perfect storm but the good news is it is not too late. Unlike physical storms, this is one we can do something about.
It all comes down to understanding how different projects within the desktop transformation arena are dependent on each other. A clearer and more structurally robust overarching strategy will accelerate progress and enable you to achieve your desktop transformation goals.
This blog is the first in a series of blogs that will look at the challenges, strategies, and benefits of implementing an effective end-to-end strategy for achieving your desktop transformation objectives.
The Windows 11 Migration Example
We are going to start this blog series by exploring why priority projects fall behind target, and some fail to even get started. We are going to use a Windows 11 migration as our example.
Why a Windows 11 migration project?
According to figures from web analytics service Statcounter in August 2024, Windows 10 still has twice the market share of Windows 11 – 64% for Windows 10 and 32% for Windows 11. Statcounter’s tracking code is installed on over 1.5 million websites. The gap has been narrowing since the surreal situation earlier in the year when Windows 10 actually gained market share on Windows 11. Even though the gap is narrowing, Windows 10 remains the dominant Windows operating system currently in use.
There are a lot of factors at play, but the fact is the take up of Windows 11 has been slower than the take up of Windows 10 at the same point of its evolution, despite the fact the Windows 10 end-of-life date is less than a year away at the time of writing. From 14 October 2025, technology professionals will have limited options:
- Note the passing of the date with nothing more to do as they have already upgraded to Windows 11.
- Cross their fingers and toes (and bet the online security of their employer) in the hope that their anti-virus software will offer sufficient protection.
- Use a chunk of their budget (hundreds of pounds per device) to pay for Extended Security Options for Windows 10, i.e., paid-for security updates. Even this is only a delaying strategy as the paid-for updates will only be supplied by Microsoft for three years.
Option one is the obvious solution except for the glorious Microsoft-emblazoned elephant in the room – many devices are simply not compatible with Windows 11 as they don’t have a suitable TPM security chip. To upgrade to Windows 11, the device needs a TPM 2.0 chip. Some people have developed workarounds that enabled a Windows 11 upgrade on older versions of TPM chips, but Microsoft has been actively shutting those workarounds down. It is TPM 2.0, or you can’t migrate to Windows 11.
A Web of Dependencies
Let’s look at the web of dependencies that can be at play for major projects like a Windows 11 migration. Upgrading to Windows 11 first requires a physical desktop and, potentially, a physical VDI infrastructure refresh to ensure all devices have TPM-compliant chips.
It isn’t as simple as that, though, as there are other projects that your Windows 11 migration and hardware refresh depends on:
- You may need to look at upgrading your data centre infrastructure.
- Making sure your technology strategy is aligned with the corporate strategy of the business comes before even that.
- There are then hardware capital investment decisions to be made. This is one of the biggest decisions you will make in the process, not least because of the costs involved.
- Dependent on your hardware purchasing decision should be an assessment of the organisation’s device requirements, especially in relation to devices per user targets and your target physical/virtual split. This is essential to ensure you don’t buy devices that are not needed.
- If Windows 365 Cloud Desktop is part of your technology strategy, moving suitable users to that platform should also be completed before you buy new devices compatible with Windows 11. Reviewing VDI performance requirements and users is another important step.
- Your Windows 11 migration project is also dependent on the repackaging, testing, and deployment of the vast range of applications used in your organisation.
- Before you do that, you need to decide on an application delivery strategy with a best practice approach that consolidates application delivery methods and application formats to reduce costs and complexities. While this is often an overlooked stage, your Windows 11 migration depends on its successful completion.
- But even before you look at your application delivery strategy you should review your application estate to make sure you are not managing and, crucially, paying licenses for applications that are no longer used, not fit-for-purpose, or no longer supported.
Problems With the Current Reality
To summarise, our objective in this example is to migrate users and devices to Windows 11 before Microsoft’s end-of-life deadline. Not only is this a significant undertaking, but success is dependent on the effective completion of at least eight other technology projects.
The problem with the current reality is there is often no structure to ensure the successful completion of dependent projects as part of the larger project strategy. Instead, teams often work in silos with little collaboration and competing priorities.
There is a better way which we will explore in our next blog in this series.
