Disclaimer: This is not a prediction or an insider look, it's an exploration, an "art of the possible" sparked by a sign, that change could be on the horizon. I am not an insider, and I have no clear information that confirms my long-term suspicions other than a single LinkedIn reply and my thoughts around “Nerdio raising 500 million”.

Perspective: In my view the true catalyst for this shift may be the rise in AI and the coming wave of CUA's (Computer Use Agents) reshaping how we work being a bigger catalyst than driving workloads to the Cloud. But again, this is not a forecast, just my attempt to connect the dots and explore where the EUC industry might be heading.

My Hope: As someone who has spent a career in EUC, I genuinely hope we are at the very beginning of a massive transformation, one that unifies physical and virtual EUC, simplifies operations, and delivers a better experience for end users.

Why did I write this article?

A few weeks ago, I got a notification about someone who commented on a post I had made recently on LinkedIn. Check it out, Link to LinkedIn post

A Nerdio employee shared a photo of Microsoft's campus, with “RDP” in huge letters across the windows and wrote about a big planning session between Nerdio and Microsoft.

When I saw the large RDP, first thing that came to me was Server Based OS’s and AVD hybrid, is it finally time? I commented, sharing my hope that Microsoft and Nerdio are working on four key capabilities that could reset the EUC industry and spark a massive investment in transformation:

• AVD as a hybrid remote access broker – meeting customers where they are

• Windows 11 Multi-User on-premises\everywhere – retiring server-based OS’s from EUC

• Remote PC accessible through AVD – adding value and consistency for physical devices

• Windows 10\11 legacy VDI access via AVD – unifying management and brokering

Later that week, Scott Manchester, from Microsoft, replied:

“Sounds like a great idea… Ignite is just around the corner.”

Is Scott Manchester trolling me? Or hinting at what’s to come? 😊

Either way, I’m running with it, hopefully some of what I have written happens as it would be a massive opportunity to rationalize, consolidate and modernize EUC across the board.

For years, End-User Computing (EUC) has really been two industries:

• Physical EUC – focused on desktops, laptops, Cloud PC's and modern management.

• Virtual EUC – focused on VDI, Apps, RDS, AVD and legacy server-based multi-user OS

  
  

In most large enterprises EUC teams operate in silos, with different operating systems, toolsets, telemetry, application packaging strategies, and access models.

And the side effects can be costly:

• Higher OpEx, Server OS, Cals, Tools, Hardening, Licensing, Specialists

• Competing strategies that fragment road maps, teams & user experience

• Tech debt that delays cloud adoption, Server OS can be a dumping ground

• Slower modernization to Cloud and now AI

• Different vendor, industry and community groups which fragments messaging

This is not by choice, it is a by-product of our legacy server based operating systems, licensing and delivery models that have not caught up to where we are going.

In Microsoft's defense, there are probably a number of reasons why Win 11 Multi-User and AVD are cloud only, like trying to encourage customers to move to cloud. Also shifting internal revenue from product to product would be impactful on their side so there also could be resistance to change as shifting from Server Based OS's in EUC to Win 11 Multi-User as it will have a revenue, resourcing and budget impact on different units. They will also have to recover that revenue with a new set of licensing and models for AVD, Win 11 Multi-User and Remote PC.

Why This Matters

In my view the shift away from Server based OS’s in EUC and enabling AVD as a Hybrid broker would give organizations, vendors, and industry groups a unified foundation that binds us all and a catalyst to invest for a compelling reason.

I believe the shift is probably rooted in Microsoft preparing us all for an AI driven EUC industry that will most likely be heavily focused on making sure all platforms are standardized and ready to scale to support Co-Pilot and Computer Use Agents as they are going to become the growth engine for Modern Workspace delivery. Co-pilot CUA's coached and driven by employees, with CUA's running primarily on Virtual & Cloud hosted workspaces.

Retiring server-based multi-user OSs and enabling AVD Hybrid would be the catalyst to:

• Justify customer investment in transformation projects

• Reduce tech debt, consolidate road maps, tools, teams, and budgets

• Lower OpEx, standardized all workspaces OS’s & Forced App and delivery model rationalization

• Ensure all Workspaces are designed for Co-Pilot Computer Use Agent and & Cloud-ready

Imagine a single OS (Windows 11), single and multi-user, running the same agents and toolsets, managed and brokered with Intune + AVD, no matter where workloads live. As a bonus that would tie right in, W365 Cloud PCs and Reserve instances for BC/DR.

You now have foundation to execute scaled operations of Co-Pilot CUA's running on these workspaces regardless of where they are to drive the day to day operations with organizations legacy apps and data without API's, being coached\managed by employees. RPA on steroids that is intelligent.

Layer on a platform like Nerdio for improved day-to-day operations, automation and a true single pane of glass across you entire EUC landscape, and you have the foundation for the biggest EUC reset in 20+ years.

I suppose we'll all have to wait for Ignite. But for this series, I lean toward transformation, it just makes so much sense. If Microsoft does announce AVD Hybrid and Win 11 Multi-User on prem\everywhere I think it will Spark one of the largest EUC investments I have seen in my 20+ years "Outside of Covid", and I can’t wait.

This is Part 1 of my series “Is Ignite 2025 the Spark for a Unified EUC Industry?”

I am very much aware I am going out on a limb with this article, but thought I would lay out what the potential impact of a unified EUC industry with M365, Intune, Win 11 +Multi-User, AVD on-premises\everywhere, W365 and W365 Reserve as the backbone could have.

I am going to write couple of articles around the topic: Discuss Win 11 everywhere impact, AVD as a Hybrid broker what impact will this have? What are the potential impacts to teams, budgets, vendors, the industry and CUA's.

If Microsoft does make AVD a Hybrid broker and enables Win 11 Mulit-User on-prem\everywhere what impact will it have on our industry?

• Could this be the move that finally unites the Physical and Virtual EUC industry?

• Would this be a Catalyst for you to invest in transformation?

• Out of the potential changes I explored in this article, which one do you think is most likely?

• Also what change would be most impactful to your environment or customers?

Would love to hear your thoughts?