In the first three parts of this series, Citrix explored strategies for reducing
costs and improving efficiency in the datacenter, throughout the network
and in the way applications are delivered. In this final installment, the focus
turns to the endpoint: user desktops. The traditional PC, long a mainstay
of corporate life, provides a rich target for those seeking to eliminate waste
and maximize limited resources. Desktop virtualization—the replacement
of physical desktops with virtualized versions hosted and delivered from the
datacenter—not only allows you to equip your users more efficiently and
cost-effectively; it enables a broad range of strategies for reducing cost,
improving service and providing more agile support to the organization.

Work and IT functions can be similarly virtualized, with meetings, team
collaboration and support moving online. Even endpoint hardware itself
merits a new approach, with new types of LCD displays and computers that
reduce both capital and operating costs—or bring your own computer
initiatives that shift desktop procurement and management to the users
themselves. To learn how these strategies can reduce costs and modernize
your IT environment, read on.