If you tuned into Galaxy Unpacked 2019, you had the opportunity to be thrilled by all the Samsung announcements, but when Microsoft popped into the storyline and Satya Nadella jumped on stage, it became clear that Samsung (and Microsoft) are focused beyond the consumer market and locking into the corporate workforce. The Samsung and Microsoft partnership also validates that the powerhouses are geared up to compete against Apple, Goggle, and AWS.
There are two forces at play here. The power (capacity, performance, features, 5G, etc.) of mobile devices has reached a point that they are capable of running applications, performing tasks, and tapping into modern technology (camera, GPS, sensors, biometrics, facial ID, etc.). Couple this with the fact that the vast majority of companies use Microsoft Windows as the client OS and Office productivity apps. Flipping off the Windows switch is simply not an option for most companies, but IT pros and business leaders see the value in mobile experiences. They are beginning to recognize that the innovation happening within the modern mobile ecosystem has to be coupled to the applications and data that run the business. Thus, the Samsung and Microsoft duo begins to address how mobile innovation meets existing business process.
Samsung and Microsoft chose to highlight an enhanced Outlook experience, OneDrive integration, and this concept of seamless flow between PC and mobile. Those are all important and address some of the common wants and needs of the corporate worker, but I think there is a fascinating potential that they were coy about addressing at Unpacked 2019. I believe that we are going to see consolidation of devices. The number of devices per user has spun out of control and has created poor user experience across devices and an expended perimeter risk for businesses to protect.
Employees only need one device with the combination of Samsung DeX and Microsoft WVD (Windows Virtual Desktop). The combination of these technologies creates a mobile experience with access to all the goodness of Windows on a single device. IT and security pros only have to secure and protect one device, the management of the Windows environment is simplified on Azure, and users can benefit from both a mobile experience and the familiarity of Windows. If you are questioning how futuristic this sounds, it’s not. I work like this every day.
