First – what are Ready Bundles? 

Ready Nodes, Ready Bundles, Ready Systems is the taxonomy we use for our program where we bring multiple technology pieces together at Dell EMC.   Ready Nodes = software + server; Ready Bundles = software + servers/network/storage; Ready Systems = software + CI/HCI.    In each case – they are more than a simple combo of products.  They are designed to provide all the end-to-end assists for configuration, sizing, deployment, financial packaging.   BTW – IDC calls this category of “thing” Certified Reference Systems.  

The Ready Node/Bundle/System program is also how we bring our technology partner ecosystem (SAP, Microsoft, RedHat, VMware, Pivotal, Cloudera, Splunk, Hortonworks, the HPC ecosystem and many others) to life – and strive to make things SIMPLER for people who are more on the “build” end of the “build-to-buy” continuum.

At Dell EMC World – we’re unveiling something the Converged Platform and Solutions team has been working in support of the Cloud Client Computing team – an example of how we work inside Dell to make things simpler – from client to the datacenter – from edge, to core, to cloud.

VDI Complete = the easy button for Workforce Transformation.

You are welcome to keep reading for more – but you can also start simple 🙂  Click on the portal below, and get started!

We’ve taken everything from the client themselves (with all sorts of awesome hardening and security), the datacenter components (designed and optimized for the VDI workload and scaling model) to run the VDI/end-user computing workloads, the networking and NSX capabilities for enhanced security and the VMware Horizon Suite (and the Horizon Cloud option even) into a SIMPLE package.

We are also are putting our money where our mouth is – with a simple financial construct – starting in the $8-18/client/month band.

It is a great example of the power of Dell Technologies to uniquely make something that can be complex – like Workforce transformation – simpler.   On the left, you have all the complex choices, sizing, configuration, interoperability choices.   On the right – you have the easy button.

All of the great ingredients (each #1 in their respective category – so the best element technologies) for a great meal are under one roof.   This is an example of Dell (the Client part of the company), Dell EMC (the datacenter part), and VMware (a strategically aligned business) acting as ONE.   Seriously – who else can do that?

Beyond the technology, we’re leveraging the unique Dell Technologies private company nature to de-risk the economic choice – and turning the economic proposition into the formula a business looks at versus the IT component level structure.   The economics for VDI should always be through the client lens – what is the $/month/user.

I want to give a shout out to Steve Lalla and the Cloud Client Computing team who have led this effort – thanks for the partnership team!

So – what’s in the VDI Complete Ready Bundle?  Want more details?  Read on!

In a great meal, every ingredient is critical – but VMware Horizon is the critical binding element for the VDI complete solution.

It’s been just amazing to see how VMware has really pulled out ahead of the competition in the marketplace, with a continuous barrage of innovation from App Volumes, Horizon Cloud,

While we of course continue to partner in an open ecosystem – for VDI complete, we wanted not only the leader – but we were striving for the best Dell Technologies turn-key stack – so using Horizon was a no-brainer.

Furthermore – it’s been interesting to uncover powerful use cases where we can leverage NSX micro-segmentation to further augment the security (which starts with hardening of the client in Dell thin and full client devices), with mobile device management and policy control with VMware Air Watch.   With NSX, it’s possible to wrap every VDI instance in it’s own specific firewall policy (without becoming unmanageable) and even extend logical networks on a client by client basis.   Cool.

The next part of the equation is the industries best client choices:

Start with the Dell Wyse 3040 – a tiny powerhouse you can see on the left.

• Intel quad core performance on a budget

• 30% more powerful, 50% smaller, 50% less power

• Secure and easy to manage

• Simplified setup, and configuration

Need more juice in a thin client?  No problem!   On the right we have the Dell Wyse 5060 –  a potent package indeed.

• x86 Quad core CPU

• Dual 4K Display support

• Support for Blast Extreme protocol on all OS offerings

• Multiple connectivity options including six USB ports

• Optimal endpoint for Skype for Business

• Effortless management and scalability

• 100% tool free system for easy serviceability

Of course – you can get all the Dell Wyse thin client devices in packages with and without monitors – and they are beautiful.

Have knowledge workers which need a full client – need to be untethered and totally mobile?   No problem – we got you covered!

   I am in LOVE with my XPS 13 2-in-1.   I’ve been using it for about 3 months now, and I can see why it was code-named “Adventator”. 

It’s a beautiful machine.   The form factor is perfect.  

The Dell team worked with Intel to tweak the thermal c-states that means that it uses a Core i7 7th gen Y-series CPU and is totally fanless, but it’s still powerful.   Seriously – I even occasionally play Civ VI on it. 

I have a 1TB SSD, a quad-core CPU, and 16GB of RAM in an insanely small, insanely light, insanely strong form factor. 

The battery life is long, and the Infinity edge display is flat out beautiful.  And… they FINALLY got the trackpad right – it’s smooth, and though tighter collaboration with Microsoft – the software and multi-touch works.   Thank YOU my Dell Client Solutions Group colleagues. 

You might have noticed that I’ve started to include more drawings on the blog – it’s because finally I have a machine that can cover my productivity and tablet use cases again.  I liked my Surface Book – I like the XPS 13 2-in-1 even more.

If you think I’m gushing just because it’s a corporate machine and the corporate line – nope.  I’ve always said “forget the IT standard, I need a machine I can love – because I’m going to live with it all day”.   I have bought my own laptop on my own dime for my whole career.  It matters that much to me. 

I don’t think I’m alone or unique (though I would wager I am at the outlier part of the user community in terms of just how much I travel, just how much I’m mobile).

I think that for companies – having technology their employees LOVE to work on is an important thing to get the most out of your most important resource – your people and the neurons between their ears.

The last part of the VDI Completely Ready Bundle is the data center part… And if we’re working to make it simple, what could possibly be better than VxRail?

With broad configurations of every shape and size – from small entry, to VDI-optimized, to full on Nvidia M10/M60 GPU enabled monsters – VxRail is the natural pair for a Horizon-centric VDI solution for it to be called “Complete”.

Of course – there is a build-to-buy continuum – and some customers don’t want turn-key (although seriously, please ask yourself… WHY??)   For them, we have the industry’s best vSAN Ready Nodes.

People ask “what’s the difference?”  Between vSAN Ready Nodes and VxRail.   As the owner of both offers at Dell EMC – I’ll speak authoritatively on the subject.

• vSAN Ready Nodes are vSAN software, packaged with ESXi on a subset of the vSphere HCL that optimizes for vSAN use cases.  That’s it.   No more, no less.   Even though ours have awesome single support – the process and operation of the server part and the SDS part are separate.   Making it real – if a firmware update on the server was needed, or an update to the SDS was needed – it would be on you to do it.  Between VMware (think vSAN 6.6 improvements) and Dell EMC (some work to make PowerEdge very well suited for vSAN) might make it a bit easier – but it’s still on you as the customer – you are choosing to be a builder.
• VxRail is a Hyper-Converged Infrastructure Appliance.   It’s everything you need, as one single thing – not only at point of acquisition, but for it’s full lifecycle.   There’s no such thing as a vSAN update, an ESXi udpate, or a firmware update.  There’s a VxRail update.  When it “dials home” (an anacronymism – of course in most cases they are internet connected not via modem 😉 the ESRS dump is for the SYSTEM – not the components.  Above and beyond that – it includes the other things people need – data protection, remote replication, cloud connectivity.  It’s an engineered system – not a bundle.   When you chose VxRail, you’re choosing the easy button – you are choosing to be a buyer, a consumer.

We are about choice – so we give our customers that whole continuum – in one easy place.

That’s VDI Complete – a simple Ready Bundle, and the easy button for Workforce Transformation.   The power of the new company, manifesting to help customers help their employees be happy and productive 🙂

If you’re ready to go, we’re READY.   You can start with the clients, you can call us – or visit the VDI Complete portal here: www.Dell.com/VDICompleteSolutions