AI, identity-first security, Windows 10 end of support and VMware's rebranding as Omnissa are reshaping EUC as CIOs make critical decisions for 2026 and beyond.
Executive summary: End-user computing has become a material driver of business risk and operational resilience. Decisions once treated as tactical -- endpoint management, access control and desktop platforms -- now have long-term security, cost and governance implications. As disruption accelerates across infrastructure, identity and workforce models, EUC leaders must align technology choices with a more resilient, risk-aware operating model heading into 2026.
End-user computing (EUC) is entering a transformative phase, shaped by rapid advances in AI, identity-centric architectures and the aftershocks of major platform shifts such as the VMware acquisition.
As organizations move beyond Windows 10 end of support and adapt to Windows 11, the EUC landscape is fragmenting into specialized tracks. These tracks demand tailored strategies for knowledge workers, frontline teams and regulated environments. Meanwhile, identity governance, observability and app modernization are moving from best practice to baseline requirements. For CIOs and EUC leaders, the year ahead is less about incremental upgrades and more about making foundational decisions that will define operational resilience, security posture and UX for years to come.
Technology leaders should know these four key EUC trends for 2026, why they matter and how to adapt their strategies to drive future-ready outcomes.
1. AI-driven EUC operations become the default
In 2026, AI copilots, agentic workflows, digital employee experience (DEX) analytics and automated remediation will fundamentally reshape EUC. The most significant shift is from reactive troubleshooting to predictive operations that anticipate and resolve problems before they affect users.
AI copilots now serve as embedded assistants for both end users and IT teams, providing real-time guidance and automating routine tasks. Agentic workflows are reducing manual intervention and streamlining support processes.
Advanced DEX analytics platforms continuously monitor endpoint health, user sentiment and app performance. When they detect anomalies, automated remediation tools can resolve issues instantly or escalate only the most complex cases to human engineers.
The transition to predictive operations means fewer break/fix incidents and a more resilient EUC environment. AI models use historical and real-time data to forecast device failures, app crashes or performance bottlenecks.
This shift can provide benefits in the following areas:
Support volume. Automated remediation and predictive analytics can reduce ticket volumes, freeing IT resources for higher-value work.
Operational costs. Fewer escalations and faster resolution translate to significant cost savings, especially for organizations with large, distributed workforces.
DEX/UX.Proactive support and self-healing endpoints drive higher user satisfaction, lower downtime and improved productivity.
IT teams will also need to reevaluate how they manage security and access. Traditional role-based access control is static and often grants persistent administrative rights, increasing risk. In contrast, AI-driven agent orchestration enforces zero standing privileges (ZSP) and just-in-time (JIT) credential access. Privileges are granted dynamically, only for the duration and scope necessary for the remediation task. Then, they're revoked. This substantially reduces the attack surface and aligns EUC operations with modern security frameworks.
Decision points for EUC leaders
Evaluate AI and automation capabilities in the organization's current EUC tool set.
Prioritize platforms that offer integrated DEX analytics and automated remediation.
Plan for operational change management and retrain support teams for AI-augmented workflows.
Update security policies to use ZSP and JIT access models.
2. Identity-first EUC with Microsoft Entra as the control plane
As organizations diversify their device portfolios and embrace hybrid work, identity has emerged as the primary architecture layer for EUC. Rather than anchoring security and access around devices or OSes, EUC leaders are shifting to identity-centric models that unify access, governance and compliance across all endpoints and platforms.
The proliferation of cloud apps, remote work and BYOD has made traditional perimeter-based security and OS-specific controls insufficient. Identity provides a consistent, scalable way to manage who gets access to what, regardless of device type, location or platform.
Microsoft Entra has become the de facto control plane for identity-driven EUC, extending far beyond basic authentication. Capabilities include the following:
Conditional access. Dynamic, context-aware policies that grant or block access based on user risk, device health, location and session context.
Device trust. Integration with device management tools to ensure only compliant, trusted devices can access sensitive resources, regardless of OS.
Compliance evaluation. Continuous assessment of device posture, app usage and user behavior against organizational policies and regulatory requirements.
Access governance. Centralized management of permissions, entitlements and lifecycle events across Windows 11, Android Enterprise, ChromeOS Flex, macOS and VDI/DaaS environments.
Entra's architecture is built for zero trust. Identity-based controls ensure that every access request is authenticated, authorized and continuously evaluated. This minimizes lateral movement and reduces the blast radius of potential breaches.
AI agents also present a new layer of risk. As organizations deploy AI copilots and automated workflows, these agents gain access to sensitive data, systems and decision-making authority. However, traditional identity and access management systems were designed for human users, not autonomous software agents.
This creates the following issues:
AI sprawl. The proliferation of AI agents can lead to identity sprawl, where each agent requires its own credentials, permissions and governance, thereby multiplying the attack surface.
Rogue AI threats. Malicious or poorly governed AI agents can act as insider threats, exfiltrating data or making unauthorized changes at machine speed.
Governance gaps. Without comprehensive identity governance for non-human actors, organizations risk losing visibility and control over what AI agents can access and do.
To protect against these threats, extend identity governance frameworks to cover both human and AI/automation identities. Enforce least privilege principles and ZSP for all agents, using JIT access and continuous monitoring. IT teams should audit and review AI agent activity as rigorously as they would for privileged end users.
Decision points for EUC leaders
Center EUC architecture around identity, not device or OS.
Use Microsoft Entra for unified conditional access, device trust and compliance management.
Align access policies with zero-trust principles such as continuous verification, least privilege and adaptive controls.
Extend identity governance and monitoring to all AI and automation agents, not just humans.
3. Post-VMware EUC replatforming
Broadcom's acquisition of VMware has triggered a seismic shift in the EUC landscape. Once a stable pillar for VDI and unified endpoint management, VMware's EUC portfolio -- particularly Horizon and Workspace One -- now faces major strategic and financial headwinds.
Organizations are reevaluating VMware EUC -- now named Omnissa -- for the following reasons:
Licensing model upheaval. Under Omnissa, licensing costs for Horizon and Workspace One have increased significantly. Organizations accustomed to predictable Capex now face volatile, usage-based Opex. This makes budgeting and cost control more complex.
Reduced flexibility. Many customers report less favorable contract terms, limited support tiers and fewer customization options.
Strategic uncertainty. The rebranding process has created uncertainty about long-term support and investment.
As the company recalibrates, displaced customers might consider other cloud-based competitors, including Citrix, Azure Virtual Desktop, Amazon WorkSpaces and niche VDI/DaaS providers.
The move to hybrid environments requires platforms that can manage and secure endpoints across multiple domains. IT leaders should look at their existing infrastructure to assess the current state and compare Omnissa pricing to alternative platforms. Be sure to factor hidden migration costs into this comparison. Calculate business continuity, compliance and support risks of staying versus leaving. Shortlist competitive tools based on feature fit, ecosystem compatibility, scalability and future roadmaps.
Plan for 2026 migration and execution in the following areas:
Profile moves. Plan and execute user profile migrations to new platforms.
App packaging. Repackage and validate applications for the target VDI or DaaS environment. Consider platform compatibility for legacy apps.
VDI image rebuilds. Develop, test and deploy new desktop images to ensure security and performance.
Support retraining. Upskill IT and support teams for new tools and workflows.
Compliance resets. Revalidate compliance posture and update audit processes for the new environment.
Integration considerations. Ensure seamless integration with backup tools, automation workflows and networking models to avoid operational blind spots.
Resolving the post-VMware EUC challenge is a complex, multi-year journey. Quick lifts might be possible for non-critical workloads. Large-scale migrations demand careful planning, phased execution and ongoing optimization.
Decision points for EUC leaders
Treat 2025 as the strategic evaluation year. Don't rush, but don't delay foundational analysis.
Allocate resources for a 2026 migration/execution phase, including budget for hidden costs and retraining.
Build a migration playbook that addresses technical, operational and compliance requirements.
Engage stakeholders early -- especially security, compliance and end-user support teams.
Prioritize platforms with strong integration ecosystems for backup, automation and networking.
4. Windows 11 hardening after Windows 10 end of support
Windows 10 devices stopped receiving support and, therefore, security updates after October 2025. These devices expose organizations to escalating risk from unpatched vulnerabilities. Attackers are quick to target unsupported OS versions. Organizations must migrate to Windows 11 endpoints and harden them to maintain compliance and reduce exposure.
Key security measures for Windows 11 include the following:
Baselining. Establish and enforce a secure configuration baseline. Use tools like Microsoft Security Baselines to ensure consistency and compliance across all Windows 11 devices.
Secure Boot. Enable Secure Boot to prevent unauthorized code from running during the boot process.
Virtualization-based security. Use virtualization-based security and hypervisor-protected code integrity to isolate critical processes and defend against advanced malware.
Memory integrity. Activate memory integrity features to prevent attackers from injecting malicious code into high-security processes.
App compatibility validation. Carefully test and validate app compatibility to avoid disruptions and support UX.
Conditional access alignment. Integrate device compliance with identity-driven conditional access policies for a unified zero-trust approach.
OS hardening often increases short-term support volume as users adapt to new security controls, authentication methods and device policies. Proactive communication and user training are essential to minimize friction. Security improvements, such as passwordless logins and memory integrity, can enhance UX, but only if change management is prioritized.
Device segmentation planning is another important part of the OS hardening process.
Additionally, IT should ensure governance and drift control are in place. Automated configuration management and continuous compliance monitoring are necessary to prevent drift from secure baselines and maintain regulatory alignment.
Device segmentation planning is another important part of the OS hardening process. A one-size-fits-all approach is no longer viable. Segmenting devices by user role, risk profile and behavioral patterns enables targeted security controls and operational policies. For frontline workers, prioritize simplicity, kiosk modes and strong device lockdown. Regulated or specialized environments, on the other hand, demand thorough hardening, audit trails and strict enforcement of compliance.
Decision points for EUC leaders
Treat Windows 11 hardening as a continuous process, not a one-time project.
Invest in automation for baseline enforcement, drift detection and compliance reporting.
Align OS security with identity and conditional access for a unified zero-trust model.
Segment device management and policy enforcement by user role and behavioral risk.
Plan for increased support needs during transition, with clear user training and communication.
Conclusion
As end-user computing enters a period of accelerated change, CIOs and EUC leaders must move decisively to future-proof their environments. Cybersecurity is not only a technical expense, but a financial and legal liability. Compromised supply chains are an immediate risk, and the executive mindset must shift to recognize and address governance blind spots.
"In a landscape of total disruption, security is the ability to fail gracefully. Move from bloated defense to a minimum viable operational model," said Andy de Clerck, director of IT consultancy firm Blue Nebula. "Protect your core 20% with sovereign control and automated recovery, or risk losing everything."
Organizations' focus should be on resilience in the coming year.
"In 2026, total protection is a myth. Resilience is the reality," de Clerck said.
The goal is to rationalize the tool landscape into a leaner, better-integrated stack, centered around the secure agentic control plane. By adapting to change early, EUC leaders can position their organizations to navigate disruption, control risk and deliver a secure, seamless digital experience in 2026 and beyond.
Helen Searle-Jones holds a group head of IT position in the manufacturing sector. She draws on 30 years of experience in enterprise and end-user computing, utilizing cloud and on-premise technologies to enhance IT performance.
