What is end user computing (EUC)?

To understand what end user computing is in a technical sense, it helps to break down the different technologies involved. These components work together to help deliver a seamless experience for developers and general staff alike.

The most visible part of EUC is the hardware. This includes laptops, desktop computers, smartphones, tablets, and thin clients (stripped-down computers that rely on a server to do the heavy processing). Since 2024, the variety of endpoints has shifted, with many employees using two or more devices daily to complete their tasks.

VDI is a technology where desktop environments are hosted on a central server rather than on the local device itself. When a user logs in, they see a virtual image of their desktop. All the processing happens in the data center, which keeps data secure because it never actually lives on the user's laptop.

Think of DaaS as VDI that lives in the public cloud. Instead of your company buying and managing the expensive servers to run virtual desktops, a third-party provider hosts them for you. You pay a subscription fee, and the provider handles the hardware maintenance, making it much easier to scale up when you hire new staff.

Sometimes you don’t need a full desktop; you just need one specific application. Application virtualization delivers a single app to the user's device, which can be useful for running older software on modern machines. For example, modern solutions like virtual app delivery (VAD) allow you to stream a legacy app directly into a web browser.

Choosing the right end user computing solutions depends on your budget and your security needs. The table below compares the three most common approaches.

While VDI and DaaS replicate full desktop experiences, modern EUC strategies increasingly rely on the web browser as the primary interface for work. This approach decouples the application from the underlying operating system entirely.

Rather than managing virtual desktops, organizations can now use application streaming to deliver software. In this model, the application runs on a secure server, but the visual interface is streamed as pixels to a browser tab on the user’s device. This offers a distinct technical advantage: it eliminates the "double hop" latency often found in traditional VDI and removes the need for users to navigate a secondary Windows desktop interface just to access one tool. This method allows legacy applications to run side-by-side with modern SaaS tools, creating a unified, browser-first workspace that is secure, simpler to manage, and lighter on infrastructure resources.

Google Cloud approaches end user computing differently. Rather than just moving old desktops to the cloud, Google Cloud helps focus on enabling secure access through modern, cloud-first tools. This shifts the focus from managing heavy operating systems to enabling instant productivity.

ChromeOS devices (Chromebooks) are secure by design. They boot up in seconds and can be resistant to traditional ransomware attacks. With Chrome Enterprise, IT teams can manage thousands of devices from a single cloud console, enforcing security policies without needing VPNs.

Sometimes you still need that one specific application. Google's acquisition of Cameyo allows organizations to deliver these legacy apps seamlessly. Instead of a slow, expensive virtual desktop, Cameyo streams the specific app to a Chrome browser tab. This is perfect for a business that wants to move to the cloud but is held back by one critical legacy ERP system.

For power users who need full Windows capabilities—like engineers using CAD software—Google Cloud partners with industry leaders. You can run Citrix or VMware (via Google Cloud VMware Engine) directly on Google Cloud’s global infrastructure. This gives you the familiarity of traditional tools with the speed and reliability of Google Cloud’s fiber network.

Google Workspace helps complete the picture by moving the actual work to the cloud. By replacing installed office software with cloud-native tools like Docs, Sheets, and Drive, you remove the need to save files on a local hard drive entirely. This can reduce the risk of data loss and makes collaboration real-time.