We found that while some things are common across clients and devices, like credentials and authorization, there's a tendency for the virtualized applications to behave a little bit differently on each. This does cause complications and confusion for users who want everything to appear as they are used to. So we have chosen to go with an approved list, much like the store idea. Everyone who is on our VMware infrastructure is on one of those approved and managed clients.

Almost 83 percent of our user base is virtualized now. That's quite a number of people, which of course means that there are some who are not satisfied with the approved devices and systems. To counter this, it is important to know your environment, and be able to quantify the soft impact and hard cost of having a nonstandard device in that mix. But it is just as important to have all the executives--top level and directors--on the same page. We brought together representatives from each of our five business areas and went through all the ways they could see their staff using the devices. And we had all the information and examples gathered before those meetings to be able to show how VMware and the devices we chose could meet those needs, and to demonstrate the cost and productivity benefits we had identified. Now that they understand how IT is helping and why this environment is the most useful for the company, we have no problem countering requests for non-approved devices.

Fineagan, Rourk and Greenwood are all members of the CIO Executive Council, a global peer advisory service and professional association of more than 500 CIOs, founded by CIO's publisher. To learn more, visit .