Parallels Survey Highlights EUC Strategy Reset

Parallels’ latest State of Cloud Computing Survey suggests enterprise IT leaders are recalibrating their end-user computing (EUC) strategies, with implications for MSPs, cloud providers, and channel partners supporting hybrid environments.

The 2026 report, based on responses from 540 IT professionals in the U.S., U.K., and Germany, points to a shift from cost-driven optimization to structural risk management. 

Vendor lock-in anxiety intensifies across EUC buyers

According to the survey, 94% of organizations are concerned about vendor lock-in, with nearly half describing themselves as “very concerned.” 

Uncertain product roadmaps (46%) and fears about future support (57%) now weigh more heavily in platform decisions than they did a year ago.

Prashant Ketkar, chief technology and product officer at Parallels, said buyers are increasingly focused on optionality. 

“Last year, organizations were focused on escaping rising costs,” Ketkar said in a statement. “This year, they are focused on avoiding regret. IT leaders want automation that reduces workload, architectures that support hybrid reality, and the freedom to change course as needs evolve.”

For channel partners, this creates opportunity around migration services, platform consolidation assessments, and vendor diversification strategies—particularly as customers evaluate alternatives in the virtual desktop infrastructure (VDI) and desktop-as-a-service (DaaS) markets.

AI spending shifts from hype to operational efficiency

AI remains on the roadmap, but buyer expectations have matured. Instead of treating AI as a broad transformation initiative, organizations are targeting specific operational use cases.

Nearly half (47%) prioritize AI for issue detection, 41% want automated application patching, and 39% seek reductions in administrative overhead. However, only 29% are willing to pay a premium for AI-enabled features.

The data suggests a pivot from experimental AI investments toward measurable automation outcomes, an important signal for partners packaging AI into managed services. Customers are looking for workload reduction and cost control, not additional complexity layered onto existing EUC stacks.

VDI fatigue accelerates platform reevaluation

Operational strain tied to VDI environments is becoming more visible. Eighty-five percent of respondents spend one to ten hours per week managing VDI, and 68% now cite IT staff time as the single largest hidden cost. Nearly 30% identify training and onboarding as a major challenge.

As a result, 66% of organizations are seeking a new VDI or DaaS solution in 2026, up from 58% last year. More than half plan to implement a new solution within four to six months, signaling a faster decision cycle.

Hybrid reality replaces cloud-only confidence

The survey also underscores a continued move away from cloud-only strategies. Forty-nine percent now operate multi-cloud environments, 33% run hybrid deployments, and 49% are considering or planning a shift back to on-premises or hybrid models.

Cost volatility, data sovereignty concerns (cited by 84% of respondents), and a rise in reported security breaches are driving reassessment. 

For channel partners, the shift reinforces demand for hybrid architecture design, security overlays, and governance frameworks as customers seek greater control across distributed environments.