What’s New In Desktop Virtualization

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So much is said about server virtualization, especially as it pertains to VMware (vSphere) and Microsoft (Hyper-V) - but we don’t hear much about what’s new in desktop virtualization.

The field is wide open and startups - like Install Free, MokaFive, and SlickAccess - are bringing some interesting innnovation to the table.

Bernd, an analyst at The Virtualization Practice, recently highlighted these vendors and the approach they’re taking with regard to development. It’s a fascinating read.

Bernd writes …

Recently a flurry of innovation in the space has occurred, driven mostly by venture funded startups who believe that for a variety of reasons that this is not an elephant war – at least not yet. There are three basic approaches taken by the vendors below:

1. Products that consist of client side hypervisors with back end packaging and management tools.
2. Products that create packages of either applications or entire desktops that run on an existing desktop or laptop OS
3. Products that improve upon “server-centric” VDI in some respect, but that basically adhere to the centralized execution architecture of VDI

Bernd then goes on to discuss some of these startup products. Here’s a handful he mentioned…

InstallFree

InstallFree is neither a VDI based OS centralization solution, nor a client side hypervisor solution. Rather it is an applications virtualization solution that is uniquely suited to address some of the unmet needs in desktop virtualization. InstallFree encapsulates applications into Windows OS version independent containers, while providing for execution in VDI, terminal services, distributed desktop hypervisor and fat client Windows modes. A back end management system is used to deploy application images to users and keep them synchronized.

MokaFive

MokaFive’s LivePC images, which contain an entire desktop operating system and application stack that can be run online or offline, boot quickly on a PC, fit easily and securely on a USB flash drive, and update automatically over a network or the Internet. With its unique smart caching and predictive streaming, MokaFive can start up a customized virtual desktop to a Windows or Mac PC in the time it takes to boot a computer. MokaFive also includes a back end authoring and management system designed to create LivePC images and keep them synchronized with images deployed on users’ computers.

SlickAccess

SlickAccess includes a Profile Server which allows IT managers to manage a repository of users’ profiles and to stream users’ profiles to their local PC environments. Streamed applications are then played on the users computer via the Slick Access Remote Applications Player. The Slick Access Management Console keeps profiles in sync between the central profile store and the users devices.

Again, this is just an example of what’s happening right now in the desktop virtualization.  It’s still early in the game - so expect to see a lot more to come in the near future.

Who knows, maybe one of these startups will be the next VMware.

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Tagged as: desktop virtualization, server virtualization, virtual desktop, Virtualization Management