Application Virtualization or Application Deployment, which one is better? (Part IV)

Application Deployment solutions reduce the cost of delivering applications and help you manage license use? With the end of support for Windows XP happening in 2014 many businesses are moving towards Windows 7 – ideally this inevitable cost is kept low. Application Virtualization can be used on ‘traditional’ desktops and laptops. Application Virtualization can be used in client side-hypervisors. Application Virtualization extends and increases the efficiencies of desktop virtualization as well as enabling portability and improving compatibility of applications. Application Virtualization can free you, not only from the limitation of having to “install within each device”, but lead the way in offering an alternative to “install on only corporate devices”. Application Virtualization can be a tool to reduce the complexity and time needed to move from Windows XP to Windows 7, and from future application updates. Indeed, for many companies, Application Virutalization is an option that can be used now by utilising existing license agreements, or for less cost than converting the application to run as a web-based service.

Desktone 3.0 the $1 virtual desktop

One week after Austin, TX-based Virtual Bridges Inc. announced that IBM is using its flagship VERDE solution to provide virtual desktop management and provisioning capabilities for the IBM Cloud Service Provider Platform, Chelmsford MA based Desktone Inc. today announced two major steps forward on the road to ubiquitous public cloud-based virtual desktops – The release of Desktone 3.0, and its partnership with Rackspace Hosting to provide public cloud-based virtual desktops for just $1 per day.

Wyse explores the boundaries of cloud computing with new Cloud PCs

Wyse Technology has announced a new computing platform designed to capitalize on the growing market for cloud hosted virtual desktop environments that has the potential to un-jam one of the most emotive roadblocks towards the widespread adoption of desktop virtualization. Announced at Microsoft’s Tech Ed conference in Berlin, the Wyse Cloud PC presents an intriguing twist in the junction between desktop virtualization and thin client technologies that gets right to the heart of many IT professionals opposition to desktop virtualization.

Virtualising Citrix XenApp is a Waste of Time and Effort

Is virtualizing Citrix XenApp a waste of time and effort? In spite of the hardware abstraction allowing easier image management and OS upgrades; in spite of options for higher availability and faster recovery, even fail-over; in spite of enabling silo consolidation; in spite of enabling managing user capacity on servers – especially for x32 environments, but also x64; … what could virtualization of your Presentation Virtualization environment possibly do for you?

The Desktop Virtualization Iceberg

Desktop Virtualization is not an easy undertaking. There – I’ve said it. “But,” you may say, “I take a copy of the desktops I have, I run them on servers in the data-centre. Once that’s done, I don’t need to update those desktop devices; I can update the virtualized workspace instead far more quickly. The desktops are running on server hardware so they will be more reliable. Eventually, someone may well offer to host these workspaces on some infrastructure out in The Cloud”.
“Really, how hard can it be?”

Citrix FlexCast – Interesting Security Considerations

The Virtualization Security Podcast on 10/21 was the third in a series of Virtual Desktop Security discussions we are having. The special guest panelist was Chris Mayers of one of the Chief Security Architects for Citrix, the makers of XenServer, XenClient, and the FlexCast solutions. FlexCast provides an all encompassing method to provide virtual desktop and applications that include the following mechanisms:
Let us look at each of these mechanisms in a bit of detail then discuss how they work to provide Security and how to secure them.