VMware Advances End User Computing Vision with View, Horizon and Personal Cloud Updates

Kind to come just one week before the Citrix Synergy conference in San Francisco, VMware announced the next step towards its vision for end user computing today by unveiling the latest updates to VMware View and Horizon Application manager, as well as sharing more news about its Project Octopus beta.

Will Microsoft Windows 8 Software Assurance Fix VDI Licensing?

Instead of decisiveness and clarity, Microsoft has led with indecision and confusion. Windows 8 Software Assurance now comes with Windows To Go Use Rights, WindowsRT Virtual Desktop Access Rights, and Companion Device License, three new licensing structures to be tripped up on.

OnLive Desktop Inching Towards Viability

OnLive, the desktop pundits favorite DaaS provider, is one step closer to being able to offer a viable and fully compliant virtual “desktop” service following the stealth update of its platform from a Windows 7 based VDI service to a Windows Server 8 R2 Remote Desktop Services offering. While this move eliminates the threat to the service that attempting to run a set based on a licensing model that was not compliant with Microsoft’s licensing policies, OnLive is still not out of the woods.

Microsoft User Experience Virtualization. Can’t you find something more important to do?

16 years after it introduced roaming profiles with the launch of Windows NT 4.0 Microsoft has decided to give it another go. In a blog post on Wednesday Karri Alexion-Tiernan (Director of Product Management for Microsoft Desktop Virtualization) announced the public beta of two new technologies, a major update to Microsoft App-V and an all new roaming profile solution User Experience Virtualization (UE-V). Both products will ship as part of a future Microsoft Desktop Optimization Pack (MDOP) release.

Dell to expand cloud and thin client business through Wyse acquisition

Dell continues its expansion into the cloud and virtual desktop market with the announcement on Monday that it has reached agreement with Wyse Technologies to acquire the company.

Dell has had a long partnership with Devon IT,the Dell OptiPlex FX 130 and FX 170 thin clients and the Dell FX100 Zero Client are OEM editions of the Devon IT TC2, TC5, and TC10. Dell also OEMs Devon IT’s VDI Blaster software thin-client and its Echo Management Console software. All of which are considered to be high quality products. So if Dell already has access to its own thin client products and management software why did it need a thin client vendor of its own, and why didn’t it pick Devon IT instead of Wyse.

Onlive Desktop: VDI cannot be DaaS until Microsoft say so.

OnLive Desktop is on the verge of making a game-changing move in the VDI space delivering the hope of a service that a CFO would bite your hand off for. OnLive’s delivery capability is a wakeup call to the ISVs and SPs who are trying to penetrate this market. With the license battle is about to ensue, Microsoft has the heads up display and is the one holding the shotgun, perhaps OnLive can finally convince Redmond that its always more fun in multiplayer mode.