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desktop virtualization

How Citrix Aims To Drag SMBs Into The ‘Cloud Era’

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Citrix today announced a new set of products, solutions and programs designed to help small and medium businesses move from the PC Era to the Cloud Era by capitalizing on the benefits of desktop virtualization.

Central to the company’s new SMB initiative is the release of an all-new version of Citrix VDI-in-a-Box, the all-in-one virtual desktop solution designed specifically for SMBs.

VDI-in-a-Box 5 is the first Citrix release of this desktop virtualization product following the acquisition of Kaviza in May 2011. In addition, Citrix announced a new solution combining Citrix VDI-in-a-Box and the Citrix GoToManage cloud-based support offering, making it easy for managed service providers and IT staff to remotely monitor and support virtual desktop deployments at multiple sites or customer locations.

Citrix also announced a new channel partner specialization for the Citrix Solution Advisor Program, called SMB Specialist. They will have access to an extensive set of sales tools, free online training and pre-sales support focused specifically on helping them successfully engage and service SMB customers.

Citrix VDI-in-a-Box 5 will be released this quarter. A free technology preview trial is available here.

Desktone Partners With VMware To Deliver Desktop-as-a-Service Offering

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Desktone, provider of Desktops-as-a-Service (DaaS), today announced it is partnering with VMware to deliver a new desktop-as-a-service solution.

The solution will make it easy for service providers to offer full-featured, highly cost-effective virtual desktops.

The joint VMware-Desktone roadmap includes:

– Desktone DaaS Platform: Launched more than four years ago for delivering cloud-hosted DaaS. Features such as multi-tenancy, grid architecture, role separation, and cloud economics achieved through substantial use of open source, are what make the Desktone offering attractive.

– VMware View 5 with PCoIP display protocol: Enables service providers to enhance their Desktone-powered DaaS solutions by providing an end-user experience that is comparable to that available with a physical PC.

– VMware vSphere 5 and cloud infrastructure suite: Enables service providers to leverage the industry’s leading cloud infrastructure platform providing security, reliability, high availability, reduced cost and optimal performance for cloud-hosted desktops.

– VMware vCloud technology: Enables service providers to take advantage of common orchestration and automation by integrating the Desktone Platform directly with a hypervisor.

The VMware View-based DaaS offering will be available to service providers later this year.

Cisco, Citrix Join Forces To Deliver Rich Media-Enabled Virtual Desktops

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Cisco and Citrix Systems have announced that they have entered into a strategic alliance to develop and deliver solutions that help customers simplify and accelerate large-scale desktop virtualization deployments.

Through this alliance, Cisco and Citrix will drive innovations that simplify the deployment of high-definition virtual desktops and applications and improve end-user experiences over a Citrix HDX-enabled Cisco network.

The companies will also continue to enhance and build upon their data center solutions and cloud technologies to help accelerate deployment of cloud services.

In addition, the two companies will invest in joint go-to-market activities that will focus on driving primary product and services demand in high growth market areas such as desktop virtualization and cloud markets.

Virtual Computer Debuts Global Partner Program

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Virtual Computer has announced the launch of its global partner program. This program is designed to help solution providers and managed service providers (MSPs) set themselves apart from competitors by selling a client-hosted virtual desktop infrastructure (VDI) solution.

This enables solution providers and MSPs to effectively deliver on desktop virtualization and management initiatives as well as to focus on additional high-value projects and services.

The Virtual Computer NxTop desktop virtualization solution balances the manageability and budget needs of IT professionals with the freedom and flexibility end users demand. Unlike traditional server-hosted VDI, NxTop offers centralized management with localized execution to address all of the challenges associated with traditional server-hosted VDI, including high server and network costs, low performance, and limited mobility, giving partners a competitive advantage and improving customer satisfaction.

As part of the program, partners will benefit from an award winning client-hosted desktop virtualization solution. In addition, to help partners attain greater profitability, Virtual Computer’s new partner program offers sales and technical resources, demand generation tools, online self- paced sales and technical courses.

ChangeBASE Now Covers Microsoft Windows Desktop Virtualization Technologies

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ChangeBASE, which provides automated application compatibility testing and remediation solutions, has created a new application compatibility tool for companies considering moving to a session virtualization or virtual desktop infrastructure (VDI) environment with Windows Server 2008 R2 Remote Desktop Services (RDS).

The AOK Tool helps to determine which applications will work optimally in a server-hosted desktop virtualization environment on Windows Server 2008 R2.

Using the AOK Tool together with the recently launched ChangeBASE reporting rules and plug-ins for RDS which have been developed together with Microsoft makes it easier to find out which applications will work out of the box and which ones may experience issues.

RDS is one of the core virtualisation technologies available in Windows Server 2008 R2.

In addition to the traditional session virtualisation scenario (formerly known as Terminal Services), RDS has expanded its role to provide an extensible platform for VDI.

RDS, which separates where the desktop or application is used from where it is run, accelerates desktop & application deployments and improves remote worker efficiency, while helping to keep critical intellectual property secure and to simplify regulatory compliance.

Desktop Virtualization Market To Approach A Whopping $5 Billion In 2016, Says ABI Research

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According to a new study from ABI Research, the worldwide market for hosted virtual desktops is forecast to grow from about $500 million in 2009 to a cumulative total of nearly $5 billion in 2016.

North America and Europe will comprise the majority of the market for virtual desktops throughout the forecast period.

Larry Fisher, director of the firm’s Automotive, Energy and Emerging Technologies practice, says, “The VDI market will exhibit impressive growth in the next five years; buyers will principally consist of large enterprises looking to reduce their desktop support and management costs, and companies and organizations that need to lock data in the data center, either for compliance or security reasons.”