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Quest, Virtual Computer Unveil Integrated Server and Client-Hosted Desktop Virtualization

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Quest Software and Virtual Computer today announced a technology alliance to deliver a desktop virtualization and management solution meeting the end-to-end computing needs of large enterprises.

This technology provides anywhere, anytime access to both centralized and distributed end-user environments through the integration of Quest vWorkspace client and Virtual Computer NxTop 3.0 enterprise platform.

The combined solution will dramatically reduce the cost and complexity of deploying and managing corporate desktops, while improving desktop delivery options for stationery and mobile users.

The offering will provide consolidated management across server- and client-hosted virtual desktops, enabling IT teams to build a single virtual desktop image for deployment to stationery and mobile users. Regardless of the deployment model, IT administrators can efficiently execute updates once in a secure environment. Master image updates are synchronized with linked user desktops—running centrally or locally—while preserving end-user personalization.

Stationery users in corporate offices or an Internet/VPN connection can access server-hosted desktops and applications remotely using the broker technology and high performance Experience Optimized Protocol (EOP) in Quest vWorkspace. Mobile users can use NxTop Engine, Virtual Computer’s unique “bare-metal” client hypervisor and remote management technology, to maintain full access to their desktop when disconnected from the network. NxTop Engine enables easy access to server-based resources while online via the integrated Quest vWorkspace connector.

The joint solution will also feature tight integration with Hyper-V and System Center Virtual Machine Manager for virtual desktop creation, management and execution. NxTop Engine’s two-way Hyper-V compatibility will allow virtual desktops to execute on local PC hardware, and users of server-hosted desktops will benefit from Quest’s EOP enhancements for the RDP protocol, including emerging Microsoft technology such as RemoteFX.

As business becomes increasingly mobile, Quest and Virtual Computer will offer a one-of-a-kind capability for users to remotely access their desktops and applications, including desktops running on PCs equipped with NxTop Engine. From a remote PC with a specialized client, a thin client, or a tablet-computing device, users will be able to access their desktops and applications in a secure manner for an unprecedented level of freedom and convenience.

The initial vWorkspace/NxTop integration, including a NxTop Engine and the Quest vWorkspace connector, will be available as a release candidate beginning Aug. 30, with general availability in October.

Additional integration points and enhancements will be delivered in phases through 2011.

Quest Software Has Completed Its Acquisition of Surgient

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Quest Software earlier this month announced the completion of its acquisition of privately held Surgient, a leader in private cloud automation software.

Surgient, located in Austin, Texas, will expand Quest virtualization management capabilities by enabling organizations to automate the deployment and management of secure private cloud infrastructures to gain business agility and reduce costs.

Private cloud computing is emerging as a fundamental requirement for businesses. As a leading provider of cloud automation solutions, Surgient provides a patented and proven technology that supports heterogeneous hypervisor environments and diverse customer environments, including mid-market, enterprise, and managed service providers.

Quest will continue to market and sell the Surgient cloud platform and offer customers the company’s popular Cloud Express, which provides a private cloud of 30 CPUs in 30 days.

Quest Buys Private Cloud Automation Software Maker Surgient

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Quest Software has announced that it had entered into a definitive agreement to acquire privately held Surgient, a provider of private cloud automation software.

The Austin, Texas-based company’s Surgient Platform enables organizations to deploy and manage secure cloud infrastructures to gain business agility and reduce costs.

With the Surgient Automation Platform, organizations can create robust and secure infrastructure-as-a-service (IaaS) clouds that may be shared across the organization. The acquisition is subject to customary closing conditions and is expected to close during the third quarter of 2010.

Private cloud computing is emerging as a fundamental requirement for businesses.

According to a recent IDC survey, 73 percent of all organizations are evaluating, planning or have already implemented private cloud strategies. As a leading provider of cloud automation solutions, Surgient provides a patented and proven technology that supports heterogeneous hypervisor environments and diverse customer environments including mid-market, enterprise and managed service providers.

Surgient has more than 60 customers with 160 successful deployments.

Former Vizioncore CEO David Bieneman Is Back With A New Startup

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Founder and former CEO of Vizioncore, David Bieneman, is back after selling the company he started to Quest Software in January 2008. According to his LinkedIn profile, he’s now the CEO of a startup called Liquidware Labs.

Alessandro guesses the company will be doing something in the desktop virtualization sphere:

The company tagline, The Art & Science of the Desktop, and the Roher profile on LinkedIn unveil that Liquidware Labs will be active in the VDI space, will address the PSO organizations, and that will leverage the technology of vmSight, recently acquired while in stealth mode for an undisclosed sum.

vmSight is a startup that offers a solution to track how the users work on the virtual desktops, through the analysis of their network activity. Think about it as a network sniffer that re-assembles the snooped packets to understand the history and the performance of a VDI session and make it easier to troubleshoot.

What Liquidware Labs will do with this technology which is covered by 13 patents?

Time will tell.

Quest Software Releases vWorkspace 6.0

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Quest Software recently announced the general availability of Quest vWorkspace 6.0, its platform-agnostic virtual desktop management solution allowing the management of multiple desktop deployment models and virtual application delivery. Previously branded Provision Networks Virtual Access Suite, Quest vWorkspace offers customers a desktop deployment and application delivery platform that further extends Quest’s EOP capabilities.

New to vWorkspace is full integration and automation with Parallels Virtuozzo Containers, the OS-level server virtualization solution for desktop deployments with native scalable single image management capabilities and minimal storage requirements.

Quest vWorkspace simultaneously supports and fully integrates and automates application delivery, desktop deployment, and management from Microsoft Hyper-V, VMware ESX, Virtual Iron and Parallels Virtuozzo Containers.

Quest Buys MonoSphere

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Quest Software has acquired the technology assets of MonoSphere, a privately owned company headquartered in Redwood City, CA. MonoSphere is the creator of Storage Horizon storage capacity management software.

Quest has also hired a substantial number of the former MonoSphere employees.

  • Quest will continue to maintain, enhance, and support the Storage Horizon solution, enabling customers to dramatically increase utilization of storage infrastructure, resulting in significant reductions in storage capital spending.
  • Quest will also integrate Storage Horizon with a number of its existing products, expanding Quest’s leadership in providing complete solutions that help organizations get more performance and productivity from their applications, databases, Windows infrastructure and virtual environments.