Virtual Desktop Gets Group Treatment

Convinced that the demand for desktop virtualization software is picking up,
VMware and more than 20 rivals, partners and allies today announced the
Virtual Desktop Infrastructure Alliance.

The alliance, which includes founders IBM, HP and Sun Microsystems, was
formed as a haven for hardware, software and service providers to build
virtual desktop software products together.

Jerry Chen, director of enterprise desktops for VMware, said an uptake in
corporate offshoring, outsourcing and telecommuting has led to increased
concerns about security and compliance.

The problem is that corporate computers often connect to the network from an
unsecure location. Virtual desktop software, Chen said, is a viable solution
to this problem.

For example, Chen said customer Prudential plc has used VMware’s virtual
infrastructure software to allow its call center workers in India to
remotely access the virtual machines from a data center in the U.K.

With virtual desktop software, IT administrators can host and manage desktop
virtual machines in their data centers while offering remote users the same
desktop tools regardless of where they are.

IDC analyst Al Gillen said the security and compliance reasons behind the
push for virtual desktop software make the market a potentially large one.

How long it lasts as a sidebar to traditional virtualization, where it is
typically used more to run multiple versions of an operating system or
application on one physical machine, is another question.

Chen said VMware will work with each member to create, test and integrate
joint desktop hosting offerings based on VMware virtual infrastructure and
the partner’s hardware or software product.

Other charter members of the Virtual Desktop Infrastructure Alliance include
Altiris, Appstream, Ardence, ATOS Origin, Check Point Software Technologies,
Citrix, ClearCube Technology, Devon IT, Dunes Technologies, Fujitsu-Siemens,
LeoStream, NComputing, NEC, Platform Computing, Propero, Provision Networks,
Route1, Softricity, Wyse Technology and Zeus Technology.