Desktop Virtualization a Focus of VMworld

RingCube is expanding the ways an enterprise can deploy the company’s desktop virtualization technology.

RingCube officials Aug. 25 announced that with vDesk version 2.1, businesses now can stream their desktop image from any NAS (network attached storage) appliance or file server that supports the CIFS (Common Internet File System) protocol from a virtual hard drive (VHD) container.

Customers already can deploy RingCube’s technology from PCs, USB drives and other portable media, among other avenues.

RingCube will be showcasing vDesk 2.1 at the VMworld 2009 show in San Francisco Aug. 31-Sept. 4.

Desktop virtualization promises to be a focus at the week-long show.

Wyse Technology Aug. 24 announced new software and a new thin client device aimed at improving the end user experience in desktop virtualization environments. In addition, startup Wanova came out of stealth mode Aug. 19 and introduced its Distributed Desktop Virtualization architecture.

An increasing number of vendors are looking for ways to make the performance users of desktop virtualization technology have with their devices equal to what they would find on a traditional PC. In addition, they’re pushing to drive down the capital and operating costs of desktop virtualization environments.

Smaller companies such as RingCube and Wanova are joining established vendors like VMware, Microsoft, Citrix and Wyse is the rapidly growing desktop virtualization space.

Also at VMworld, Virtual Computer, which makes its NxTop PC management platform, is using the conference to kick off a program aimed at showing businesses how much money they can save by deploying desktop virtualization technology. A key part of the program is Virtual Computer’s new TCO calculator that helps IT professionals run the numbers.

When they rolled out version 2.0 of vDesk in May, RingCube officials said they wanted to offer a technology that didn’t require a lot of upfront costs or duplicate Windows licenses. It also is aimed at increasing the mobility of end users.

With the NAS deployment method, businesses can store personalized virtual desktops on a NAS appliance or file server, and users access their virtual desktops over the LAN via the vDesk client, which is downloaded through a Web-based client portal. The vDesk workspace is streamed to the user’s PC and then run locally, though data, applications, and settings are stored centrally. Changes made while the user is running the virtual desktop are then stored on the NAS appliance.