Pano Logic Offers Tighter VMware Integration, Windows 7 Support

Pano Logic is releasing the latest version of its zero-client desktop virtualization offering, offering tighter integration with VMware’s View and support for Microsoft’s Windows 7 operating system.

Pano System 3.0, released April 14, also offers other new features as well, including the ability for users to reboot their virtual machines, or to lock their desktop and access a new one if a problem arises. This way, the user can continue working while enabling the IT department to examine the one with the problem.

Pano Logic is looking to differentiate itself from others in the burgeoning desktop virtualization space with its zero-client offering. With Pano Logic’s platform, users connect to a virtual machine through a device that has no processor, operating system, memory, drivers, applications or moving parts. All of that is housed in a central server running VMware virtualization technology. The desktop is streamed from the server to the zero-client device.

Pano Logic officials estimate that their zero-client offering—by eliminating endpoint device management and support—reduces the TCO of compute environments by up to 80 percent.

Now VMware’s View Manager will be integrated into Pano System 3.0, enabling IT administrators to use a single console in VMware View to manage virtual desktop deployments that include a mix of Pano Logic virtual desktops, PCs and thin clients.

“Pano Logic is dedicated to ensuring our customers have the tools and resources they need to maximize their investments in both VMware and Pano Logic solutions,” Pano Logic CEO John Kish said in a statement.

In addition, Pano Logic’s platform now supports the Enterprise, Professional and Ultimate editions of Microsoft’s Windows 7 OS. The company is looking to make the migration to Windows 7 easier by keeping the price for its platform unchanged and enabling users to keep both a Windows 7 and Windows XP desktop.

With Windows 7 on the market and the global recession beginning to recede, industry analysts expect to see businesses refresh their aging fleets of corporate desktops as the year moves on, a prediction that was echoed April 13 by Intel CEO Paul Otellini during his company’s quarterly earnings call.

As CEOs begin to spend again on IT, they’re also looking for offerings to keep their costs down, which is creating opportunities for desktop virtualization vendors, according to analysts.

Pano Logic officials are trying to latch on to the opportunity. The company has started to partner with other IT vendors—most recently, Fujitsu in March, which is creating its Fujitsu Zero Client platform on Pano Logic’s products—and also is opening up its technology to businesses through its Zero Client Reference Architecture, released in February.

Pano Logic’s offerings includes the Pano Device endpoint, which is connected to a server through existing IP networks to a virtualized instance of Microsoft’s Windows operating system housed on the server. Pano Direct Service links peripherals attached to the Pano Device to the Windows drivers, and the whole system is managed by Pano Manager software. The company’s Pano Device is the zero client.