Pano Logic Rolls Out Latest Desktop Virtualization Offering

Pano Logic is releasing the latest version of its desktop virtualization technology into a highly competitive market that has seen its share of vendor moves recently.

A day after Citrix Systems unveiled its XenDesktop 4 technology and VMware announced that its Fusion product now supports Apple’s “Snow Leopard” and Microsoft’s Windows 7 operating systems, Pano Logic is rolling out Pano System 2.8 and Pano Dual Monitor, which officials said will improve the end-user experience as well as the scalability and manageability of their offering.

The Pano Logic system includes a Pano Device, which officials call a zero-client endpoint. The Pano Device has no processor inside, instead putting all of the computing power on a back-end server.

The endpoint device is connected via existing IP networks to an instance of Microsoft’s Windows operating system, which is virtualized on the centralized server. The system is controlled by Pano Manager software.

Pano Logic is bucking a trend in desktop virtualization, according to Parmeet Chaddha, executive vice president of engineering at the company. It centralizes all of the key elements—from processing power and memory to the OS and drivers—while other VDI (virtual desktop infrastructure) options, such as thin clients, continue to add features, such as more processing power, to the endpoint devices.

“What you’re seeing is not thin clients, but thicker clients,” Chaddha said in an interview.

The results include bigger management headaches and greater security concerns, he said. With Pano Logic’s system, everything is centrally contained within a back-end server.

“Zero-client is as dumb as it gets,” he said. “There’s nothing IT needs to do on the endpoint. There’s no data on it. … It’s truly 100 percent centralization.”

Businesses can save 70 percent in total cost of ownership over traditional PCs, and the Pano Device uses less than 3 watts of power, about 97 percent less than a typical desktop, saving on power and cooling costs, officials said.

With Pano System 2.8, announced Oct. 7, the company is doubling the number—to about 1,000—of desktops that can be controlled from a single Pano Logic management console, Chaddha said. It also enhances the backup and restore capabilities, and now offers Pano Dual Monitor, a USB adapter that enables two display devices to be connected to the Pano Device, so users can get multidisplay capabilities for applications and Windows OS.

Pano System 2.8 is available immediately, starting at $319 per desktop.