Pano Logic, which specializes in a variation of desktop virtualization called “zero client,” has released Pano System 4, a next-generation device designed to replace PCs and thin clients with server-side software that can support the three major hypervisor platforms.
The Pano client, a small chrome, black or dark green box that resembles a 3.5-inch-square by 2-inch-high paperweight, serves as the plug-in terminal for a workstation monitor, keyboard and mouse. Pano, in turn, connects to the enterprise network with its own drivers.
That’s it. Nothing else is needed for an employee to get on the enterprise network.
“Pano System 4 is the only desktop virtualization system that can support Citrix XenDesktop, Microsoft Hyper-V and VMware vSphere/View interchangeably, and interoperate with each platform’s management systems,” Chief Technology Officer Aly Orady told eWEEK.
Power consumption is the industry’s lowest at 6 watts, and security is never a problem with this device, Orady said.
“It can never be infected with a virus because it’s impossible to infect something with a virus if it doesn’t have software on it,” Orady said. “It can’t get hacked into; it’s basically a very dumb piece of hardware, with all the intelligence being moved into the data center.”
Zero System Footprint
The zero-client devices also have zero system footprint, so controlled access to information enables 100 percent data security and compliance at the endpoint. They are centrally managed, contain no moving parts and are optimized to cut bandwidth latency to virtually nothing, Orady said.
“The whole point of this is, that from a management and security perspective, PCs are a nightmare,” Orady said. “You walk into an enterprise and see 100,000 PCs. That’s 100,000 things you have to keep secure and updated. If you’re 99.99 percent successful, good luck finding the hundreds of PCs you’ve missed.”
Go here to read a review of Pano System 4 by eWEEK’s Cameron Sturdivant.
For years, customers have hesitated to embrace desktop virtualization while the major vendors battle over protocols, standards and architectures that force companies to lock into a vendor instead of a business strategy, said John Abbott, chief architect of analysis firm The 451 Group.
“Pano Logic removes most of this customer risk and complexity with its zero client open architecture approach. Customers eliminate vendor lock-in, client-side management and security issues with the zero footprint endpoint,” Abbott said.
Platform support for Pano 4 is as follows: VMwareVI3 or vSphere 4.0-4.1, View 4.0 and 4.5, vCenter Server 4.1; Microsoft Hyper-V in Windows Server 2008 R2, Hyper-V Server along with System Center Virtual Machine Manager; and Citrix XenDesktop 4 and NetScaler (optional Citrix Provisioning Server).
Pano Logic, whose CEO is former Oracle Senior Vice President for Business Development John Kish, released its first product in 2007 and is based in Redwood City, Calif.