Desktop virtualization has come a long way since the early days when Citrix and Microsoft terminal services were the only games in town. With each offering, IT had to dedicate a server to storing end user desktops which were offered up over the LAN. If you weren’t attached to the LAN, you didn’t have a desktop. Forget mobile use and forget work at home. This was strictly for the 9 to 5ers.
The cloud has broken those LAN bonds. Nowadays, a full desktop with all your apps and data can be available over the Web. And there are myriad technologies and vendors to choose from. One is dubbed Desktop as a Service (DaaS).
The list of vendors grew by one this week as Xtium announced a new desktop service, which is an addition to its line of backup and virtual disaster recovery and managed cloud hosting services.
Xtiium is basing the new service on software from Desktone, Inc. The deal is similar to the recently crafted arrangement with Dimension Data where Dimension offers desktop-based DaaS. Dell, Time Warner and Fujitsu also offer Desktone services.
Unlike earlier desktop virtualization, not only are end users no longer tethered to the LAN, they are also no longer tied down to a PC. Tablets and other mobile devices can access the desktop. This approach is one solution to the bring your own device (BYOD) conundrum. With a good DaaS, IT can support an array of personal end user devices with full desktops using company standard software and implementing corporate IT policies.
Xtium aims largely at mid-sized customers. Besides cloud storage, Xtium also offers business intelligence, ERP, e-mail and collaboration.
“DaaS is a natural complement to our existing cloud offerings, and completes our solution continuum from the data to the desktop and everything in between,” noted Shawn Fichter, head of product and marketing, Xtium. “Through the Desktone partnership we can remove the burden of desktop management from IT teams, and provide a secure, highly accessible, always-on solution for mobile devices, tablets and standard workstations for the entire workforce.”
The technology behind the Desktone DaaS is VDI. VDI supersedes the older client server model, which drove early desktop virtualization installs. With VDI, the desktop images are held on remote servers and the connection to the end user is brokered through a brokering service, allowing access from different locations and devices.
However, Xtium argues that VDI is complicated for IT to install and manage. With a cloud offering, the provider takes care of that complexity, serving up the desktop without the customer worrying about infrastructure.
“DaaS takes the cost and complexity out of managing virtual desktops,” said David Grant, VP, Marketing, Desktone. “The self-service, policy-based portal makes it easy to provision and manage end-user desktops. And the multi-tenancy of the platform enables Xtium and its customers to realize the economies of cloud computing in a virtual desktop environment.”
Desktone was chosen as a “Major Player” by research house in the area of client virtualization last December.
Edited by
Rachel Ramsey
