It's easy to imagine why an IT manager might be confused about just how much business value comes from virtualizing end-user desktops. Technologies and vendor strategies change daily and there is no clear evidence that virtualization will save any money in the end. One promising new technology is the client hypervisor, which is designed to let end users run virtual machines locally while the VMs are still managed centrally by IT. This is in contrast to other virtual desktop technologies, which require end users to have access to a server somewhere in order to do their jobs.
The Citrix Systems client hypervisor wasn't a secret. The company posted its intentions on a blog last September, although it did remove the post subsequently. The company said last week it would indeed deliver a client hypervisor on Intel desktops. VMware has also said it will sell a bare-metal client hypervisor. There are rumors that Microsoft is also developing a client hypervisor, but the company, natch, isn't saying.
Which will work better for IT shops? That will depend on the cases for virtualization usage that individual IT shops can concoct to suit their needs.
There is still no hard evidence to show that the virtualization of desktops -- at least using technology that is currently on the market -- will save companies much money, although the promise is certainly there. Virtual desktop technology is all about making it easier for IT to manage the multitudes of desktops in the enterprise, so IT managers are certain to keep their eyes on new products as they evolve.
Yet, as with any immature market, conservative IT managers will likely sit and wait a bit more to see how this game plays out before investing in new technology.
If you've devised a scenario where virtual desktops can be a money saver, we'd like to hear about it. Drop me a line at msemilof@techtarget.com.
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...from SearchEnterpriseDesktop.com
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January 26, 2009
Client hypervisors add new wrinkle to VDI
