News, Analysis and Opinion for Virtual desktop software and vendors

February 05, 2020 05 Feb'20

Workspot launches Cloud Desktop Fabric

Workspot claims its new Cloud Desktop Fabric architecture will improve virtual desktop performance by connecting users to the cloud resources closest to them.

December 06, 2019 06 Dec'19

Benefits of virtualization highlighted in top 10 stories of 2019

Based on our top 10 most-read stories of 2019, IT pros sought to learn the benefits of virtualization, as well as the drawbacks, as the technology gained ground.

August 08, 2019 08 Aug'19

Citrix Managed Desktops close to GA release

Citrix Managed Desktops, which will be released Aug. 26, is meant to make managing desktops for IT easier by having Citrix control the management aspects of virtual desktops.

July 31, 2019 31 Jul'19

Parallels Remote Application Server brings AI, 2FA to SMBs

Parallels added new capabilities to its Remote Application Server product, including better reporting and monitoring for management and easier access to daily applications.

July 29, 2019 29 Jul'19

Browser OS could turn the browser into the new desktop

In this Q&A, VDC Research's Eric Klein explains why Chrome OS has jumped ahead of the market by providing a browser OS that addresses enterprise use cases.

July 17, 2019 17 Jul'19

CloudJumper partnerships support Windows Virtual Desktop

CloudJumper has partnered with ThinPrint, IGEL and Nvidia to support printing, cloud workspace deployment and more in Microsoft's Windows Virtual Desktop.

July 17, 2019 17 Jul'19

Windows virtual desktop software gets closer to public release

As a potential release date for Windows Virtual Desktop looms, Microsoft is making sure its most popular applications are optimized to run within a virtualized environment.

June 14, 2019 14 Jun'19

Application virtualization breathes digital life into legacy apps

Manufacturing company Royal Technologies chose Cameyo to access its Windows-based legacy applications without the complexity of a virtual desktop infrastructure.

April 30, 2019 30 Apr'19

Dell Unified Workspace could make life easier for IT admins

VMware's integration into Dell devices and services as part of the newly unveiled Unified Workspace product could be a boon for IT admins.

April 26, 2019 26 Apr'19

Citrix SaaS products gain traction, a sign of IT's push to modernize

Citrix's quarterly earnings show an uptick in Workspace and subscription-based revenue. But not all the news was good, as CEO David Henshall also announced the CFO's resignation.

April 04, 2019 04 Apr'19

Reports of Citrix layoffs may be overblown

Citrix responded to a report of substantial layoffs that a few positions were eliminated during a marketing restructuring and that no leadership or C-level positions were affected.

March 27, 2019 27 Mar'19

Citrix Virtual Apps and Desktops gets UX, security upgrades

Citrix continues to add new capabilities to its cloud products, but getting consumers to adopt as-a-service offerings remains a hurdle.

March 21, 2019 21 Mar'19

Windows Virtual Desktop enters public preview

The highly anticipated release of Windows Virtual Desktop will provide a cloud-based desktop and app virtualization service, integrated with Office 365 ProPlus and built on Azure.

November 20, 2018 20 Nov'18

Microsoft acquisition of FSLogix to help push cloud desktops

FSLogix can help Microsoft solve problems that have plagued the integration of Office 365 and virtual desktops, and it will immediately benefit the new Windows Virtual Desktop.

May 11, 2018 11 May'18

ControlUp targets virtual desktop, server overprovisioning

If IT pros overprovision virtual desktops and servers, they waste money and resources. But there are other problems associated with poor resource allocation.

January 25, 2018 25 Jan'18

Meltdown and Spectre patches hit XenApp performance especially hard

Organizations with VDI and RDSH will likely take a performance hit after patching Meltdown and Spectre, according to test results from Lakeside Software.

January 11, 2018 11 Jan'18

Citrix enables Nvidia vGPU live migration

Virtual desktop users are averse to downtime. A new capability from Citrix and Nvidia allows for live migration of vGPUs so VDI shops can keep graphics processing up and running.

November 21, 2017 21 Nov'17

Cloud-hosted apps catching on to meet user demand

With the ever-increasing popularity of cloud computing, organizations are also considering streaming their applications. Several cloud-hosted app services can help.

July 20, 2017 20 Jul'17

Android apps on Chromebooks hurt appeal as thin clients

All future Chromebook releases will support Android apps, which brings concerns regarding their security, management and overall usefulness as thin clients.

July 17, 2017 17 Jul'17

VDI product bundles aim to urge adoption by improving customer support

Organizations don't want to go through the headache of involving multiple vendors in their VDI environment, so vendors aim to mitigate this and other negative aspects of VDI.

July 06, 2017 06 Jul'17

Ivanti makes surprise buy of UEM provider RES Software

Ivanti acquires user environment management vendor RES Software for its automation and identity management tech. The deal follows Ivanti's 2016 deal for RES competitor AppSense.

June 02, 2017 02 Jun'17

VDI on Windows 10 S provides a Windows Store workaround

The knock against Windows 10 S is it only supports Windows Store applications. Businesses that really want to adopt the OS can you use VDI to deliver other types of apps.

May 26, 2017 26 May'17

IGEL CEO talks shift to VDI endpoint management software

As thin client vendor IGEL expands beyond hardware, CEO Jed Ayres sits down at Citrix Synergy 2017 to talk about the future of the desktop virtualization market.

March 01, 2017 01 Mar'17

XenDesktop 7.13 HDX feature a big win for users on weak networks

Remote workers often struggle on high-latency networks. Citrix HDX Adaptive Transport allows them to access their virtual desktops and apps with no lag.

February 13, 2017 13 Feb'17

VMware DaaS goes hybrid with Horizon Cloud

VDI versus DaaS is no longer a one-or-the-other choice. VMware Horizon Cloud lets businesses manage on-premises VDI and cloud-hosted desktops from one control plane.

August 25, 2016 25 Aug'16

IT's VMworld 2016 wish list: Bring VDI costs down

IT experts share their wish lists for VMworld 2016. For SMBs, it's high time VMware brings cheaper VDI to the table.

August 04, 2016 04 Aug'16

VDI ROI doesn't include hard cost savings

Virtual desktop infrastructure is more expensive than desktop PCs, but the benefits of VDI make it worth the price tag, says Teradici CTO Randy Groves.

May 27, 2016 27 May'16

VDI shops welcome cheaper Citrix-Nutanix HCI options

Hyper-converged infrastructure can help VDI admins scale their deployments more easily, but many of today's offerings are too expensive.

May 27, 2016 27 May'16

GPU virtualization isn't just for graphics-heavy apps

GPU virtualization is known for helping support graphics-heavy applications, but knowledge workers using Office apps and browsers can benefit, too.

May 25, 2016 25 May'16

IT not yet buying into workspace management suites

Workspace delivery and management suites have started cropping up, but IT customers don't see the benefits of locking into one vendor for their entire desktop and app delivery just yet.

May 05, 2016 05 May'16

Parallels RAS 15 targets price-conscious Citrix, VMware shops

Parallels Remote Application Server 15 automates several tasks that frustrate IT, and it includes many of the same features as Citrix and VMware's app publishing products.

April 18, 2016 18 Apr'16

Dell vWorkspace discontinued as EMC deal looms

Dell is ending development of its vWorkspace product. The move may be a result of preparation for the Dell-EMC deal that brings competitor VMware under its hood.

December 23, 2015 23 Dec'15

How Dell's acquisition of EMC affects VMware EUC, Citrix

Analysts and IT experts weigh in on how Dell buying VMware’s owner, EMC, will affect the company’s end-user computing business, and where this deal leaves Citrix.

July 27, 2015 27 Jul'15

Virtualization trends from BriForum 2015 center on mobility

BriForum 2015 included its usual focus on VDI, but the virtualization community is searching for ways to deal with mobility, too. Several vendors showcased advancements in app refactoring and virtual mobile infrastructure.

March 12, 2015 12 Mar'15

Unidesk adds Hyper-V support, bolsters Microsoft VDI

Unidesk 3.0 includes support for Microsoft VDI, giving some VMware Horizon users reason to consider a move to Hyper-V.

February 27, 2015 27 Feb'15

Low-cost app publishing alternative to Citrix and VMware emerges

Parallels acquired 2X Software to add app publishing, but faces a difficult battle with entrenched virtual desktop vendors Citrix and VMware.

August 20, 2014 20 Aug'14

Anonymous logon returns in XenApp/XenDesktop 7.6

After alienating some customers by removing several XenApp and XenDesktop features last year, Citrix will start to bring some back in version 7.6. The improvements were in the works before VMware stepped up its competition, the company said.

August 08, 2014 08 Aug'14

New CTO pins desktop future on Citrix Workspace Services

In his first interview as Citrix’s new CTO of desktop and apps, Gunnar Berger discusses the company’s roadmap and the importance of Citrix Workspace Services and mobility. Will these initiatives keep customers from moving to VMware?

July 23, 2014 23 Jul'14

VMware casts Horizon 6 bait to XenApp shops

VMware Horizon 6 includes remote app publishing similar to XenApp, and the company launched an incentive program to seduce Citrix shops over to its side. The grass may not be greener in Palo Alto, however.

July 02, 2014 02 Jul'14

New unified workspace delivers apps for $1 per user, per day

A Chicago-based psychology school is testing NComputing's oneSpace to deliver apps and files to remote users at a price far below Citrix XenApp.

May 23, 2014 23 May'14

Smackdown: Microsoft vs. Citrix vs. VMware VDI for 3-D graphics

Virtual desktops and 3-D graphics can mix if you use the right approach. Here's how Citrix, Microsoft and VMware VDI's GPU support compares.

May 08, 2014 08 May'14

Citrix XenApp Migration Tool, restored features due this year

Citrix XenApp 6.5 users will soon have a XenApp migration tool to aid XenApp 7 upgrades, along with reinstated features.

April 01, 2014 01 Apr'14

Google inspires DaaS dreams with Windows Server support in the cloud

Google Compute Engine now has Windows Server support, so what might that mean for the possibility of Google DaaS?

March 21, 2014 21 Mar'14

Nvidia vGPU support to expand as VDI graphics demands increase

Nvidia's vGPU technology gives high-end graphics users good virtual desktop performance and will be accessible in more environments.

February 28, 2014 28 Feb'14

CTO Chris Wolf reveals VMware VDI plans to beat Citrix, expand DaaS

VMware's new CTO Chris Wolf takes on questions about the role of VDI in the mobile era, competition with Citrix and what's next for DaaS.

February 14, 2014 14 Feb'14

How consumerized hosted apps will disrupt the IT power structure

Spoon CEO Kenji Obata sounds off on the consumerization of applications and how the desktop space will look in the future.

February 13, 2014 13 Feb'14

Citrix's new desktop GM reveals DaaS, XenDesktop and XenApp plans

Citrix's new VP and GM of desktops and apps discusses the road ahead for DaaS and how Citrix will evolve XenDesktop and XenApp to meet IT needs.

January 09, 2014 09 Jan'14

New tool increases VDI performance without body-slamming IT budgets

Software from Atlantis Computing and others use RAM to boost VDI performance. Now IT shops have one more option, and it undercuts the others on cost.

January 08, 2014 08 Jan'14

Citrix DesktopPlayer for Mac supports offline mobile workers

Citrix got in on the Mac game with a new client virtualization offering that delivers Windows virtual desktops to Macs – even if they’re offline.

January 06, 2014 06 Jan'14

VMware EUC group replaces CTO, poaches two from Citrix

VMware has replaced CTO Scott Davis with a promising engineer who may help the company succeed in the end-user computing space.

January 02, 2014 02 Jan'14

DaaS will grow when Microsoft blows up Windows licensing rules

One DaaS supporter sounds off on unfair Microsoft Windows licensing rules for cloud service providers and the cloud desktop industry in 2014.

December 16, 2013 16 Dec'13

GPU virtualization is right for some VDI shops -- but not all

Not all VDI environments need GPU virtualization technology. In fact, sometimes protocol offload will do the trick.

December 03, 2013 03 Dec'13

Cloud desktops finally kick the small-fry VDI label

DaaS is no longer the red-headed stepchild of VDI; with VMware and Amazon offering cloud desktops and fostering acceptance, DaaS could gain steam in 2014.

November 08, 2013 08 Nov'13

BYOD employees go beyond the Windows desktop without VDI

Mac and iOS devices are becoming prevalent in the enterprise. IT must deliver Windows desktop apps to them, but VDI may not be the answer.

October 22, 2013 22 Oct'13

Breaking down the latest VMware desktop strategy buzz

After a short break, VMware has gotten the buzz going again around its desktop delivery products.

October 15, 2013 15 Oct'13

DaaS earns its stripes with VMware Desktone acquisition

VMware officially joins the DaaS market with its acquisition of Desktone, signaling that Desktop as a Service is here to stay.

October 14, 2013 14 Oct'13

Latest mobile thin client combats tablets and smartphones

The latest mobile thin clients offer enterprises an alternative to tablets with improved data security for virtual desktops.

August 27, 2013 27 Aug'13

New DaaS options emerge ahead of IT demand

DaaS hasn’t caught on in enterprises yet. Could new options from VMware and other large vendors kick start the cloud hosted virtual desktop movement?

August 27, 2013 27 Aug'13

Latest HP, Dell Wyse thin clients improve virtual desktop experience

Latest HP, Dell Wyse thin clients can enhance the virtual desktop user experience with new thin client options delivered this month.

August 23, 2013 23 Aug'13

Latest layering tools a boon to VDI management

VDI management tools that use layering are considered a godsend by IT pros who have tried other methods. Unidesk updated its layering tool this week.

August 15, 2013 15 Aug'13

FlexDisk to deliver personalized desktops with stateless VMware VDI

With Liquidware's FlexDisk, apps can now be connected directly to users at login, creating personalized virtual desktops in nonpersistent View shops.

July 30, 2013 30 Jul'13

Affordable VDI alternatives to Citrix and VMware

Thanks to a handful of vendors or architectural choices, virtual desktops infrastructure can be an affordable option for organizations.

July 16, 2013 16 Jul'13

Oracle ceases development of VDI, Sun Ray clients and software

Oracle has ceased development on Oracle VDI, Sun Ray software and client hardware with plans to focus on Oracle Secure Global Desktop and VirtualBox.

June 21, 2013 21 Jun'13

VMware View shops not taking the Horizon Suite bait

VMware is pushing the Horizon Suite's pricing and management capabilities, but View shops aren't biting just yet.

June 12, 2013 12 Jun'13

Bromium vSentry 2.0 focuses on collaboration and mobility

Bromium's vSentry for desktop security now adds more secure connections over untrusted Wi-Fi and better collaboration capabilities.

June 10, 2013 10 Jun'13

Dell targets midmarket Microsoft VDI with Quest vWorkspace

Quest customers no longer have to worry about vWorkspace support ending, but Dell says it's not for enterprise-level environments.

May 17, 2013 17 May'13

Citrix bets on Excalibur, angles toward enterprise mobility

The Citrix Synergy 2013 conference is awash with vendors moving beyond just desktop virtualization and into enterprise mobility management.

May 07, 2013 07 May'13

Dell vWorkspace 8 adds user monitoring, Windows Server 2012 support

Former Quest customers no longer have to wonder what's up with vWorkspace. Dell released version 8 with exciting new features and support.

May 02, 2013 02 May'13

NVIDIA GPUs for VDI deliver on the need for speed

NVIDIA GPU platforms have opened up VDI to all types of applications, and further advancements may be on the horizon.

April 22, 2013 22 Apr'13

Parallels Management Suite for SCCM lets you manage Mac hypervisors

Parallels Management Suite for SCCM can help IT manage Mac computers and the client hypervisors that many of them run on in virtualized environments.

April 16, 2013 16 Apr'13

Desktop virtualization companies take on mobility

The cancellation of Citrix Synergy Europe is just another indication that the virtualized desktop market is moving toward mobility.

March 29, 2013 29 Mar'13

Desktop as a Service options increase on demand for cloud services

Companies that want to deliver virtual desktops but can't justify VDI costs see cloud-hosted desktops as a viable -- if not better -- alternative.

February 20, 2013 20 Feb'13

VMware folds View into Horizon Suite, eliminates low-end VDI pricing

VMware has put View and Mirage into the Horizon Suite to integrate its end-user computing management tools into a single stack -- for a price.

February 19, 2013 19 Feb'13

VMware plays catch-up to Microsoft with Virsto acquisition

Server and desktop administrators alike will be interested in VMware's Virsto acquisition, which brings better thin provisioning and more for VDI.

February 14, 2013 14 Feb'13

Propalms adopts orphaned Pano Logic assets

Propalms, a U.K.-based software vendor, has acquired the assets of Pano Logic, which went belly up last fall and left customers in the lurch.

January 31, 2013 31 Jan'13

New departmental installed applications tool virtualizes tough apps

Liquidware Labs' new FlexApp departmental installed applications tool gives IT another way to deliver apps to end users in VDI environments.

December 18, 2012 18 Dec'12

Few low-cost VDI options remain

Organizations looking for affordable virtual desktop tools have few choices today, but NComputing offers a viable VDI option.

November 15, 2012 15 Nov'12

Pano Logic customers still in the dark

Pano Logic's closure is still shrouded in mystery, but VDI resellers point to a dried-up sales pipeline.

October 31, 2012 31 Oct'12

Pano Logic goes out of business, forgets to tell customers

Virtual desktop vendor Pano Logic unexpectedly went out of business, leaving users wondering what to do next.

September 19, 2012 19 Sep'12

With acquisitions, desktop virtualization market shifts from TS to VDI

Former Wyse CEO John Kish sees vendors in the desktop virtualization market pulling customers away from Terminal Services -- because they can make more money on VDI.

August 21, 2012 21 Aug'12

Dell gives VDI partners center stage, downplays Quest vWorkspace

Dell could be a one-stop shop for VDI with Quest vWorkspace, but sources said it will downplay that software in favor of partner Citrix’s VDI.

August 13, 2012 13 Aug'12

VDI shops to gain departmental application layering tool

A new virtual desktop management tool lets IT deliver departmental applications with desktop layering rather than application virtualization.

July 02, 2012 02 Jul'12

Dell acquires Quest, offers VDI shops 'one throat to choke'

Dell will pay $2.4 billion for Quest Software and get much more than desktop virtualization software. Long-term, it could lower the cost of VDI.

June 25, 2012 25 Jun'12

Microsoft RemoteFX improvements require Windows upgrades

The next version of RemoteFX offers the improvements that Microsoft remote desktop customers requested, but don't get too excited: It won't work with Windows 7.

June 15, 2012 15 Jun'12

Q&A: Former Citrix CTO Simon Crosby reveals micro-virtualization plans

Former Citrix CTO Simon Crosby hasn't provided much detail about what he's been up to at Bromium -- until now. In this Q&A, Crosby discusses how micro-virtualization could change the industry.

May 23, 2012 23 May'12

VMware's Wanova acquisition extends VDI to physical desktops

VMware's acquisition of Wanova gives View shops software to centrally manage virtual and physical desktops and a way to support departmental and user installed apps with VDI.

May 16, 2012 16 May'12

NVIDIA's virtualized GPU eliminates VDI graphics performance barriers

VDI isn't known for delivering high-end graphics with great performance, but NVIDIA's virtualized GPU is about to transform virtual desktop graphics.

May 14, 2012 14 May'12

Citrix Project Avalon offers BYOD shops Windows as a Service

Project Avalon isn't available yet, but already IT pros are speculating about whether it has the potential to transform enterprise environments to the cloud.

May 10, 2012 10 May'12

Citrix integrates NxTop and XenClient, introduces Project Avalon

Citrix is on a roll. The company flooded VDI shops with news of updated offerings and detailed the future of acquired competitor Virtual Computer.

May 09, 2012 09 May'12

Dell and HP churn out VDI hardware as thin client war heats up

Hewlett-Packard and Dell have their eyes on the virtual desktop market, and both introduced new client technologies that hinge on VDI at Citrix Synergy 2012.

May 08, 2012 08 May'12

Citrix acquires XenClient competitor Virtual Computer

Sources close to Virtual Computer say Citrix acquired the company for its client hypervisor and desktop management product, NxTop.

May 02, 2012 02 May'12

VMware View 5.1 brings management, storage upgrades plus BYOD tools

New features in VMware View 5.1 improve VDI management and lower storage costs. And that's not all: BYOD shops get new mobile app tools with Project Octopus and Horizon App Manager 1.5.

April 10, 2012 10 Apr'12

OnLive complies with Microsoft licensing, DaaS providers weigh in

OnLive Desktop is finally in compliance with Microsoft hosted desktop licensing. The move puts DaaS providers on a level playing field, but some want more from Microsoft.

April 04, 2012 04 Apr'12

Microsoft App-V 5.0 brings native app experience, reduces storage

Microsoft App-V 5.0 offers a native app experience. It also gives IT pros a way to reduce storage requirements and more flexible management options.

April 04, 2012 04 Apr'12

Microsoft updates roaming profiles for the desktop virtualization age

Microsoft has finally delivered a new version of its roaming user profiles tool called UE-V, providing profile management for virtual desktops.

April 02, 2012 02 Apr'12

Dell acquires Wyse for thin client, desktop virtualization

Dell acquired Wyse to bolster its desktop virtualization and thin client offerings. Wyse's cloud software could also help Dell gain cloud momentum.

March 14, 2012 14 Mar'12

Cloud providers defy Microsoft licensing to compete with OnLive

OnLive's free Windows app for iPad is still available, despite Microsoft's licensing rules. Now, DaaS providers fight back.

March 09, 2012 09 Mar'12

Microsoft clarifies cloud-hosted desktop licensing, stings OnLive

Microsoft illuminated Windows licensing rules for cloud-hosted virtual desktops, putting OnLive's free Windows app for iPad in the crosshairs.