The desktop goes virtual

By Theo Boshoff for Citrix Systems
Johannesburg, 03 Aug 2009

Virtualisation is set to become so pervasive that technology will be available without the end-user having to think about it, according to Patrick Irwin, senior product marketing manager for Citrix Systems.

Irwin says the ultimate goal is to create an environment where companies will easily move to cloud computing through virtualisation technologies; where end-users can work from wherever they are, whenever they want, without worrying about the software or hardware they are using.

He likens Citrix's strategic vision to that of the broadcasting industry's cable TV: “It is a massively scalable infrastructure where the delivery controller does not care what television programmes are being broadcast or about the equipment being used. People simply get the broadcasted programme on their screen.”

This vision is coupled with bringing applications-as-a-service to organisations. “We want to deliver Windows applications as a service, be it hosting or streaming applications from a central managed point,” Irwin says.

According to Irwin, the idea of the desktop-as-a-device is the past. The future is in providing desktop-as-a-service, where the hardware will simply become a receiving device.

“The desktop environment is also going to become pervasive, where the machine will already have a bare-metal hypervisor built in to facilitate virtualisation and a much more flexible infrastructure,” Irwin adds.

Citrix has already started collaborations with Intel on developing a virtualisation application and desktop delivery solution for desktops and laptops with Intel vPro technology and Citrix's bare-metal Xen-based desktop hypervisor.

“Ultimately, employees will be able to use any mobile device and still access and use all their work applications, online or offline. Desktop management for IT will be simplified, end-users will have more flexibility and there will be huge cost savings for the enterprise as a whole,” concludes Irwin.