IBM unveils cloud virtual desktop

IBM has unveiled its Smart Business Desktop service, a combination of thin client computing, virtualisation, and the cloud, which is claimed to be the "industry's first public desktop cloud service," states CNET News.

"Today more than ever, enterprises need an affordable, reliable, and efficient way to deploy and manage desktop infrastructures," says Jan Jackman, vice-president, IBM global technology services. "The public desktop cloud service is designed to help bring cost savings, flexibility, scalability, and security to clients like never before."

According to IBM, companies will need minimal hardware to use the service. "All that's needed is a machine, a thin client or PC, capable of running an Internet browser and Java. Users simply log on over a secure connection through the Internet," the company said

Open source solutions provider Red Hat has unveiled its JBoss Enterprise Application Platform 5.0, a 'core middleware product' that represents next-generation Java application platforms, and is integral to Red Hat's cloud foundation, reports Network World.

According to the software company, JBoss Enterprise Application Platform 5.0 supports developer choice and aims to provide a consistent foundation to support the wide variety of Java programming and component models, including Plain Old Java Objects, Java EE, Spring Framework, OSGi, Google Web Toolkit and a variety of rich Internet application frameworks and dynamic languages.

In addition, the platform spans the growing number of operating models, from traditional on-premise lightweight Java applications, to newer internal and external cloud-based deployments, said the company

Indian IT service provider Wipro Technologies has unveiled its strategy to provide services via the cloud, says Computer Weekly.

Wipro is using Oracle grid computing software to build a software-as-a-service (SaaS) platform known as w-SaaS. It will enable existing and new business applications to be delivered as services over the Internet.

Indian IT service providers dominated for years by providing highly skilled workers at a lower cost. But the arrival of IT services via the Internet means these companies must invest in new delivery models or lose their advantage.