Considering a Windows 7 Upgrade?

Many IT organizations are faced with the daunting task of having to migrate their desktop environment to Windows 7 as Windows XP support approaches its end and Windows XP availability squeezed with impending complex licensing.

But upgrading 100s or 1000s of desktop devices is costly and time consuming. Windows XP applications will not automatically be compatible with Windows 7. For example Web-based apps that work great on Internet Explorer 6, may not run on Internet Explorer 8 with Windows 7. Additionally, many organizations have custom applications driving their businesses, recoding and recertification their applications for Windows 7 is a time-consuming and costly endeavor. Most of them will have to rely on external vendors to provide the new compatible applications. And the clock is ticking.

You can now consider a different approach by starting the transition to Windows 7 by virtualizing your existing Windows applications with VMware ThinApp. Application virtualization removes the dependency of applications from the underlying operating system so you can run a single application across multiple Windows operating systems. This helps to streamline application migration, ease the burden of cost and complexity for IT and create a seamless transition for end users.

Once your applications are virtualized, you can further consider moving to a complete Virtual Desktop environment using VMware View and further separate the operating system from the underlying hardware and deliver as a secure managed service from the datacenter.

Separate desktop environments from the underlying hardware and run a single image of the operating system on a variety of machines with VMware View. Desktop operating systems, applications and data can be isolated and managed independently in the datacenter.

Some key benefits of a virtual desktop solution:

• Minimize costly application porting and reduce regression testing
• Reduce conflicts and support calls by providing application isolation and portability using application virtualization
• Deliver next generation desktop architecture with modular desktops
• Enhance image and application management
• Extend the life of your application and hardware to maximize and protect your investment

Here is a demo of the ThinApp capture process:

Liquidware Labs Getting Cozy with VMware

Industry observers may consider the desktop virtualization market wide open, but profile management vendor Liquidware Labs is betting heavily on its relationship with VMware. The latest release of its user management product, ProfileUnity 4.7, comes with new purpose-built features for VMware's ThinApp. Two other significant developments for the two-year-old company are its recent partnership with desktops-as-a-service pioneer Desktone, and a licensing deal with Quest Software. The company claims 500% year-over-year growth in 2010 and profitability, but it started from a low base.

The integration of Liquidware's ProfileUnity with ThinApp is a logical follow-on to bundling the user profile management software with VMware View 4.5 earlier in 2010. Both Liquidware and the VMware Consulting Services group, which is officially supporting the product, hope and expect customers will see it as a way to approach upcoming Windows 7 migrations. The deal also plugs a significant hole in VMware's virtual desktop infrastructure (VDI) story – one that the company first attempted to plug through its purchase of RTO Solutions in February 2010.

Lexcom's Virtualization Practice can provide a demo of Liquidware ProfileUnity.