VMware View Client Now Available for Apple iPad

VMware has now released a View Client for iPad on the Apple App Store for free. Enabling Apple iPad users to access their virtual Windows desktops, applications and data from anywhere, this new client, in combination with VMware View, will deliver a modern desktop optimized for the iPad’s high-resolution Multi-Touch display.

The new VMware View Client for iPad provides a simple and secure way for end users to access virtual Windows desktops, applications and data from their iPad.

VMware View Client for iPad details:

• Modern Desktop Experience – The new VMware View Client is the first iPad app to deliver Windows-based virtual desktops while taking advantage of the superior user experience provided by PC-over-IP (PCoIP) display protocol, creating a highly responsive and flexible user experience.
• Intuitive, Multi-Touch Support – Custom gestures on the new VMware View Client enable quick and easy navigation around the virtual desktop by taking advantage of iPad’s Multi-Touch display.  An innovative on-screen track pad lets users leverage a more traditional mouse interface with the iPad’s keyboard for efficient text input.
• Secure, Instant-on Windows Desktops – VMware View Security Server support for PCoIP allows for a simple, secure remote connection and authentication to a user’s Windows desktop over a WiFi or 3G network. Reconnecting to a View Desktop is made even easier with the ability to select and connect to a list of recently connected desktops.
• Device and iOS Support – Support for the iPad Keyboard Dock and Bluetooth keyboards makes text input even easier while the iPad VGA connector allows you to connect to an external monitor.  VMware View Client for iPad supports iOS 4.2 and iOS 4.3

Download from the Apple App Store

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:

View 4.6 Released

As anticipated, View 4.6 was released yesterday. It includes the following new features:

• Security servers can now accommodate PCoIP connections - Security servers now include a PCoIP Secure Gateway component. The PCoIP Secure Gateway connection offers the following advantages:
  • The only remote desktop traffic that can enter the corporate data center is traffic on behalf of a strongly authenticated user.
  • Users can access only the desktop resources that they are authorized to access.
  • No VPN is required, as long as PCoIP is not blocked by any networking component.
  • Security servers with PCoIP support run on Windows Server 2008 R2 and take full advantage of the 64-bit architecture.
• Enhanced USB device compatibility - View 4.6 supports USB redirection for syncing and managing iPhones and iPads with View desktops. This release also includes improvements for using USB scanners, and adds to the list of USB printers that you can use with thin clients. For more information, see the list of View Client resolved issues.
• Keyboard mapping improvements - Many keyboard-related issues have been fixed. For more information, see the list of View Client resolved issues.
• New timeout setting for SSO users - With the single-sign-on (SSO) feature, after users authenticate to View Connection Server, they are automatically logged in to their View desktop operating systems. This new timeout setting allows administrators to limit the number of minutes that the SSO feature is valid for. For example, if an administrator sets the time limit to 10 minutes, then 10 minutes after the user authenticates to View Connection Server, the automatic login ability expires. If the user then walks away from the desktop and it becomes inactive, when the user returns, the user is prompted for login credentials. For more information, see theVMware View Administration documentation.
• VMware View 4.6 includes more than 160 bug fixes - For descriptions of selected resolved issues, see Resolved Issues.
• Experimental support for Microsoft Windows 7 SP1 RC operating systems

Wyse Z90 Thin Client Amps Performance of 3D Graphics

As industries such as financial services, healthcare, retail, education and government make the move to VDI environments, they are all insisting that power and performance accompany the traditional thin client benefits such as better security and management.  Wyse Z90 delivers a combination of performance, simplicity, and connectivity never seen before in a thin client.  With available dual-core AMD G-series processors, the Wyse Z90 is the world's best-performing thin client.  The Wyse Z90 is so fast, in fact, that it delivers 3D business graphics performance 187% better than the next closest leading competitor’s product, when compared head to head. The Wyse Z90 is even more powerful when compared to other competitive offerings.

At the heart of the Wyse Z90 lies an entirely new engine, one where all the major system elements – CPU cores, vector engines, and a unified video decoder for HD decoding tasks – live on the same piece of silicon.  This design concept eliminates one of the fundamental constraints that limit performance. 

Paired with updated processors and engines, Wyse’s use of Windows Embedded Standard 7 delivers the power and performance of Windows 7 to offer operating protections, helping to lessen vulnerabilities caused by virus and malware. The platform comes with strong default passwords, a secure locked-down default-user profile and monthly security updates to ensure customers receive the most secure and reliable service.

"The most important change to PC architectures over the last few years has been the integration of better graphics performance through higher-power GPUs," said Bob O'Donnell, Vice President at IDC. "Bringing those capabilities to thin clients will help ensure that those devices can meet the performance needs of today's users and today's applications."

"The goal at Wyse is to make our Windows Embedded offerings built with the Windows Embedded portfolio of platforms and technologies the best, easiest to use, and fastest clients on the planet," according to Ricardo Antuna, Senior Vice President of Product Management, Business Development and Alliances at Wyse Technology.  "With the introduction of the Wyse Z90 we've done that; more than doubling the performance capabilities of competing top-of-the-line thin clients with similar energy requirements."

The Wyse Z90 includes the first SuperSpeed USB 3.0 connectivity in a thin client, enabling the newest peripherals and speeds up to 10 times faster than USB 2.0.  Wyse Z90 includes two SuperSpeed USB 3.0 ports and four USB 2.0 ports, all under your control.  With Wyse Z90, users have more display options than ever before including DisplayPort and DVI. 

Wyse Z90 also co-exists with legacy devices, taking them in stride with optional parallel, PS/2 and dual serial port support.  Wyse Z90 also includes advanced networking capabilities, with support for gigabit Ethernet, available integrated A/B/G/N dual band Wi-Fi, or FiberNIC

VMware View 4.6, upcoming release

The next release of View is rumoured to be out next week (the 24th).
http://trentsteele.wordpress.com/2011/02/07/vmware-view-4-6-to-be-released-speakerbox/

Why is this significant? PCoIP for Security Server. They call it a minor release but this is a major new feature and solves a few issues for you.  

1) Currently if you have people taking laptops or thin clients on and off the LAN and they require access over the WAN using security server they need to remember to switch their default protocol back and forth (RDP on the WAN, PCoIP on the LAN). When they forget your service desk will probably get a call. This fixes that issue.

2) PCoIP hardware devices or "zero clients" like the Samsung NC190/NC240, Dell FX100 or Wyse P20 are fantastic from an easy to configure, just plain clean for everyone solution, but don't do RDP, so these devices won't function with the current implemenation of security server. This should fix the issue of zero clients off the LAN as well.

I have a Wyse P20 that I'm testing, it works great on the LAN but I can't install a VPN on it so if I'm off the company network it makes a great paper-weight. I'll be doing an upgrade to 4.6 when it is released and further testing of the P20 and its integration with the new version of Security Server.
Stay tuned.