Conceptually, it sounds simple: deliver to users a consistent computing experience, settings and all, whether it's a via a desktop, laptop or remote web access. Of course, technology and a fair share of red tape often get in the way. That's where the concept of "mass personalization" comes in.

Last month, New York-based Propero released version 5.3 of its workSpace Manager software, which fits snuggly between the Analyzer and Server components of the company's desktop virtualization platform.

workSpace Manager provides a single login, authentication, and application packaging for the platform, among other features. A lightweight Java Virtual Machine-based provides client machines access.

Propero co-founder and CTO, Robin Crewe, says his organization's focus is "delivering IT resources to end-user." This means taking a different approach from dictating functionality from above and filtering it down to the worker bees. It is the tack his company follows and, he feels, is reflected in the software. The tack, he explains, is to "get through politics in big organizations, focus on the real customer, and everything else falls away." Of course, the real customer in this case is the end user.

This bottom-up approach led to some new enhancements, notably in the way end-users interact with apps managed by workSpace Manager. "You want to be able to get your personalization in a consistent way," says Crewe. To achieve that, the company has worked to provide a uniform productivity environment for workers on their platform, particularly on laptops. But a certain level of adaptability also has its place.

New in version 5.3 is the ability to dynamically serve up personalized application profiles that can be set to vary depending on whether conditions are met. These include matching apps to a user or group profile. Location- or machine-based filters can also come into play so that a user's application toolset is tailored for their circumstances.

For instance, a worker can log in at in a branch office via a thin client and have only those applications needed to conduct business at that moment served up to them with settings intact. Supplemental or resource-straining apps better suited for full workstations are exempted from this profile, allowing for IT flexibility while cutting down on help desk requests.

Similarly, laptop support has been enhanced to allow for hybrid, online/offline modes of getting work done. Crewe explains that a new event triggers allow mobile workers to work with online applications, even if a connection drops. While working on CRM software, for example, if network connection is severed, or undergoes temporary outage, work is saved onto an encrypted space set up by the software. When connectivity is restored, the software automatically syncs with the application server and works resumes as if nothing happened.

workSpace Manager 5.3 is available now. Licensing and subscription costs vary according to the number of supported users.