What do Virtualization and Cloud executives think about 2010?  Find out in this VMblog.com series exclusive.

By Martin Ingram, VP of strategy, AppSense

Desktop Virtualization: Onwards and Upwards

2010 will be a year of transition for desktop virtualization. Firstly, we will see hosted VDI transition out of proof of concept and into broader deployment. I have been involved in the initial stages of these implementations so am confident that people are ready to make the move to delivering desktops to users based on dynamically assembling the operating system (OS), applications and user environment in the data canter. This is a significant change from the position of desktop virtualization in 2009.

But technology never stands still...so what will be next for desktop virtualization? In 2010, debate and conjecture move to client virtualization. With hosted desktop virtualization understood and organizations beginning implementation, we can focus properly on how to manage virtualization on laptops. We should expect Citrix and VMware to release client hypervisors, but that will be just a side show in comparison to the big debate. The real issue will be how we manage software images in client virtualization.

For hosted desktop virtualization we have used technologies such as OS streaming or linked clones to allow us to deliver a fresh OS whenever we choose and potentially every time the user logs on. This is great because it means we can ensure that all users are running a fully patched image and that configuration drift is eliminated. Delivering components every time a user logs on is fine in the data center or possibly over the LAN, but is impractical for laptops which will not be connected to the network for considerable periods and even when they are the available bandwidth is likely to be low.

That leaves us with a huge dilemma - how do we obtain good componentized image management without needing high bandwidth connectivity all the time? This is going to be the principle debate of 2010. Options include everything from simply delivering the image only once and managing with an existing software deployment tool through to dynamically assembling components on the endpoint, similar to hosted desktop virtualization. Each approach comes with differing technology risks and opportunities to improve the manageability of the platform. 2010 will be the year when all of the options are debated and organizations will make their first forays into client virtualization.

There is one other platform I see that will go through an upheaval and transition during 2010 which is mobile devices. Currently there are very few corporate applications available that run on cell phone platforms. In part, this is a result of the platform variance which would have required an application developer to test and support each model separately.

For a number of years vendors have been working on hypervisors for mobile devices that will allow a single common programming model across all the devices, but this has yet to be delivered. I think 2010 will be a showdown year where we will either see hypervisors get adopted for mobile platforms or we will switch to adopt a de facto standard. Microsoft Mobile suffers from the platform variance I described which leaves Apple's iPhone in prime position to become the platform for mobile corporate applications. This will give us another platform to support and manage while the search continues for tools to help with this.

Desktop virtualization is one of the most active and interesting areas of virtualization. Each year we see substantial moves towards more manageable, more cost effective client computing driven by the introduction of innovative technologies. 2010 will continue the trend in both progress and innovation especially in desktop virtualization.

About the Author

Martin Ingram, VP of strategy, AppSense 

Martin provides the strategic direction for the company's products, ensuring that they meet with current and future customer requirements. He has driven the expansion of the AppSense Management Suite to encompass a broader array of operating system support as well as solutions for the desktop. Martin provides vital guidance to the research and development team around information security, corporate compliance and the legal issues of technology.

Martin has over 15 years of experience and is recognized within the industry as a senior commentator within the application delivery space. He has held senior-level strategic product management and engineering positions at leading technology companies in the UK and US including: Kalypton, Clearswift, Baltimore Technologies, Content Technologies, Avid Technologies and Tektronix.

Martin holds a BSc in electrical engineering from Sheffield University.