German thin client manufacturer, IGEL Technology, today became the first company in its sector to integrate the open-source software client SPICE into its Linux operating system for its Universal Desktop thin client range. With the SPICE client, IGEL customers who already use Linux at their server level can now provision high-performance virtual desktops with different guest systems. For instance, SPICE can be deployed within the Red Hat Enterprise Virtualization for Desktops solution in order to virtualize Microsoft Windows 7 Professional, Microsoft Windows XP Professional or Red Hat Enterprise Linux.

In addition to SPICE, IGEL’s latest update to its Linux operating system also includes the brand-new software client for VDI solutions VMware View 4.5, which in addition to being compatible with Windows® 7 also offers improved WAN performance as well as smartcard support in the PCoIP protocol. Furthermore, IGEL Universal Desktops now also support Kerberos, the popular single sign-on (SSO) and authentication solution.

Get SPICE: It’s spicing up the VDI market!

For multimedia in particular, the SPICE open-source protocol offers high-quality performance and a convenient, comfortable user experience because it does not require Codecs and optimally uses the graphics performance available in thin clients. “Our first tests have shown that SPICE, especially when it comes to multimedia, is absolutely comparable to those protocols already established on the market,” states Florian Spatz, Product Marketing Manager at IGEL Technology. “We’re pleased to be able to provide our customers, in particular those who are running an open-source virtualization solution on their servers, yet another option for configuring their virtual desktop infrastructures.”

Price and Availability

The software clients for SPICE and VMware View 4.5 come standard in the IGEL Linux “Standard” and “Advanced” firmware along with Kerberos support. These latest versions are now available as free downloads from www.MyIGEL.com.