If you haven't been following FSLogix, now may be the time for you to start doing so.  The company arrived on the scene last year, coming out of stealth mode at the BriForum event.  Their claim to fame is creating a new and interesting approach to application management, moving away from the more traditional packaging of apps or automating installs.   

FSLogix was founded on a simple premise: existing methodologies for delivering and deploying Windows applications are based upon outmoded ideas and outdated technology.  Instead, the company believes there is a need for a product that makes it simple for each user to have their Windows applications individually tailored for their device.  When a user logs on, they should see only the applications that they are licensed to use regardless of whether they are using cloud desktops, virtual desktops or traditional desktops.  And users shouldn't have to wait for the application to be streamed down.  Finally, administrators should be able to install an application the way the vendor originally intended it to be installed (e.g., via its .msi file).

And the company's founders have the pedigree to do just that.  Kevin Goodman is a virtualization software industry veteran and former founder of RTOSoft.  His teams have developed products for Citrix, Microsoft and VMware workspace environments, and done OEM projects with companies like Wyse and Symantec to round out their virtualization offerings.  He is joined by Randy Cook, the inventor of SVS, an application virtualization solution acquired by Altiris, which later became the cornerstone of Symantec's Endpoint Virtualization Suite.

With this latest announcement, FSLogix has moved out of its beta cycle to release its third product update since coming out of stealth mode.  This week, they announced FSLogix Apps 1.3.  The solution requires no repackaging or sequencing, and can also work to supplement an existing application virtualization or streaming solution from another vendor.

• Per process visibility - Visibility of files and registry settings can now be controlled at the application level.  Additionally, the admin can select whether or not the visibility settings also apply to child processes.
• Specify registry value data - The admin now has the ability to specify the data that should be returned when a particular registry value is queried. This is particularly useful when the admin wishes to change a File Type Association when a particular application is hidden.  For example, when a user doesn’t see the Chrome browser, make the IE browser the default handler for .htm and .html files.
• Per user printer visibility - The admin can now add a Rule that controls the visibility of printer objects.  The main use case for this is when a particular application installs a printer driver (e.g. Adobe) and the admin only wants users who have access to the application to be able to access the printer.
• Assignment file template - The admin can now specify the set of Rule Assignments that should be present by default when a new Assignment File is created.

Some of the company's most implemented use cases for the technology include:

• Easily manage per-user application extensions like Office add-ins and browser plugins
• Massively reduce the number of Windows gold images in your environment
• Eliminate silos in your Citrix and RDS infrastructure
• Achieve 100% success with app virtualization projects
• Implement VDI and DaaS without legacy management overhead
• Ensure license compliance for all users and all apps on all Windows infrastructure
• Simplified version control and rollback on application updates

Sound interesting?  You can request an evaluation copy of 1.3 to see for yourself, click here.  And to get news on FSLogix, including news on their next beta, click here.