Q&A with Doug Lane of AppSense

VSM: For those unfamiliar with the term user virtualization, can you give a brief overview?

DL: Absolutely. User virtualization decouples all user elements from the desktop environment, brings each user’s “digital DNA” back into a centralized management framework and gives IT teams the ability to deploy a personalized desktop experience on-demand across both physical and virtual desktops. The goal of user virtualization is to empower users to work with whatever collection of devices will make them most productive while providing IT teams with the tools they need to keep support costs in check and protect sensitive corporate information.

VSM: What are some ways that customers are incorporating user virtualization into their desktop plans?

DL: Customers across a wide variety of industries, including healthcare, education, government, and financial agencies, are using the AppSense User Virtualization Platform. A few recent examples include: Nationwide Children’s Hospital which wanted to provide users with a personalized desktop that would also allow for IT to easily maintain control over a large number of devices. Nationwide deployed AppSense to provide the layer of personalization needed to expand its deployment of virtual desktops, as well as to assist in the migration to Windows 7. Kaweah Delta is another example, using AppSense to increase the manageability of the desktop, decrease user logon times, support remote workers, and reduce desktop management costs. Lastly, similar to Kaweah the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) was tasked with finding a solution to create a seamless user experience across all physical and virtual desktops, support remote workers and increase manageability of the desktop. After deploying AppSense UVP, the CDC was able to have strong platform control and easily modify group policy, while providing a seamless user experience.

VSM: What is significant about this latest version of the User Virtualization Platform (UVP)?

DL: There are a number of significant enhancements that have been made that improve performance and enable next generation user virtualization capabilities. This latest version includes a new modular architecture, enhanced management and control, expanded policy and personalization capabilities, and end-user experience improvements. We have also added a suite of powerful new administration tools that will simplify day-to-day management of the AppSense environment.

VSM: AppSense mentions expanding policy and personalization capabilities. Can you provide a few use cases for this?

DL: This latest release of the UVP carries with it a rich array of new automated actions and conditions including the ability to govern behavior based on existence of specific files, folders, registry key/values, OS versions, environment variables, and date/time.

Many of our customers rely on custom applications and these applications do not always store personalization information in predictable places. So, for example, the ability to initiate automated behavior based on the existence or content of a text file provides the power to address non-standard personalization approaches in a simple and repeatable way.

Also, as more and more organizations find themselves with a mix of Windows XP and Windows 7 desktops, the ability to drive unique behavior based on the operating system and even patch level is quite powerful.