Executive Viewpoint: Martin Ingram, AppSense By Martin Ingram published: Tuesday, December 09 2008
Executive Viewpoint: Shifts in Client Virtualization
In the same way that virtualization swept through our data
centers over the last few years, making us rethink pretty much everything we
do, a revolution is now underway in client computing. Some of the goals are
different, but the changes are just as profound. With that in mind, here are
three predictions which may be a bit radical and contentious, but nonetheless
make perfect sense considering the degree of transformation we are going
through.
1. Application
virtualization has been with us for about five years, first brought to market
by Softricity. Despite having been on the market for all this time, application
virtualization has remained a difficult technology; one that can be implemented
by top-end architects and administrators but is just way too hard for the
majority. The principle problem has been in the packaging of applications,
which has proven to take far longer than anticipated with some applications
proving impossible to package. Next year
we will see application virtualization become far simpler to implement and,
with multiple vendors actively working in this area, this may turn market
leadership on its head. The following year, 2010, it will be hard to imagine
being without application virtualization.
2. Client
virtualization using hypervisors for laptops and desktops is far behind its
server counterpart. In 2008 we saw Neocleus launch product and Xen and VMware
start talking about client hypervisors. This is all very early stage and, right
now, the focus is on providing a virtualized but transparent view onto the
hardware underneath. Due to the diversity of client hardware, this will not
work for desktops and laptops, where the device driver requirements are so
varied and management so difficult. Next
year will see the realization that client hypervisors will have to be provided
by hardware vendors, with the drivers needed for that hardware already in
place. We might even see a vendor ship product that properly manages
drivers and becomes the basis for bringing the management advantages of the
virtual desktop to laptops and desktops.
3. To
date, the debate about desktop virtualization has been about technology
choices; which is the best, which will win and, more recently, when to use one
over another. We are now moving towards a consideration of ‘why' rather than
‘which.' Next year will come the
widespread recognition that the ‘why' for desktop virtualization is about being
able to manage corporate desktops as a collection of standardized software
components that are dynamically assembled as needed. As long as we can
deliver an operating system, the user's applications and the user's personality
to a machine, which application delivery technology is used is immaterial -
just pick the most appropriate for the circumstances. The key is to give users
a familiar PC experience while IT gets to just manage a limited number of
standard components, which can be done better and cheaper than the current
model. Expect the goal of VDI to shift to standardization and the metric of
interest to become the number of components needing management and how to drive
that number down.
Will I be right? Only time will tell, but with the degree of
change in client computing right now, we can expect significant changes as we
appreciate what virtualization can do for us.
Related Links:
AppSense
All Executive Viewpoint Articles
Martin Ingram is vice president of strategy for AppSense, where
he's responsible for understanding where the entire desktop computing market is
going and deciding where AppSense should direct its products. He is recognized
within the industry as an expert on application delivery. Ingram
has been with AppSense since 2005, previously having built companies around
compliance and security including: Kalypton, MIMEsweeper, Baltimore
Technologies, Tektronix and Avid. He holds an electrical engineering
degree from Sheffield University.
|
