InstallFree Launches Next Generation Virtualization Product

By VSM News Staff
published: Tuesday, April 08 2008

First Product from Privately-held Company Earns Praise from Industry Analysts, and Changes the Way Companies Manage and Deploy Virtual Applications

STAMFORD, CT., April 7, 2008 - InstallFree Inc., a provider of next generation virtualization products, today launches its first in a series of patent-pending application and desktop virtualization products that give IT directors an easier, more secure way of managing and deploying virtual applications while providing end-users the autonomy they require to be more productive.

The InstallFree Bridge allows virtual applications to be "Packaged Once to Run Anywhere" across a full range of computing scenarios including Windows XP or Vista 32bit PCs as well as 64bit and server-based solutions such as Citrix XenApp, Windows Terminal Server and Windows-based virtual machines.  Its platform integrates into a corporation's existing IT infrastructure without the need to make changes making it easy to use and support.

InstallFree's applications are virtualized with the complete set of resources they require in order to function and require no software to be installed on the host PC never touching the host operating system or registry files. As such, the risk of application conflicts and the need for costly, time consuming regression testing is eliminated. 

Designed with the IT administrator and end-user in mind, InstallFree provides virtual applications that operate with full functionality as if the application was installed into the operating system and gives IT administrators an easy-to-use way to manage, deploy and support applications in a secure environment.  

 "In today's complex computing environments, application and desktop maintenance represents a significant portion of the IT budget," said Yori Gabay, Co-Founder and CEO of InstallFree. "We estimate a cost savings of approximately 35 percent to 45 percent when switching from an unmanaged desktop or laptop to InstallFree. The technology offers IT directors an easy-to-use interface to centrally manage and deploy virtual applications while maintaining a high level of security and providing end-users the full experience of working with their personalized applications in any location with no limitations."

"InstallFree offers a solution that, for many organizations, can address the often incompatible give-and-take between IT and users by giving both constituents the freedom, ease of use and security they require," observed Michael Rose, a research analyst covering virtualization at IDC.

Anil Desai, an independent consultant added "InstallFree's agent-less and flexible approach provides significant improvements to deployment, scalability, security, and centralized administration without the overhead of standard virtual machine management."

With the InstallFree Bridge, end-users can access their entire set of encrypted InstallFree Virtual (IFV) applications with full functionality and productivity in any location including at home, kiosks, airports, hotels and even locked-down computers without compromising security and privacy.  IFV applications can be accessed via the LAN, Internet or USB storage device providing end-users with a roaming profile that goes where they go with their complete personalized settings available anywhere, anytime.

The InstallFree Bridge is available immediately from InstallFree as well as through authorized resellers and channels partners throughout the United States and Europe.

Research Suggests Creative Technology Approach

 "InstallFree changes the game when it comes to managing and deploying virtual applications," said Doug Brown, independent analyst. "They have eliminated the burden of managing multiple versions of the same application by providing a revolutionary platform that enables IT administrators to create a single virtual application and deploy it across a range of computing environments." 

 In its one year of investigation and discussions with hundreds of Fortune 500 companies prior to developing its suite of products, InstallFree found that the most prominent problem with application installations is that they permanently modify the operating system with specific configurations, which eventually lead to application conflicts and PC deterioration.  Each installation has the potential of creating additional complexity.  In order to add or upgrade an application to an entire user base, it has to be physically installed on each machine, and go through QA testing against multiple platforms and other applications. The process of integrating an application into an existing computing environment is time consuming and resource intensive.

InstallFree also realized that software applications are executed exclusively within the environment in which they were actually installed. Specifically, a software application is installed on each computer that runs the application.

As a result, a user cannot switch computers and work with his/her personalized applications without installing and registering those applications on each computer. Users who wish to access their entire computing environment in multiple locations must carry a laptop with them or use a remote desktop solution.

From a security and cost standpoint, each time an application is installed into the operating system, the computer that runs that application becomes more vulnerable.

This is especially true for applications that run with administrative privileges which grant access to system resources and personal data. Corporate IT departments try to mitigate the risks by locking-down computers -- limiting application and desktop accessibility and functionality. 

However, many users cannot work within the constraints of a locked-down PC because of limited application fidelity or language issues associated with the PC user experience.  Currently there is a delicate balance between productivity, security and total cost of ownership (TCO).

"InstallFree's approach to application virtualization addresses many of the limitations of current approaches in today's market," said Dan Kusnetzky, Principal Analyst of the Kusnetzky Group LLC, Virtualization Blogger for ZDnet, and columnist for Virtual Strategy Magazine. "InstallFree has solved the problem of allowing virtualized applications to communicate with one another and work on broad variety of different desktop environments including those that are totally locked down."

About InstallFree

InstallFree, Inc. is the leading provider of next generation virtual application and desktop solutions. It is a privately-held company with headquarters in Stamford, CT and Research and Development in Israel.  Its executive team includes respected experts in the Windows environment based on more than 30 years of experience.  InstallFree was founded in 2006.