MokaFive Launches Next-Generation Virtual Desktop Solution

By VSM News Staff
published: Thursday, April 10 2008

Startup built on Stanford University research targets desktop virtualization market predicted to grow to 660 million computers by 2011

Based on years of research at Stanford University funded by the National Science Foundation and backed by 15 pending patents, the MokaFive solution enables IT managers to centrally manage dozens to thousands of desktop computers across an organization. MokaFive is targeting a desktop virtualization market that is growing exponentially. According to Gartner, "In 2006, fewer than 5 million PCs used the technology (OS-to-hardware virtualization); by 2011, that figure is expected to increase to more than 660 million."*

"Virtualization is moving rapidly from the server to the desktop and MokaFive is at the vanguard of this great shift," said Bill Demas, president and CEO of MokaFive. "With the MokaFive Virtual Desktop Solution, we believe we have the most complete offering for creating, updating, and managing virtual desktops. We have taken the best of both cloud computing and the power of a local notebook or desktop computer to solve the offline/online problem, which is an important part of today's $10 billion desktop management headache."

Breakthrough LivePCTM Technology

Underpinning the MokaFive Virtual Desktop Solution is the company's LivePC format, which contains an entire desktop operating system and application stack. Inspired by Sun Microsystems' SunRay architecture, LivePCs allow users to pause and resume their computing state on different PCs by carrying a USB flash drive. LivePCs are virtual machines running directly on users' desktops-there is no need for a data center. They can be run online or offline, boot quickly on a PC, fit easily and securely on a USB flash drive and update automatically over a network or the Internet. LivePCs are managed centrally and can be executed locally on any compatible x86 machine, giving users the flexibility and performance of a PC.

"The LivePC format represents the next-generation of desktop computing, easily leapfrogging today's virtual desktop infrastructure (VDI) solutions that require users to remotely connect to virtual machines hosted in data centers," said Dr. Monica Lam, Professor of Computer Science at Stanford University and Co-founder and Chief Scientist of MokaFive. "Unlike VDI solutions, which require a server for each handful of users, LivePCs deliver dynamically updated, or ‘live,' images that can be used by thousands of users with a single server."

The MokaFive solution will debut tomorrow at IDC Virtualization Forum at the Hilton San Francisco, followed by its first public demonstration by Dr. Lam and Dave Elliston, SAP development architect, on April 10th during SAP Virtualization Week at SAP Labs in Palo Alto, Calif.

Mr. Elliston explained: "Using MokaFive's LivePC technology we have embedded a running instance of SAP NetWeaver Composition Environment on a USB flash drive. As a lightweight demo appliance, the flash drive enables SAP to show a running system in customer sales and strategy meetings."

Customers Solving Real IT Issues Today

MokaFive Virtual Desktop Solution is already in use by customers for disaster recovery, software testing in sandbox environments, secure remote access and lab management. Panasonic, for example, uses MokaFive in a highly secure disaster recovery system based on a custom LivePC created for remote workers at the Panasonic Emerging Advanced RF Laboratory (PEARL) in Silicon Valley.

Iben Rodriguez of Arcscale, the IT management firm for the Panasonic PEARL Lab, commented: "MokaFive allows us to exercise our business continuity plans more often and at less cost, ensuring we are always prepared. This is a perfect example of how we can use virtualization technology to solve real problems."

"While desktop virtualization is a relatively nascent technology, it is still in the early adoption phase. As the technology matures, IDC believes it will become an increasingly critical component of future enterprise desktop computing environments," said Michael Rose, research analyst, IDC.

For more real-world use cases, click here.

Painless Desktop Management

With MokaFive virtual desktops delivered as a service, businesses no longer need to set up their own desktop management infrastructure. MokaFive lets them centrally manage the entire lifecycle of employee virtual desktops. Key advantages of MokaFive include:

• Faster launches: MokaFive's Predictive FetchTM technology makes virtual computers start up faster and update quicker-in seconds, not minutes-than other solutions on the market. With MokaFive, users can start using a LivePC before it has finished downloading.
• Automatic updates: MokaFive's unique Auto SubscriptionTM technology pushes administrator security updates and application patches to users in a process similar to subscribing to RSS feeds. These are pulled down automatically and seamlessly when users connect to the network.
• Self-healing: LivePCs "self heal" from spyware and malware through MokaFive's RejuvenationTM technology that allows users to recover by simply shutting down and restarting a LivePC if security is ever breached by any threat, including rootkit or zero-day vulnerability attacks. On reboot, the operating system and all applications are automatically restored to their original, clean state and all documents and data remain intact and unaffected.
• Cross-platform and OS flexibility: LivePCs can be installed on a desktop, laptop or any portable storage device like an encrypted flash drive or even an iPod.  To provide even greater computing freedom and flexibility, users can work on a single USB stick for multiple platforms, including Windows and Mac.
• Enhanced security with BareMetalTM: While the MokaFive solution is designed with security in mind, the company has created BareMetal for those with higher security demands. This customized Linux distribution runs on bare computer hardware without an underlying operating system, making it optimal for security-critical applications. As an added benefit, businesses save on licensing costs, since BareMetal is a Linux-based system.

The Lab

The Lab is MokaFive's community site for sharing LivePCs from around the world. Users can browse and see what technology enthusiasts are creating with MokaFive. LivePC downloads are free at http://lab.mokafive.com.

Availability

A 30-day free trial preview of the MokaFive Virtual Desktop Solution is immediately available today at http://www.mokafive.com. General availability is scheduled for Q2 2008. System requirements can be found at http://www.mokafive.com.

About MokaFive, Inc.

MokaFive is the next-generation desktop virtualization company managing the lifecycle of virtual desktops delivered as a service. The company was founded in 2005 by a team of Stanford University researchers and is backed by Khosla Ventures and Highland Capital Partners. MokaFive takes advantage of the latest advances in virtualization technologies, ‘cloud' storage, flash memory, and CPU power to solve the costly problem of managing desktops and laptops securely for workers in the office, on the road or at home. For more information, visit http://www.mokafive.com.