Virtualization moving to the endpoint

To date virtualization has only penetrated between 5 to 10% of servers in the datacenter. This will increase now that Microsoft Hyper-V has officially joined the fray with Citrix Xen and VMware ESX. It will also increase as IT learns how to extend the benefits of virtualization to applications and the desktop -- user applications extend from the desktop to the datacenter and thus so will virtualization. Some companies have looked at desktop virtualization and haven't yet seen a compelling business case. One enterprise I talked with, who presently has more than 60% of applications running under VMware, was quite comfortable using existing tools and procedures to push out patches and software configuration changes. They like virtualization, but just didn't see the business justification yet to move forward.

That's fine - that CIO has excellent control over the environment and desktop virtualization may need maturing for his organization. There is no question about it - desktop virtualization is coming, as an intelligent combination of remote display protocols with the application resident in the datacenter, an application that is transparently streamed for local execution on the endpoint, or the existence of an entire self-contained desktop environment that is customized to the user's needs. Here are a few things to evaluate when considering different approaches to what is becoming a strategic imperative:

• Performance - you want the virtualized performance to be approximately equal to what the user is accustomed to. I have talked to a few people who found VMware virtual desktops to be unacceptably slow in their environment, while others have said it's ok. The point is that bandwidth, processor performance, and even the application demands on I/O processing can impact the choice of solutions. The first order of business is to make sure the virtual system performs for your end users. If it doesn't give an acceptable user experience, nothing else will matter.
• IT efficiency - there can be good cost savings by centralizing the management of endpoints via virtualization. IT can create master images, with controls to modify configurations and certify compliance. Instead of chasing user desktops, and being satisfied with 90% compliance, IT can be sure that everyone is running the latest and greatest. Users as they connect will automatically have access to the latest and greatest version of the application (I've talked with Citrix users who love this capability). See what processes can be streamlined by virtualizing your desktops, including product expenses for pushing out software changes.
• Security - this is the third step for many, as IT first needs to satisfy end-users and build a convincing business case for desktop virtualization. Perhaps the best security part of virtual desktops is that data and images are erased upon exit. And the next user always starts with a clean virtual desktop. This makes for a great solution where use of shared devices is required, or for remote users with laptops. MokaFive is an example of a company that can put an entire virtual desktop on a USB stick which assures the user is executing approved software, and the data will not persist on the endpoint.

The virtualization game is getting interesting as IT becomes comfortable that they can control the flexibility to this new approach for a technical infrastructure.