Virtualization news will be heavy in the next few weeks

This promises to be an exciting few weeks for those interested in virtualization and how end-to-end technical advances are shifting traditional security concepts. VMworld is the key event occurring next week in the dry heat of Las Vegas. It is the perfect venue as everything will look and feel as if it's local with high octane user experiences.  This is an important time for the major infrastructure vendors competing to define the tenets of the new infrastructure:

• Citrix recently announced XenApp 5, which extends virtualization end-to-end, from the datacenter to the desktop. Citrix is all about application delivery – using virtualization to make it easier IT to get applications at the fingertips of end-users. Interactive applications can only be productively virtualized in the datacenter if end-users can interact with them. Citrix brings the elements of a virtual infrastructure together into a cohesive application delivery system.
• Microsoft is aggressively launching its virtualization program this week, with a focus on Hyper-V for servers and Application Virtualization (App-V) for desktops. Microsoft's big advantage is that the vast majority of applications being virtualized are Windows apps. Organizations have built IT processes on Microsoft's products and their comfort with Windows applications, Microsoft management tools, and Microsoft partner products is a significant advantage.
• VMware is super strong in the datacenter and will be lining up announcements for VMworld. Expect to hear about further enhancements in management and packaging of VMs and capabilities for the desktop. Every conversation about virtualization starts with VMware – the mindshare is definitely there for them to build on. Partnerships are critical for VMware to build an eco-system around ESX.

If you are looking at virtualization capabilities, then you need to look at Citrix, Microsoft, VMware, and check out Symantec. Ask each how their approach will bring more effective, and cost-effective, security to your organization. They all have good security stories and their answers may help you decide.

• Symantec is the major vendor looking to break into the short list of virtualization vendors. Symantec has all of the pieces - presentation virtualization, application streaming, storage management, and end-to-end security. Their endpoint virtualization group is charged with pulling those pieces together. They are worth talking to.

Expect many significant announcements through the month of September. The main new techniques enabled by virtualization are far greater IT control over delivering applications and desktops to users, a less chance of human error by inexperienced end-users.