VMware updates hybrid cloud desktop, tools and storage

Virtualisation and cloud computing firm VMware has revealed three new and updated products to help systems administrators get to grips with the post-PC world.

The updated portfolio of products, built on the company’s vSphere product, uses hybrid cloud infrastructure to offer on-demand tools for employees collaborating across applications and data from any device.

It said the new tools would help organisations to simplify IT management for large-scale deployments and decrease the total cost of ownership connected with a virtual desktop infrastructure by nearly half.

“Customers are looking for solutions that break down current technology barriers and shift the focus to delivering services that can be accessed anywhere, on any device,” said Boaz Chalamish, senior vice president and general manager at end-user computing at VMware. “VMware View 5.1 and our growing portfolio of personal cloud solutions will address the needs to simplify technology, manage more efficiently and better connect employees.”

View 5.1 boasts new storage facilities enabled by VMware View Storage Accelerator which it said would decrease shared storage costs by optimising shared storage loads.

VMware View Persona Management also broadens out to non-virtual desktops, maintaining user settings across all Windows-based computers, helping the migration from physical to virtual desktops.

Enhancements to VMware View 5.1 will enable IT organisations to make more efficient important IT processes such as provisioning, configuration management, connection brokering, policy enforcement, performance monitoring, and application assignment from a single management console. VMware View also enables IT organisations to increase security and compliance by moving data into the datacentre, centrally enforcing endpoint security and policy configuration and streamlining antivirus processes.

The company also gave updated details on its Project Octopus personal data cloud product still in beta. VMware Project Octopus will enable IT organisations to provide employees with a simple, secure way to share data and collaborate with anyone from any device. Deployed on-premise or accessed via a VMware service provider, VMware Project Octopus will provide the ability for IT administrators to govern usage and set policies for data access and sharing within their organisation or with external contributors. 

Further information was divulged about Project Horizon. This personal cloud broker product is to be offered as an on-premise virtual appliance. VMware Horizon Application Manager 1.5 is a centralised policy and entitlement engine that will broker user access to applications, virtual desktops and data resources. It integrates the application virtualisation capabilities of VMware ThinApp. VMware said the VMware Horizon Application Catalog will benefit both IT and end users by consolidating diverse application types into a single, unified catalogue. In addition, the VMware Horizon Workspace offered “a simple, seamless end-user experience when accessing work resources across private and public clouds on whatever device a user chooses.”

Stephen Kleynhans, research vice president at analyst firm Gartner said that with the reign of personal computers coming to an end, a new era was emerging.

“The personal cloud era provides users with a new level of flexibility with the devices they use for daily activities, while, at the same time, leveraging the strengths of each device. This flexibility will ultimately enable new levels of user satisfaction and productivity. However, it will require enterprises to fundamentally rethink how they deliver applications and services to users.”