VMware View is the leading choice for desktop virtualization software, followed closely by Citrix XenDesktop. VMware has significantly broadened and updated its offering. This note unpacks the components of View and looks deeper at a number of key features including:
- How View Composer and dynamic desktop creation streamlines the process of virtual desktop deployment, while also reducing the amount of centralized storage required for desktop virtualization from previous VMware products.
- How the integration of ThinApp means that View also provides access to streamed virtualized applications. The View connection broker can also manage connections to other remote resources such as a blade PC or workstation in the data center.
- How the experimental Offline Desktop feature bodes well for a Virtual Desktops in disconnected mobile scenarios – a place that desktop virtualization does not currently play well.
Desktop virtualization is still in the growth stage, as most enterprises are in the planning, piloting and early implementation phases. Competition, particularly between VMware and Citrix, will heat up as more enterprises explore desktop virtualization.
