Desktop Virtualization Brokers Emerge

A slew of recent announcements highlight products that give IT managers more control over virtual desktops. But the space is just getting started, and scoping things out is an education in itself.

From the top: Desktop virtualization is reportedly taking off in enterprise sites. (See Wanted: Virtual Desktop Services and Insider Eyes Virtual Desktops.) The approach virtualizes the configuration of laptops and desktops for tighter control, more efficient software licensing, and management of remote workers. But implementations are just getting started, and the need to manage desktop virtualization has presented an opportunity for startups.

Companies differ vastly in how they approach the problem.

Take the latest news from Dunes Technologies and Kidaro. Both startups have products that enable IT pros to better manage virtual desktops. But their pitches differ like night and day.

Dunes, a company founded in 2001, characterizes itself as a "process automation" supplier because it ties "runbook automation" software to virtually any business process. "We can tie into your toaster or your dishwasher!" quips CEO Robert Laurie.Presently, Dunes is focused on virtualized environments based on VMware. Its latest announcement of Dunes Virtual Service Orchestrator (VS-O) version 3.1, for instance, is designed to work on top of VMware's Virtual Center or Microsoft's Virtual Server. (See Dunes Adds Web 2.0.) Dunes has made workflow engine improvements, added support for various directories, and upgraded performance for its software in these environments.

In addition, the vendor's Virtual Desktop -- Orchestrator (VS-O) -- packs workflows, technology plug-ins, policy control, access rights, and a connection broker for use with VMware virtual desktop environments. "We tie into the entire API of VMware, all 860 different functions," Laurie states.

In his view, Dunes competes not with other virtualization management products from suppliers such as Citrix, Kidaro, Leostream, Microsoft, Provision Networks, or Zeus, but with overarching management automation frameworks from HP, IBM Tivoli, and CA.

Kidaro, in contrast, acknowledges competing with other virtualization managers, but stresses the hardiness and thoroughness of what newly appointed CEO Kevin Brown calls "an infrastructure to centrally deploy, manage, secure, and ensure the user experience." Kidaro's software works in desktop virtualization environments based on VMware Player and Microsoft Virtual PC.

Brown, who joined Kidaro a month ago from security appliance vendor Decru (now part of Network Appliance), says there's an urgent need for these kinds of wares. He insists the Kidaro board considered his security background as key to his CEO appointment. (See Kidaro Makes Kevin Brown CEO.) And he thinks the ability offer "a combination of more control, compliance, and security" will differentiate Kidaro from Dunes and others."We kill about five birds with one stone," Brown says. He says, for example, that Kidaro's software can enable customers to avoid rewriting or requalifying XP applications after a move to Vista. "You can just wrap custom applications in XP machines in Kidaro and manage how they're deployed."

Brown won't say how many customers Kidaro has, and none have been named so far. But he claims there are financial services firms, media companies, and government agencies using or evaluating the startup's software, which was introduced earlier this year. (See Desktops Dive Into USBs.) The company has about 35 employees and has raised $14 million to date, including a round late in 2006. (See Kidaro Secures $10 Million.)

At least one analyst sees desktop virtualization products like Dunes's and Kidaro's as part of a larger move to create "virtual desktop workspace." According to senior analyst Rachel Chalmers of the 451 Group, author of a report on the topic released this month, customers are asking for desktop virtualization, leading to demand for its management. "One Wall Street Bank has found that maintaining software in Windows is so complicated that they must issue users a new PC every year," she says. "Keeping desktop configurations on a host and serving them over a network, particularly a LAN, can be very effective."

In a prepared statement on her recent report, Chalmers cites the complexity of weeding through solutions at this point. "The trouble is that approaches for desktop and application virtualization differ, and many are complementary, leading to tremendous market confusion as to which companies and technologies are competing head-to-head and which are building on one another."

Things are likely to get more, not less, complicated. One factor is the ongoing involvement of VMware, Microsoft, and other top players. VMware, for instance, is rumored to be working on its own broker for virtual desktops, via its acquisition of U.K. startup Propero.Get ready for more.

Mary Jander, Site Editor, Byte and Switch