Desktop virtualization with most organizations remains a work in progress, much of it being driven by the need to connect a broad range of diverse devices to Windows applications.
Looking to strengthen its ability to deliver those capabilities, Citrix this week has made two moves. The first is acquiring Framehawk, which adds technology for extending desktop virtualization out to mobile computing devices. The second is the release of Citrix DesktopPlayer for Mac, a Type 2 implementation of desktop virtualization software for mobile MacBook users.
According to Calvin Hsu, senior director of product marketing at Citrix, the company has a dual strategy when it comes to desktop virtualization. When it involves Windows systems, Citrix is advocating the deployment of Type 1 hypervisors on Windows desktops for performance and governance reasons. When it comes to other types of systems, Hsu says that from a practical perspective, Type 2 hypervisors that layer in on top of an operating system make more sense.
As desktop virtualization evolves, it appears there will be no silver bullet to provide an all-inclusive fix. Hsu says different use cases will require different types of desktop virtualization solutions.
That may give some IT organizations cause for pause when moving to desktop virtualization. But given the alternative approaches to managing a diverse range of client systems, some form of desktop virtualization is rapidly becoming a requirement.