Day Two of VMworld focused on End-User Computing and the "multi-device" era. Steve Herrod, CTO of VMware, is introduced as the keynote speaker.
"The days of telling the users what to do are OVER" - the consumerization of IT shouldn't be thought of as the end of the desktop, but the rise of the "multi-device" era. Companies must now provide IT services and capabilities that rival consumer-base services, but all within a compliant and secure deployment platform. Herrod outlines the key tenants of VMware's EUC stack: Access, Transformation, Delivery.
Access is now not just from the company provisioned tools, but multiple endpoints - both provisioned and user-owned assets. A recent Gartner Poll showed that only 30% of companies globally have migrated to Windows 7 - with Windows 8 going into GA release later this Q4 2012.
Herrod then highlights the Vmware View Rapid Desktop Program, which is a ecosystem program venture with manufacturers and ISVs to provide bundled VDI solutions for rapid roll-out in SMB and smaller commercial clients - reminiscent of Citrix Kaseya. Herrod highlights Cisco's ISR G2 - a single appliance that includes networking services and VMware View for a single-deployed resource for ROBO.
Herrod then moves to transformation, with the focus on traditional migration processes for moving from one desktop OS to another and how Vmware and it's acquisition of Wanova's Mirage technology plans to enhance this process in the new "always-on" world. A Demo of Wanova Mirage illustrates the following scenarios:
1. A Windows XP physical laptop upgrade to Windows 7 ONLINE - Utilizing de-duplication and synchronizing techniques, a Windows 7 delta image builds and synchronizes in the background. When the image local synchronization completes, the user reboots. XP boots back up as Windows 7, with all user settings still in place, both profile and persona.
2. Access to VDI - If a user laptop is stolen or not functioning after the upgrade, the user can access a VDI copy of their desktop image via VMware View. Wanova Mirage keeps a virtual copy of the updated image in its repository and can seamlessly provision the image to View for VDI access - on any device.
3. BYOD provisioning of desktop session - Demo moves to a simulation of a pushing a Fusion-based image to a user-owned Mac laptop that was newly purchased. This illustrates Wanova Mirage's ability to deploy the same user desktop image on multiple different devices, regardless of HW changes.
Herrod then shifts the conversation to useability of tablet based devices for VDI. He acknowledges that the current UI is not optimized since native gestures aren't integrated for use in a VDI session - until now. Herrod introduces Project AppShift.
Project Appshift is a virtual user interface for tablet-based use of Windows desktop OS. A demonstration native gestures and editing functions of the tablet devices are implemented for desktop function use. Flipping through applications like an iTunes catalog. Editing functions like copy and paste that are based on the tablet OS UI. No release date was offered but beta should be available in the next coming months.
Herrod then shifts the conversation to Application Delivery in the multi-device era. How do you provision, monitor, manage, remediate applications for both company-owned assets and BYOD all within a secure and compliant container? Herrod announces the new VMware Horizon Suite - Horizon App Manager with integrated ThinApp (still in Alpha but should be in beta next quarter).
Blogger's note - Horizon Suite seems to be a Vmware version of Citrix Cloud Gateway, Store front services, and app controller.
Herrod also mentions Octopus integration directly into Horizon - providing enterprise filesharing capabilities across multiple devices in a secure, encrypted, and authorized manner. Sounds similar to Sharefile integration in Citrix Cloud Gateway. Monitoring with vCOps integration for montioring is also announced - Edgesight equivalent for Citrix.
A demo of the Horizon App manager administration interface is provided, illustrating policy-based provisioning and adding applications into a workspace (including mobile apps from Apple appstore and Google appstore).
A very exciting development effort around Vmware's new IOS container is demoed, Which allows separation of personal user apps from the Horizon-deployed corporate apps. Horizon security policy enforcement of data restrictions is demonstrated, including the prevention of "copy text" functionality in a protected PDF from a corporate email to a personal app.
Rounding out the keynote, Steve Herrod invites each of the Diamond sponsors (Cisco, Dell, EMC, HP, NetApp) to come on-stage to review their showcase solutions (for 4 minutes) while the audience votes on whose solution is the most compelling.
1. Cisco is up first - review of VM mobility utilizing LISP opensource - L2/L3 flow compliance.
2. Dell - Vstart 1000 - all Dell infrastructure (Dell blades, Dell networking, Compellent Storage, Vmware). Demo of vcenter plugin for Dell provisioning. Integration of View with client-side caching via Wyse (acquired mid-2012). Highlight of Dell AppAssure (acquired early 2012) for backup and recovery via appliance.
3. EMC - Review and demo of VDP (Vmware Data Protection) - replacement for VDR (Vmware Data Recovery).
4. HP - Demo of HP Cloudsystem Matrix.
5. NetApp - Client case study - Peak Colo. on their cloud provider solution utilizing Data OnTap technology for multi-tenant environments.
Voting commences - NetApp wins audience vote.
If you missed Day One Keynote updates, check out my blog at:
http://anexinetisg.blogspot.com/2012/08/vmworld-2012-keynote-highlights.html
Labels: Appshift, EUC, Horizon, Mirage, Octopus, Thinapp, VDI, View, Vmware, Vmworld, Wanova