Tag Archive for 'Virtual Desktops'

Google to offer virtual desktops? Maybe.

Published
by
Michael McKay
on 13 July 2009
in Information Technology
. 0 Comments

A number of news articles and items of interest lead me to conclude that Google will be offering virtual desktops as a service in the near future.  Consider the following:

  • Google introduced the Chrome browser last year and is widely considered to be competing directly with Microsoft explorer
  • Google is dropping the beta term on some of its software products - the term is preventing enterprise sales of their Apps and Docs products
  • Google has announced its own operating system-intended to get the user to the net faster on boot-up
  • The Google’s recent release of the open-source NeatX - an open source version of NoMachine’s NX Server that allows servers to host virtual desktops.

These elements could be the building blocks for the provision of virtual desktops.  With this service, Google could offer virtual desktops in the same way they offer gmail.

Whether they pursue this will depend on their focus on organizing the worlds information.  If they expand that concept, they could use the virtual desktops to become the world’s computer.

Virtual Corporate IT: Eseri.net is Starting Beta Trials

Published
by
Michael McKay
on 22 June 2009
in Eseri.net, Information Technology and Virtual Corporate Desktops
. 0 Comments

Eseri.net, one of my clients, is starting beta trials of their virtual corporate IT service and is accepting applications from interested customers.

Targeted at enterprise IT, the Eseri service provides a complete corporate IT solution, including individual virtual desktops, hosted in the cloud.  To use the service, the customer’s administrator visits Eseri.net and registers a corporate domain and provides a credit card.  The Administrator receives an e-mail link to their personal desktop and can then create additional desktops for other employees.  These people receive the links to their desktops and can start using them immediately.

The desktops are all connected by an organizational layer that provides common file storage, integrated e-mail and single-sign-on (SSO) to all the applications.  The desktops are loaded with 24 productivity and collaboration applications including:

  • e-mail and Internet browsers;
  • graphics software for images, vectors and diagrams;
  • The Open Office suite of applications;
  • Nuxeo document management;
  • vTiger CRM;
  • HR applications;
  • GNU Cash; and
  • Project management tools.

Internally, we’ve been using the system for over a year and I think it is a great alternative to the traditional IT model.  Eseri customers only need to have access to the Internet and a simple browser capable of running the NoMachine thin client.  There is no need to own a server or expensive software.  There are no capital expenses, only operating expenses. It is a fully outsourced IT model.

Please contact info@eseri.net for more information if you are interested in trying the Eseri virtual IT solution.

Cloud Computing and Freedom from Fear

Published
by
Michael McKay
on 6 November 2008
in Information Technology and Virtual Corporate Desktops
. 0 Comments

You probably don’t even realize that you are clinging to your computer.  It is a normal state of affairs - being afraid of losing your data, the manifestation of all the hours and work that you have poured into that machine over the last months and years.  Somewhere, in that hardware, is your life and perhaps your job.  God help you if you lose it. 

I lost mine once.  A laptop, stolen from my car while I dashed into a store to buy milk and bread.  On the hard drive, copies of our strategic plans, financial records, product development plans, customer lists - every piece of critical confidential data short of the actual designs.  I had been working from home and was syncing the data over a VPN with the network at work.  The data wasn’t lost but is was certainly compromised.  I never got the laptop back.

My story isn’t unique.  Laptop theft happens all the time.  Search for it on the Internet to get a long list of high-profile cases.  From the loss of personal data to the extreme damage of loosing other people’s data, the loss of a laptop is a real pain.

And it is not just theft that is the sole cause of fear.  Hard drives crash.  Data gets corrupted.  There are many ways to lose the data.

Note that its the data that concerns people.  The computer itself?  It can be replaced in a few days.  The software?  It can be repurchased and reinstalled.  Its a hassle to be sure.  The data loss? That is painful.  More so if it wasn’t backed up. 

After the loss of my laptop, I started using remote desktop technology.  My new laptop was just a simple terminal.  I never stored any data on it.  All my data and my applications resided on my desktop and network at the office. 

Lately, I’ve been using the cloud for it all: corporate networks, desktops, applications, collaboration tools, storage and communications.  I can work from anywhere there is Internet connectivity which is everywhere I want to be working.  I can work on just about any machine.  I have no fear of loss of the laptop, damage to the computer or inadequate backups.  It is liberating.

Productivity?

Published
by
Michael McKay
on 2 November 2008
in Information Technology, Management and Virtual Corporate Desktops
. 0 Comments
It happens twice every day.  Sometimes, in some places, all day - it never stops.  Millions of people sitting in their cars, travelling, only to return a few hours later.  It seems like such a waste of time.  Why do we do this?
Hours a day?
Hours a day?
If your staff can, let them work from home.  They can use the extra hours in productive effort or in lifestyle changes that will improve their productivity - like sleep.  Let them save the gas and wear and tear on their cars and stress levels.  Leave the commuting to those who don’t have a choice.
If you only work in an office, there is little need to go there every day.  Network and communication solutions are out there that will allow you and your team to collaborate and work together from any location where there is Internet connectivity.  I’m involved with a company that is selling such a solution.   We are looking for beta customers in North America who would be willing to trial a virtual desktop solution for small and medium sized corporations.  If you want to learn more, please contact me.

Tradeoffs in Desktop Virtualization: No Showstoppers

Published
by
Michael McKay
on 27 September 2008
in Information Technology and Virtual Corporate Desktops
. 0 Comments

In a recent post on ZDNet.co.uk, Jason Hiner, says that the cloud is not ready for desktop virtualization.

I’m more confident in the success of virtualized desktops. I have, along with many others, been using them for years as remote desktops. First with GoToMyPC and later with Microsoft remote desktop. I would leave my desktop computer running at work and then access the desktop remotely from home or on the road. My primary access method was a laptop connected on my home’s wireless network or the hotel Internet. Never needing to transfer a file or install software, after two years, my laptop was in the same condition it was when I bought it.

Yes there were limitations. Editing a Power Point presentation was annoying and multimedia files were poorly displayed. If the Internet was slow, the mouse and keyboard screen updates could be jerky. If I didn’t have Internet, I couldn’t work. But there were always work-arounds and compromises. For Power Point, I learned to turn off the background graphics or use a different template altogether. I spent more time on content than format. For surfing, it was often better to do the surfing locally - but not always. I read on the plane and worked in the airport terminal.

However, the benefits of a single working desktop, of not having to sync files, of always being able to get to the desktop no matter where I was or on what machine: these things outweighed the reduction in the “user experience”. I was willing to put up with less in order to get these benefits. It was a classic cost-benefit trade-off that I think many people and companies will make in the cloud’s favor.

I’d also like to point out that many companies are not using state of the art multimedia machines as desktops. A quick walk through some local offices shows 14″ monitors, e-mail and word processing, two-tone text based data entry screens that look like they were programmed in 1970, no multi-media capabilities - basically bare bones corporate only workstations. These are also the targets for virtualization.

What I am looking forward to with the virtualized desktop approach is being able to get rid of the corporate desktop altogether. Virtualization has been a key term in servers since it allows servers to be consolidated. If I had 10 servers, I may be able to get away with five or three or even one with the appropriate virtualization technology. If you can virtualize the desktop as well, consider the additional savings. How many computers are there out there in total? What is the ratio of desktop computers to servers? Its a probably more than 2 to 1. If employees have a desktop at work and a laptop for home or the road, the number of non-server computers is even higher. Now consider that desktop virtualization can reduce the number of redundant computers by up to a 50:1 ratio (as claimed by Qumranet’s President Rami Tamir in April.) Yes, there will still need to be terminals with screens and keyboards but these can be much cheaper than the multi-cpu, multi-core machine that currently sits on my desk. In all, this means a dramatic reduction in the amount of desktop hardware out there with a concomitant reduction in the IT support requirements. The savings are too hard to ignore.

I agree with Jason that the importance of latency in the network will be important. But just as working with remote desktops in a hotel, it is still possible to do even with tardy connections. In return, the bandwidth requirements are significantly reduced. A terminal for a virtual desktop will only need a fraction of the Internet bandwidth since it handles no files, transfers no data and only displays updates to the graphics. The server in the cloud, on the other hand, has access to the Internet backbone and can deal with files over a high-bandwidth link. For many companies, the server may have access to more Internet bandwidth than their own servers.

Jason’s article also mentions a bridge approach from MokaFive. I realize the appeal of MokaFive’s approach, but I have lost (and given away) more USB keys than I can count and would not want to be dependent on one in order to use my computer. I want the freedom of the web even with its restrictions.

What would you be willing to sacrifice to implement virtual desktops in your company?

Where is your data? Changing attitudes about on-line storage

Published
by
Michael McKay
on 25 September 2008
in Information Technology and Virtual Corporate Desktops
. 0 Comments

One issue that people often mention with off-site virtualized or cloud computing systems is the loss of control of their “data”. The adults in the crowd grew up with paper, floppy disks, local storage on hard drives, removeable hard drives, CD Roms and more recently DVDs and USB sticks. The data was always at hand. We could point to it and know it was safe and we’d protect it.

The new world of virtualization and cloud computing is changing this. Companies are outsourcing their IT needs and on-line services such as SalesForce are gaining traction. In both cases, the data is no longer in the direct control of the company that owns it. This requires a level of trust that the supplier will not abuse the data or allow it to be compromised. It has been a tough sell with the adults.

Not with the kids. Kids these days are growing up with web services and social media. All the data starts being “out there” and they have grow used to it to the point that it is normal. On-line E-mail services are common, FaceBook, MySpace, Twitter, Fickr, YouTube, are all about sharing data. Google docs, Zoho, Apple’s Mobile Me and other web 2.0 services like them provide on-line storage. Virtual desktops are gaining in popularity - and the young crowd is using them at an increasing rate. . Their digital stuff is out there - on the web, in someone else’s control - and that is just fine. They do not want a local copy because they use computers like terminals and they want to get at their stuff from where ever they are, on what ever device.

When the kids reach adulthood, I’m sure they will change the attitude in industry as well.

Local storage will become, well - so 2001.

Bootstrapping your IT

Published
by
Michael McKay
on 23 September 2008
in Information Technology and Virtual Corporate Desktops
. 0 Comments

If you are a new startup that requires several people to work together, just how cheaply can you set up your IT network? Very cheaply it turns out.

You will need computers - but just about any old computer will do. You can use the cast offs from other companies that are upgrading - they often pay to have them removed. The software on the machines is not important as long as they have a browser and a functioning Internet connection. Don’t go buy the latest machines loaded with expensive software. If you have to purchase computers, try to purchase used ones. If you really want a new one, get the cheapest model with the least software. Don`t get a laptop until you really need it.

Next you will need Internet access. Start-out with a dial-up connection - it may work with the other suggestions I’ll make below and it is cheaper than highspeed DSL. If you have wifi, find a free drop and work from there. (Note that two café lattés from Starbucks cost as much as a month of cut-rate DSL.)

If the other employees are also working at the same location, you will need a router to share the internet and some cables.

Don`t buy a server! You won`t need it.

For the software, use the web. There are fantastic services out there that can support a new company with collaborative tools and software that is free to use or extremely cheap. They are either web based (web2.0) or hosted desktops. Here is my short list of hosted desktops:

  • Ghost (G.ho.st)- provides a web desktop via a browser with 5 gb storage and 3 gb of mail. It is a fully hosted solution aimed at personal users. It just released a version accessible from mobile devices. It includes a full suite of applications as well as Zoho and Google apps (see below). Very cool stuff and probably good enough for starting up.
  • Ulteo- a open-source free personal desktop that can be shared with others. It is Linux based and comes pre-loaded with applications such as the Open Office suite. Desktop sharing is useful for collaboration and as a web conferencing application. The number of invites is limited and fees apply as more are added. There is no corporate shared storage. The desktop is hosted by Ulteo or can be downloaded and run locally. File synchronization is supported between local and server storage.
  • (TBD) - there are other services coming. Stay tuned for more.

For web 2.0 solutions, check out the following list:

  • Central Desktop- a web2.0 collection of team collaboration tools. While there is a free version, the memory available is limited to 25 MB - not alot. Fees increase with the number of users, projects and storage.
  • Google- Google provides Google Docs and the more complete Google Apps which provides business e-mail, collaboration tools and on-line storage. Very popular. Has a 30 day free trial and then its $50 per user per year. If you can put up with advertisements, there is a free standard edition that is supported by ads.
  • Jooce- an online system for nomadic computer users. Limited in scope and aimed at social networking from any Internet terminal. However, it is free and there are (currently) no storage limits.
  • QTask - an web based project coordination tool. First 5 users are free for the first year, then it is $50/user/month.
  • ThinkFree - a Korean company that provides on-line office software. There is a free office suite and a workspace edition (in beta) for corporate use. The applications are high quality and look very similar to Microsoft Office. Mobile devices are supported. While they support on-line access, their main target is self-hosted solutions.
  • Zoho- a suite of web2.0 applications that provide most of what a small business needs. There are a wide number of generic applications that can support small businesses. Zoho is very similar to Google Apps but has a broader selection of applications. Collaborative document editing is possible making it an excellent choice for a micro business.
  • Zooos - A web 2.0 office application suite. Looks to be still in development but the blog and other parts of the site appear inactive.

Other interesting solutions that require a server:

  • EyeOS - EyeOS provides an open-source server solution that allows your company data to be accessible from everywhere. However, they do not host the server - you have to do that.

If these solutions don’t solve your problems then you may have to purchase a server and set up a LAN. Just beware of the costs and complexity involved. The above solutions can be up and running in minutes. A LAN will take days and cost you many hundreds if not thousands of dollars. Then add the software. By the time you get file servers, security and enterprise e-mail with MS Exchange Server installed, you can easily spend $30,000.

If you know of other web 2.0 or hosted business solutions out there, I’d like to hear from you.