In the last 5 days the Desktop Virtualization Group at Quest has delivered three major product releases: Quest VDI Assessment, vWorkspace 7.2 and the vWorkspace Connector for iPad.

1. Quest VDI Assessment - analysis of user behavior to identify the most suitable virtualization candidates for VDI, Session Host (Terminal Server), physical PCs and other virtualization technologies
2. vWorkspace 7.2 - a major step in the maturation of vWorkspace, bringing enterprise readiness to our flagship virtual desktop management and access platform
3. vWorkspace Connector for iPad - the first version of our endpoint software for iPad users providing, secure, load-balanced, easy access to applications and desktops published on vWorkspace farms

The timing of these releases at the end of 2010 signals a remarkable year for this group. At the start of the year we had one core product offering with limited support for non-Windows access devices, and one acceleration technology for high-latency connections (WAN, branch office, internet, VPN, etc.) Integration with Microsoft's VDI stack was limited and IT departments faced a significant effort to get their desktop virtualization projects off the starting blocks. In addition, awareness of Quest's desktop virtualization offerings was limited outside of the desktop virtualization technical community.

As we close out a remarkable 2010 all of this has changed:

• In April we announced EOP Xtream: the ninth technology in our EOP set of enhancements for RDP. This patent-pending technology dramatically improves the user experience on latent connections. User feedback was universally excellent, mostly along the lines of "what did you guys DO?" If you haven't seen it yet, check out these videos: http://www.brianmadden.com/blogs/videos/archive/2010/07/12/quest-s-eop-quot-xstream-quot-does-amazing-things-for-rdp-latency-with-video-demo-goodness.aspx and http://www.quest.com/vWorkspace/demo/vWorkspace-EOP-Xtream-Demo/vWorkspace-EOP-Xtream-Demo.htm
• At the same time we released deeper integration with Microsoft's Remote Desktop Services platform (which, by the way, includes both Virtualization Host aka VDI *and* Session Host aka Terminal Server). vWorkspace now directly integrates with Microsoft RD Gateway, Connection Broker and System Center Virtual Machine Manager, and uses built-in technology such as Hyper-V Differencing Disks to avoid the need for complicated disk provisioning solutions and reduce exposure to problems caused by network glitches
• Throughout the year we have released major updates for our Connectors for non-Windows platforms: a Linux Connector covering multiple distributions and an open-source download so you can roll your own, including features not available anywhere else such as Flash redirection; a Mac Connector for OS X; the iPad Connector; and beta connectors for Windows CE and what we call a "Zero PC" - a PC with no local OS!
• VDI Assessment was developed with technology purchased from Liquidware Labs in July, and automates the process of finding the low-hanging fruit for desktop virtualization to ensure the greatest and fastest ROI, especially when used in conjunction with vWorkspace 7.2 which introduces a dramatically simpler and faster installation and setup process.
• Finally, we invested heavily in a widespread awareness and visibility program with print and online ads in many outlets and publications, expanded presence at tradeshows and roadshows, and the launch of our Community site.

Taken together, all this marks a major turning point as we head into the next 12 months. We are now deep in the transition to delivering a holistic desktop virtualization solution known across the IT world.

Source: 3 Product Releases in a Week to Close Out a Remarkable Year