Imagine one day that when you visit your doctor you find he is able to pull all of your health history, medical images, email, and take notes from an iPad. Gone are the days of lugging around a full size laptop for the person that needs to be truly mobile with full functionality of a windows workstation connected to a corporate desktop virtualization network environment. This could transform not just how doctors work with technology, but also salespersons, executives, or anyone else that works on the go. This desktop virtualization technology exists now with software solutions from Citrix, VMware and Wyse Pocket Cloud.
How are you able to run Windows desktop from an Apple iPad? Actually, this technological concept isn’t new, but rather a new spin on thin client computing with some new features for virtual desktops or VDI. The iPad looks and feels as if it’s running Windows and loaded with Windows software, however with these desktop virtualization apps, it’s really only accessing the Windows environment located on office desktops or servers. Three companies were the first to have foreseen the possibilities with the iPad and virtualization to develop apps to turn your iPad into a virtual office.
Citrix Receiver
Even before the actual release date of the iPad, Citrix announced and promoted the Citrix Receiver app. Citrix Receiver allows remote access to XenApp and XenDesktop network environments as long as the iPad has internet access via a 3G/4G or WiFi network. This allows the user to connect to Windows applications and desktops in a secure manner. With this app you can view, edit, and even create business documents, even those that are graphic intensive, and host or join online meetings using Citrix’s GoToMeeting.
Video: Demo Citrix Receiver for iPad
VMware
VMware has launched their VMware View iPad client that will allow users to access VMware virtual desktops on WiFi or 3G/4G cellular networks. It even has support for external keyboard, monitor plus a virtual mouse trackpad which can help bring the desktop experience to the Apple iPad. So in example, we can connect to a Windows 7 virtual desktop to access MS applications and have complete security within this environment.
Video: Demo of VMware View for iPad
For administrating VMware network environments, There will soon be a vCenter iPad client scheduled to be released in April/May of 2011. This vCenter client is a trimmed down version of the full windows client but will provide some basic administration control.
Wyse PocketCloud
Wyse, a proven leader in thin computing, came out with its PocketCloud app fairly quickly for the iPad as well. PocketCloud has the ability to connect to any physical or virtualized infrastructure that supports VNC or Microsoft’s Remote Desktop Protocols. Both of these are very common business remote access solutions to connect to a physical PC or server. Secondly, it supports VMware View so it can connect to a dedicated virtual desktop from your corporate network.
PocketCloud not only supports the iPad but also Android devices as well. While Citrix and VMware are currently supporting their own solution base, Wyse PocketCloud does stand out as a very versatile remote access solution.
Video: Demo of PocketCloud for iPad
The Future of Desktop Virtualization
As of right now the iPad and tablet systems appear to be more home user specific driven products. But it’s not going to take very long for them to be an intricate part of the business world. Citrix, VMware, and Wyse have already taken the right steps for businesses to consider using these light-weight road warrior devices. Just as quickly as different tablets are being introduced to the market, you should expect the technology to only improve for remote access to the virtual corporate world.
