Endpoint Virtualisation: Symantec strikes back

Alex Zaharov-Reutt
Wednesday, 06 August 2008 15:57

Business IT - Technology

Symantec is aggressively expanding into the “endpoint virtualisation” space by seriously upgrading its virtualisation capabilities and credentials, buying out nSuite, a ‘virtual workspace management’ company whose product competes with VMware’s VDI solution, Citrix’s XenDesktop and XenApp combo and other competitors.

Saying that it is “redefining” endpoint virtualisation, Symantec will no doubt draw the attention of its competitors, most of whom have effectively claimed something similar, including the standard claims of security.

The catalyst for the claims is the recent acquisition of nSuite, set to be complete by the end of this month.

Symantec says that it can now deliver instantaneous, on-demand software through the flexibility of application virtualization and streaming, and the rapid provisioning of anything from traditional desktops to full virtual desktops”, dynamically building “the workspace on-demand for the user”, available “anytime and anywhere”. 

Symantec also says that its “endpoint virtualization and advanced application delivery capabilities complement existing endpoint management solutions for configuration and patch management, asset management, endpoint security, Network Access Control, endpoint Data Loss Prevention, and endpoint data protection and system recovery.” 

Competitors are likely to claim many of the same benefits, as usual, but Symantec’s entry into the virtual desktop and application space can only speed up competition and improvements on virtualisation technologies – which is no bad thing at all.

Previously, nSuite’s technologies were being used in the demanding and security conscious environment of major hospitals, delivering applications to hospital workers with single sign-ons and virtual workspaces, able to boot you into your own desktop or take you deep within an existing application, ready to enter data or receive information.

But Symantec says the software has been easy modifiable to suit organisations and businesses large and small, with a legacy of success in the mission-critical in the demanding hospital environment over several years, and is ready to go.

nSuite software delivers “presentation virtualization and connection brokering technologies” to the table, with connection broker technology explained as being “the key to dynamically allocating traditional and virtual computing resources like information, user profiles and applications to the endpoint regardless of device”.

“Presentation virtualization” is supposed to allow users to “view and interact with applications running remotely on a server, as if they are running on their local computing device.”

Naturally, Citrix, VMware and and Qumranet, among others, would likely all argue their solutions deliver most if not all of the same benefits and probably others, the virtualisation space still has enormous growth potential across all areas of computing and much more innovation to come.
 
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