MokaFive and Desktop Virtualization

MokaFive is lauching MokaFive Virtual Desktop Solution™, its entry into the rapidly moving "desktop virtualization market, today. Although the claims MokaFive is making sound similar to many other suppliers in this area, the company appears to have come up with a slighly different approach, one that just make the process simpler for its customers.

Here's what MokaFive says about its Desktop Virtualization Solution:

MokaFive™, the next-generation desktop virtualization company, today unveiled its answer to the persistent desktop management problem of the last two decades: MokaFive Virtual Desktop Solution™. Available today as a preview, the MokaFive solution leverages the power of cloud computing to deliver centrally managed, locally run virtual desktops as a service.

Based on years of research at Stanford University funded by the National Science Foundation and backed by 15 pending patents, the MokaFive solution enables IT managers to centrally manage dozens to thousands of desktop computers across an organization. MokaFive is targeting a desktop virtualization market that is growing exponentially.

Underpinning the MokaFive Virtual Desktop Solution is the company’s LivePC format, which contains an entire desktop operating system and application stack. Inspired by Sun Microsystems’ SunRay architecture, LivePCs allow users to pause and resume their computing state on different PCs by carrying a USB flash drive. LivePCs are virtual machines running directly on users’ desktops—there is no need for a data center. They can be run online or offline, boot quickly on a PC, fit easily and securely on a USB flash drive and update automatically over a network or the Internet. LivePCs are managed centrally and can be executed locally on any compatible x86 machine, giving users the flexibility and performance of a PC.

Here's what MokaFive Does:

MokaFive's play is creating "virtual desktops" that can be delivered as a service. MokaFive is focused on making these virtual desktops manageable from a central location throughout the entire lifecycle (creation, personalization, updating, and finally retiring).

Here are some of the things that MokaFive says their LivePC technology will deliver:

• Faster launches: MokaFive’s Predictive Fetch™ technology makes virtual computers start up faster and update quicker—in seconds, not minutes—than other solutions on the market. With MokaFive, users can start using a LivePC before it has finished downloading.
• Automatic updates: MokaFive’s unique Auto Subscription™ technology pushes administrator security updates and application patches to users in a process similar to subscribing to RSS feeds. These are pulled down automatically and seamlessly when users connect to the network.
• Self-healing: LivePCs “self heal” from spyware and malware through MokaFive’s Rejuvenation™ technology that allows users to recover by simply shutting down and restarting a LivePC if security is ever breached by any threat, including rootkit or zero-day vulnerability attacks. On reboot, the operating system and all applications are automatically restored to their original, clean state and all documents and data remain intact and unaffected.
• Cross-platform and OS flexibility: LivePCs can be installed on a desktop, laptop or any portable storage device like an encrypted flash drive or even an iPod. To provide even greater computing freedom and flexibility, users can work on a single USB stick for multiple platforms, including Windows and Mac.
• Enhanced security with BareMetal™: While the MokaFive solution is designed with security in mind, the company has created BareMetal for those with higher security demands. This customized Linux distribution runs on bare computer hardware without an underlying operating system, making it optimal for security-critical applications. As an added benefit, businesses save on licensing costs, since BareMetal is a Linux-based system.

Snapshot analysis

MokaFive is saying all of the right things and it appears that they can follow though with action. They urge potential customers to download and try LivePCs that contain different applications and "give the tires a kick." The issues that the the company faces is that they present totally buzz word compliant presentations that are hard to differentiate from those offered by LANDEsk, ThinStall (VMware), Endeavors Technology, Kidaro (Microsoft) and a few others.

This market is increasingly crowded and finding a way to differentiate their offerings ought to be on the top of their marketing strategy list.

The technology they're offering, on the other hand, seems to offer some new thinking on the topic of building virtual machine files for client systems, deploying them and managing them. Getting acquainted with MokaFive would be a good move for IT decision makers.