Pano Logic System 6 brings PCs into the fold

Pano Logic just launched a new software product, Pano Logic System 6, to address the needs of organizations that wish to move gracefully into a desktop virtualization environment without having to discard their investment in desktop and laptop systems.

What does Pano Logic have to say about System 6?

Pano Logic, the leader in zero client desktop virtualization (VDI, today announced the general availability of Pano System 6 software that provides a new way for organizations to abandon costly PC-based computing. Pano System 6 introduces the Pano Virtual Client (PVC), which transforms PCs or laptops into virtual desktop clients. The newest version of the Pano System also features enhanced security, incorporating RSA SecureID’s two-factor authentication for Pano Remote users, further securing mobile employee access.

The Pano Virtual Client creates an important new conversion path for IT managers seeking to adopt desktop virtualization without eliminating their existing PCs or laptops. Working closely with end users and resellers, Pano Logic found that IT managers were facing multiple challenges in their transition into VDI, and that the three most common could be addressed by the introduction of a software client. These were the desire to delay the selection of an endpoint device because of long-term uncertainty over standards, the need to wait for a refresh cycle because their PCs/laptops are tied up in leases or not fully depreciated, and the need to upgrade or expand infrastructure resources before connecting end users.

The software client, Pano Virtual Client (PVC), also enables Pano Logic users to expand existing deployments into departments or areas of their organizations where PCs are still in use, thus creating a blended environment. PVC is a replacement shell over a local Windows XP or 7 install, repurposing the PC into a Pano System endpoint device once users log on. The Pano Controller tracks those users alongside other Pano devices, such as the Pano Zero Client, Pano Remote and the Fujitsu Zero Client monitors, just as it would if they were connecting using a Pano Zero Client.

The Pano System is a complete end-to-end, hardware-and-software virtual desktop solution that independently interoperates with all three leading hypervisors (vSphere, XenServer, Hyper-V) and their management systems (VMware View, XenDesktop, Microsoft SCVMM). It represents the only true zero client desktop virtualization solution on the market with a solid-state device that has no processor, no storage, no memory and no operating system. As a result, it completely eliminates endpoint support and maintenance, fully enabling the benefits of centralized management with a cloud computing-ready device. Pano Logic zero client devices consume 97 percent less power than PCs, 50 percent less power than thin clients or other so-called zero clients, and do not store data locally, fully eliminating endpoint security liabilities.

Analysis

Many people in the world of information technology remember how straightforward desktop device management was in the days of the Mainframe and, later, the minicomputer.  IT departments were able to put a device on someone's desk and it served as a gateway into the organization's computing environment even though generations of software and hardware.

Although people sometimes think of this as "the golden age," they don't remember boring green or black and white screens showing menus and data. These folks have been wanting the responsiveness of an intelligent desktop device combined with the "set it and forget it" management style of a dumb terminal.

The industry has tried many different approaches to satisfy that need including;

• The development of management tools that can collect, save and reconstruct a person's computing environment so that the desktop systems can be treated like a replacement for a dumb terminal. Microsoft, Citrix, Virtual Computer, MokaFive and UC4 offer products in this category.
• The development of access virtualization allowing the applications and data to reside on a host and tools making it possible for a PC or some other intelligent device to be a graphical window into that world of computing. Citrix and Microsoft are the leaders using this approach.
• The development of virtual machine software that made it possible for a desktop environment to be encapsulated and then executed locally on a PC, on a local departmental server, on a remote host system or out in the clouds somewhere. Access virtualization technology was then used to allow access to that world of computing. Citrix, Microsoft, VMware, Wyse and several others are fielding this approach.

Pano Logic developed its own access virtualization and remote device technology that, it hoped, would provide very high performance, strong management control, elevated levels of security and replicate the mainframe world using industry standard systems as well as off-the-shelf operating systems and applications. This approach offered a similar "set it and forget it" approach to computing that included a highly graphical environment.

The problem Pano faced is that the user-side device in their scenario is a tiny box having the capability to accept input from keyboards, mice and other user devices and then display output on a screen and connect using a proprietary protocol. This approach didn't lend itself well to reuse of traditional PC or Laptops as "thin clients."

In essence, the company "painted itself into a corner" and was forced to offer a "rip out and replace" strategy for those having established desktop computing environments. While customers I've spoken with really like Pano's performance, security and reliability, they often commented on the cost of replacing desktop devices organization-wide. It is clear that Pano has been listening to its customers

The addition of software allowing a traditional desktop or laptop system to Pano Logic's portfolio allows the company to compete with Citrix, Microsoft and a few others when a gradual approach to adoption of VDI what's needed.

I would recommend asking Pano Logic for a demonstration to learn if the performance and manageability of System 6 can meet your needs.