Quest desktop virtualization optimization
Prior to VMworld, the good folks at Quest briefed me on something they were going to present at VMworld. So many companies spoke with me prior to the event, that I haven't had the opportunity to post something on every conversation. Quest told me that they were going to show some new technology designed to optimize the protocols that support VDI that would enhance users "experience" working with an encapsulated desktop environment.
Quest has targeted the elements of a virtualized desktop environment based upon virtual machine software working with virtual access software that are acting as inhibitors to the adoption of this technology. Performance of the VDI experience is impacted by the following issues:
- Network latency when users are accessing virtualized desktop environments using a Wide Area Network
- Choppy or slow delivery of graphical or media content
- Choppy delivery of bi-directional audio content
Quest presented tools to optimize two of the most widely used protocols used as access mechanisms for VDI-based desktop environments, Citrix's ICA and Microsoft's RDP. The demos are pretty impressive and can be found on the Quest website.
Quest is one of a number of companies that demonstrated solutions to these same problems. Although not an exhaustive list, ClearCube/VDIworks, Neocleus, Pano Technologies, Qumranet and one or two others also were demonstrating their solution to the same set of issues.
This, of course, means that Quest is facing a marketing challenge. The company must be very creative in delivering its story to IT decision-makers to overcome the industry babble created by competitive solutions.