Get to User Centric IT Faster! AppSense and Centrix Partnership Accelerates Desktop Transformation

I am pleased to write that AppSense and Centrix Software today announced a strategic partnership to provide organizations with a comprehensive, user-centric transformation program.  AppSense and Centrix Software have been successfully working together with joint partners on large desktop transformation projects for our enterprise customers, and are proud to formalize this partnership and methodology to benefit many more enterprise IT strategies and projects.

AppSense embraces a full partner community and eco-system comprising other leading vendor/solution providers , platform partners, reseller partners, system integrators and consultancy partners, and are very excited to partner with Centrix Software.

Why? Corporate IT strategy is at a tipping point; we have entered a period of transformation, a new generation of virtual desktops, application delivery methods and multiple accessing devices are being used by an increasingly demanding and mobile workforce, coupled with migration projects such as Windows 7 adoption has paved the way for replacing static, infrastructure based computing to that of IT as a Service, orchestrated around the user and their requirements at any point in time.  AppSense and Centrix Software enables enterprise desktop transformation projects and facilitates the move to a user centric computing strategy by delivering on the requirements at each stage of the desktop life-cycle and providing both the insight and management options to seamlessly adoption new technologies such as Windows 7, Application and Desktop Virtualization, Cloud Computing and Bring Your Own Device initiatives.

The press release can be read on AppSense News Pages here.

Together, AppSense and Centrix Software will be hosting a joint webinar, “Transforming the Enterprise Desktop″, on Wednesday, October 5th at 3 p.m. GMT. The webinar will be hosted by Richard Pegden, Director of Product Marketing at Centrix Software and myself. To register please visit the webinar registration page here.

Like all of our partners, thank you Centrix Software for your continued support and enthusiasm, we look forward to even greater success in making the move to user centric computing a simple, low-cost process.

Gareth Kitson
Director of Product Marketing | EMEA.

Introduction and Microsoft Partner Solutions Center…

Hi I am Michael Kleef, Director of Business Development for Microsoft and Citrix at AppSense. I’m a recent addition to AppSense having spent nearly 11 years at Microsoft with my last role being a Senior Technical Product Manager for depth content and knowledge in Windows Server 2008 R2 SP1 RDS and VDI.

I have had  few interested messages through my email and privately over twitter (@mkleef) asking why I left Microsoft and chose to go to AppSense. Essentially I was really excited by what I saw AppSense doing; transforming the discussion from device centric computing to a world of user centric computing. The interesting thing is that even while I was at Microsoft I was seeing evidence that in addition to Microsoft, many other companies saw great value in AppSense such as inclusion with a number of major players into their reference architectures such as the HP client reference architecture and Cisco VXI. AppSense also won the Citrix Ready Partner of the Year 2010. I did my own due diligence looking at others, though in the end it made it an easy slam dunk move to go to the market leader in the user virtualization space.

Microsoft is obviously a critical partner in multiple areas for AppSense, so it’s important that we are onsite on the Microsoft Redmond campus regularly. To help us support that we are  part of the on campus Microsoft Partner Solutions Center (MPSC).  The MPSC is a facility that showcases some of Microsoft’s partners and their  solutions for business and demonstration purposes. Having been there for almost a year now, we can confirm it’s a great facility with tremendous value to the Microsoft partner ecosystem. We also noticed that RES Software have recently joined the MPSC. The addition of RES Software to the MPSC confirms the importance and relevancy of the user virtualization market that we pioneered which is growing significantly and presenting an exciting challenge to our product leadership.

Demonstration systems on the Microsoft campus are especially important to be able to showcase your product and how it works. I personally developed an integrated Citrix, Microsoft and AppSense demo on the Microsoft campus in Redmond many months ago. It includes Windows Server 2008 R2 SP1,Hyper-V, Windows 7 Enterprise SP1, App-V packaged applications and streamed applications such as Office 2010 all running on top of Citrix XenDesktop 5 and XenApp 6. Overlaid on top of that is AppSense User Virtualization which seamlessly manages the user as they create settings and move in real-time from their XenDesktop managed Windows 7 to a XenApp 6 session. This is available on Microsoft’s corporate network which any Microsoft employee can logon to using their domain credentials making it a very good demo for them to use with existing or potential customers.

We plan to take this demo further forward and place it on the Internet for our partners to also use and see the power of AppSense User Virtualization really delivering value in a variety of Citrix and Microsoft technology scenarios. Watch this space for more on that!

If you have any questions about User Virtualization at the MPSC or would be interested in getting a demo from one of our team in your local area, drop me a line.

Thanks,
Michael Kleef

ComputerWeekly (Again): NATS to roll out cloud-based virtual desktop infrastructure with Citrix & AppSense

My my.. and who said VDI isn’t real? and that it doesn’t cut costs?

Following on from my other customer related post this morning – The Co-operative Group cuts costs with Citrix XenDesktop & AppSense User Virtualization – I’m pleased to share with you another article about another leading enterprise organization adoption a joint solution of Citrix and AppSense technologies to enable the desktop strategy to employ cloud-based virtual desktops to reduce the IT spend.

NATS, the UK’s air traffic control organisation is rolling out 6,000 virtual desktops based which “will be provided using the Citrix XenDesktop and XenApp suite of software. AppSense user virtualisation technology will provide NATS staff with personalised and compliant desktops”

Further information:

CompterWeekly – NATS to roll out cloud-based virtual desktop infrastructure

NATS Official Website – NATS takes to the Cloud

Citrix Community Blog – NATS UK

As you can see, desktop virtualization is real, it’s happening, and Citrix & AppSense work together hand in hand on nearly all of them ;)

Cheers!

Gaz

ComputerWeekly: The Co-operative Group cuts costs with Citrix XenDesktop & AppSense User Virtualization

Oh the joys of Google Alerts and Twitter feeds… Today, on this cold, cloudy and wet Friday morning I was graced with a little ray of sunshine to brighten up the start of the weekend.  I saw an article over on ComputerWeekly.com about how The Co-operative (the world’s largest consumer-owned business) is cutting their desktop costs through the use of desktop virtualization technology from Citrix and user virtualization technology from AppSense.

I was already aware the Co-operative are a joint AppSense and Citrix Case Study, and we have even done joint webinars together with Microsoft too, but I like this article as it shows the cost savings available through successful desktop virtualization based on best in breed technologies, and how with careful planning and internal champions the new systems are embraced by the users.

Key highlights include:

Managing the virtual environment

• Managing licences was key to the project. The Co-op uses AppSense’s Environment Manager and Application Manager as part of its Citrix XenApp environment to standardise its management tools.
• Cawson said the management tool helps look after applications to meet any governance and compliance issues around licensing. The company decided to use AppSense’s Environment Manager and user personalisation instead of XenDesktop directly to provide “greater control and granularity”.
• “AppSense Environment Manager delivers a personalised experience every time our users log on, making it impossible for them to decipher between a traditional PC and their virtual one,” he added.

You can read the article here – Case study: Co-operative Group cuts costs with desktop virtualisation ahead of office move

and the AppSense PDF Case Study here – World’s largest consumer-owned business selects AppSense to effectively manage the user experience in new desktop virtualization environment

You can learn more about how AppSense and Citrix are working together as part of the Citrix Desktop Transformation Model White Paper on AppSense User Virtualization and the Proof of Concept Kit here

 Cheers

Gaz

What Is User Virtualization? – More than just a catch-phrase!

What is User Virtualization?…

… In the past 18 months or so, the term “User Virtualization” has become more and more prevalent within the IT world.  Even from just AppSense, this name is the associated with AppSense Software which is currently seeing annual revenues in excess of $70m.  A significant sign of leadership in the space.. but does everyone truly understand what the term “User virtualization” means?

To put it into perspective, User Virtualization now has recognition with industry analysts, it is recommended by platform vendors such as Citrix, Microsoft and Cisco, and utilized in reference architecture by leading system integrators such as HP, IBM, Fujitsu and Dell and used by thousands of enterprise around the world…  in essence, it is seen as the starting point, and the “glue” of desktop transformation.  In other words, User Virtualization is a critical component and an enabler for organization keen to address their Desktop Transformation Strategy.

But not everyone truly understands and appreciates the true extent to what User Virtualization is, and hence there are vendors out there referencing themselves as User Virtualization vendors , when in actual fact they are not at all, or some journalists who do not understand the separation of the user from the desktop and the reasoning behind the name / term “User Virtualization”.

User Virtualization can be defined in two ways.  In a very high level “fluffy” way, or the more technical (truthful) description and it is the high level message that can cause confusion in the market as vendor s may claim to be User Virtualization, however the technical description and capabilities is what clearly distinguishes one from another.
Before any of this, lets address the word which is causing this misconception, or lack of understanding, “Virtualization”.

What is Virtualization?

Virtualization in IT or technology terms describes, in my opinion, when something is being separated from the physical.  It is the creation of a virtual instance of something (operating system, desktop session, application, storage device, network, or in this case – the user) and running this virtual instance separately as a decoupled occurrence on top of or in adjacent to other computing platforms.

So lets quickly look at some of the ‘Virtualization’ layers that can be part of our desktop build:

Operating System Virtualization:

So when a machine is virtualized, the Operating System is separated from the real hardware by a layer called the Hypervisor which enables to OS to now run as a virtual instance, running independently of the underlying hardware.

Application Virtualization:

In Application Virtualization, the areas where the application writes or reads from is separate from the real registry and file locations it would normally read or write to and from.  In the case of Microsoft App-V, System Guard is the layer or bubble which facilitates this virtual instance of the applications, separate from the real file and registry.

So let’s get back to User Virtualization….

…The high level description that is being used in this area is being able to separate the user from the Desktop (Operating System and Applications), and allowing the user session to traverse across multiple Desktops, Operating Systems versions and application delivery methods, runs as a virtual instance on top of the underlying desktop components, separate from the desktop assets. This is (High Level) User Virtualization. – TRUE User Virtualization is being able to ensure that the user is truly separated from not only the Operating System, but also the Application.  Not just managing an existing user (roaming) profile like some base/entry-level products do.

The reality, or more importantly the real technical definition is very similar to how I described Virtualization earlier, essentially you are separating something from interacting with its original physical locations – The settings for a user should be redirected from being read or written from their original physical registry, file and system locations to the virtualized area. Thus being separated from their original location and instead running in a virtual location, just how virtualization should be.  

Are the users really virtual instances?

Now, with User Virtualization in place, when I change my window size for the application, colour or font size, or any other application setting,  these changes should be redirected or detoured to a separate, virtual area, in the case of AppSense Environment Manager we call this area the Personal Virtual Cache (PVC).

The PVC is a virtual location separate from physical or underlying virtualized OS and/or Application components.  All user read and writes are re-directed to this isolated virtual location with a user-level hypervisor.  The PVC  is synched centrally to the User Virtualization Platform database if there are any changes, ensuring the user remains separate from any desktop, at all times.

This then allows the Virtualized User to not only transcend the version of Operating System, whether it be Windows XP (Version 1 Profile) to Windows 7 (Version 2 Profile) but also whether the applications is delivered via local installation or virtual delivery (e.g. App-V etc). The same central settings applied to all delivery methods, without the user every actually touching or saving settings to the desktop, without having to logoff or back on!

Can everyone in the User Virtualization market provide True USer Virtualization?

If someone tells you they are doing User Virtualization, then challenge them. Ask to see their User Virtualization solution seamlessly capture and deploy user settings from one OS to another, and from locally installed applications to virtualized applications without the user having to logoff their session.  Ask to see their virtualization layer, and make sure no trace of the user ever touch the underlying desktop. 

User Settings should not be tied to specific delivery mechanism and should be managed and delivered within the user session, not a logon.  Some vendors may say they support multiple delivery mechanisms, but scratch beneath the surface and you will find is that they can personalize both a locally installed application and the same application delivered by App-V, but not with the same user settings – there are two separate instances of the user settings, one for physical and one for virtual – you need to virtualize and share across both!

If they are allowing the application settings for a user to write and read to their original locations in the file and registry, and then somehow moving that file and registry information to a central storage repository based on a trigger like application close or logoff, then in my opinion this is a form of legacy or traditional ‘profile management’ utilizing out-dated registry hiving methodologies, NOT User Virtualization!  All this is merely doing is reducing the chance of ‘Profile Corruption’ by reducing the window of opportunity for ‘Last Write Wins’ by saving portions of the users roaming profile back to the roaming profile central store throughout the user session instead of all of the profile at logoff.  Such hiving / acceleration technologies are still subject to many of the other problems associated with Roaming Profiles such as bloat, inability to traverse across OS platforms or delivery mechanisms etc..

Also, if they are putting a roaming or local profile into a virtual disk and shipping it around the environment that way, I’m sorry that’s not User Virtualization, it’s not even Profile Management!

User Virtualization is more than Personalization

To us here at AppSense and our millions of end users, User Virtualization encompasses many things, not just separating the user settings from the Operating System and Applications, this is but a small part.  User Virtualization must also look at dealing with such things as User Policy Management, User Rights Management, Application Entitlement, Network Access Control, Lockdown, Self-healing User Data Management, Lock-down, User Installed Applications, Self-Healing and even User QoS Performance

This is the true meaning of User Virtualization, to separate and manage all these aspects for the user, and only when we do this at every layer to enable complete separation of all desktop components that provides the ultimate flexibility in desktop management and delivery.  And such flexibility can only be achieved by adopting a top-down approach.   We are now moving to a user-centric world of computing, a world where we cannot continue to manage at the device or desktop level.  Only by managing the user first, across all computing platforms can we adopt new technologies.

Just how big is User Virtualization?

With this in mind, User Virtualization is recognized by many as being potentially bigger than the VDI market itself.  Time and time again we see organizations embrace AppSense / User Virtualization  across their entire desktop estate; tens of thousands, or in some cases hundreds of thousands of users.. not just those select use cases that only every work purely in a VDI environment.

User Virtualization is game changing, it is going to be massive, please make sure you understand the capabilities and align this accordingly with your desktop strategy

Keen to hear your thoughts; what do you think?
Kristian Vidal – PreSales Manager, Northern Europe.  AppSense.
Gareth Kitson – Director of Product Marketing, EMEA.  AppSense.

CitrixTV, CitrixSynergy – Fujitsu’s Partners with Microsoft, Citrix & AppSense for Fujitsu Virtual Client Services

As the world continues to move to a user-centric computing model, provisioning configured and personalized IT Services to users across a wide-range of accessing devices, locations and across multiple delivery mechanisms, User Virtualization technology is continuing to gain momentum in many reference architects and standard offerings from Managed Desktop providers.  As the world leading User Virtualization solution provider, AppSense are proud to be part of yet another standard offering from one of the world leading managed desktop providers – in this case, Fujitsu Virtual Client Services.

Fujitsu Virtual Client Services (VCS) is “Fujitsu’s Managed Services approach to delivering hosted virtual desktops”, it is a hosted environment that delivers centrally managed desktops and application to users in any location from any device.  To create a “tried and tested, repeatable standard approach that can be re-used in implementations around the world”, Fujitsu has partnered with world leading vendors at each level of the desktop and across the backend infrastructure to provide a complete Citrix Ready solution.

At Citrix Synergy, CitrixTV recorded a number of video interviews where Fujitsu were ‘extremely proud’ to announce a complete end-to-end solution, utilizing Fujitsu technologies along with Citrix, Microsoft, AppSense, ThinPrint, ChangeBASE to put together a ‘best in class offering’.

Videos are:

Interview with Tony Cox, Global Offerings Architect, Fujitsu – In this interview, Tony explains how Fujitsu VCS is a key component of Fujitsu Global Desktop Managed Service, meeting all end-user needs and giving users the best possible service.  Tony also details key drivers as to why customers are moving Fujitsu VCS and how the solution is a combination of leading solutions that Fujitsu are proud to be working with.

You can watch the video over on CitrixTV by clicking on the image below:

 

Interview with Jay Clark, Senior Product Manager, Fujitsu – In this interview Jay explains the importance of the Fujitsu partnerships with Citrix, Microsoft and AppSense, and also gives a live demonstration of the Fujitsu VCS solution, where he shows how easy it is to move from one device and location to another and have the exact same desktop experience and personalization from anywhere, on any device.

You can watch the video over on CitrixTV by clicking on the image below:

 

Thank you to CitrixTV for filming a whole host of great videos at Citrix Synergy – I hope you enjoy them too.

Cheers

Gaz

The 451 Group – Grooming itself for an IPO, AppSense flirts with many partners

As User Virtualization continues to play an increasingly important role in desktop strategy and AppSense are experiencing record growth, the 451 Group – a leading technology-industry and data company focused on the business of enterprise IT innovation – has published a Market Development report detailing AppSense continued success, growth and future plans; Grooming itself for an IPO, AppSense flirts with many partners.

The report covers, amongst other things:

• $70 million investment from Goldman Sachs for a minority share in AppSense
• Expanding the management team with the recruitment of world leading executives
• Cisco validation for new Virtual Experience Infrastructure
• User Virtualization is bigger than VDI; spanning physical desktops, remote desktop services and cloud and desktop virtualization
• User Virtualization is bigger than Profile Management; working across OS platforms, Application delivery mechanisms, 32 & 64-bit architectures, user rights management, dynamic policy, self-healing etc..

Other key points include:

• AppSense positioned as a platform player in its own right;
  • “User virtualization, in other words, is the extra layer of abstraction that allows OS and application virtualization to realize their true potential.”
• Leading Platform and Technology Vendors (such as Microsoft – Advocates User Virtualization for Windows 7 migration, and Citrix – AppSense for Desktop Transformation)  acknowledge AppSense User Virtualization as a key strategic component of desktop management, enabling  new virtual platforms to adopted in enterprise organization;
  • “So potent is AppSense’s value proposition that Citrix routinely calls it in to help with large deals, and Microsoft has promoted the company to Managed ISV Partner status, a category that fewer than 5% of Microsoft partners achieve.”

A fully copy of the report can be viewed here.

Further to The 451 Group Report, another leading analyst firm, Ovum, also published a report; User Virtualization Could Be Bigger Than VDI!

This further validates the requirement for User Virtualization solutions in enterprise environments and part of any Desktop Transformation project, and confirms AppSense world leadership position in the space.

 Happy reading, hope you enjoy.

Gaz

Webinar – Why the Co-operative Group & Microsoft advocate AppSense User Virtualization to make Windows 7 migration cheaper

In a recent blog – Microsoft & AppSense Video Interview – Why Microsoft see AppSense as key to Windows 7 & App-V adoption – I provided an overview of a recent video interview with Microsoft regarding their views on the importance of AppSense User Virtualization as part of your Windows 7 migration strategy, today I would like to invite you to a webinar with Microsoft and The Co-operative Group (the world’s largest consumer owned business) on why they advocate the use of AppSense User Virtualization to reduce Windows 7 migration costs.

Time & Date:
Thursday July 7th, 3pm – 4pm (BST)

Agenda

AppSense – Find out how AppSense UV enables organisations to migrate to Windows 7 quicker, with less effort and more cost effectively. Understand how virtualizing the user first ensures a consistent and predictable user experience no matter what the device, delivery method or application and how you’ll never need to migrate users again.

Microsoft –  Understand how Microsoft is working with AppSense and sees User Virtualization as part of the Microsoft optimized desktop vision.

The Co-operative Group – The UK’s largest mutual business, describe their experiences implementing UV before migrating to Win 7 and why they recommend it.

AppSense – The UV platform and expected ROI followed by a demo on moving a user from Windows XP to Windows 7.

Register

You can register your place on the webinar here

Look forward to seeing you there!

Cheers
Gaz

Microsoft & AppSense Video Interview – Why Microsoft see AppSense as key to Windows 7 & App-V adoption

Together Microsoft and AppSense have help many enterprise organization transform their existing, static Windows XP and Vista desktops in to dynamic, optimized desktops through a joint solution of Windows 7, App-V and Microsoft virtualization technologies, all underpinned with a User Virtualization solution from AppSense.   User Virtualization is enabling organizations to take advantages of the benefits of Windows 7 in terms of security, performance and user experience and App-V for centralizing application management and reducing operational cost.

To help educate enterprise organizations on the importance of including AppSense User Virtualization as part of your desktop transformation project, Microsoft have teamed up with AppSense to create and publish a short video interview and demo to cover the benefits of the joint solution and also the close Microsoft & AppSense relationship.  In the video, Microsoft explain how:

• “AppSense User Virtualization technology enables organizations to deploy Windows 7 quicker, and with less effort.”
• “User Virtualization helps organizations deliver a more predictable and consistent user experience, no matter what hardware or delivery mechanisms they chose to use.”
• “Moving to App-V is easier when using AppSense User Virtualization Technology.”

You can view the video by clicking on the screenshot below:

Thank you to both David Overton (Microsoft) and David Shepherd (AppSense) for taking the time to film the video.

Another supporting quote from Microsoft on the importance of User Virtualization as part of your Windows 7 or App-V strategy:

“AppSense is a leading provider of user virtualization technology to enterprise organizations.  The combination of AppSense with our Desktop Virtualization technologies, such as App-V or VDI Suites, can enable customers to move to Windows 7 and App-V even more quickly without user disruption.”
Karri Alexion-Tiernan, Director of product management for desktop virtualization at Microsoft.

A number of supporting documents including; User Virtualization for Microsoft desktops, User Virtualization and Windows 7, and a piece by Harry Labana, AppSense CTO – The Migration Equation: making sense of the move to Windows 7, can all be accessed here.

In addition to Microsoft acknowledging the importance of AppSense User Virtualization as s strategic part of the Microsoft Optimized Desktop Vision, this can be seen in the following AppSense and Microsoft Case Studies:

The Co-Operative Group – World’s largest consumer-owned business selects AppSense

“By taking the AppSense User Virtualization approach, we expect to migrate up to three times as many desktops per day using the same level of IT resource. And more importantly, we anticipate no disruption to our staff. Our investment in AppSense User Virtualization will continue to pay dividends, so when we migrate to Windows 8 having already virtualized our users, we will continue to receive the same or improved benefits in terms of speed, reduced cost and complexity and a better user experience”
Ian Cawson, Technical Architect at The Co-operative Group.

Nationwide Children’s Hospital – Leading hospital selects AppSense to personalize Windows 7 Virtual Desktops

“AppSense User Virtualization delivered the exact solution we needed to confidently migrate to Windows 7 without affecting the user experience. What AppSense has provided us with is a pain-free end-user migration, additionally it future-proofs our design.”
Jake Muszynski, Nationwide Children’s Hospital.
 

Hope this helps with your thoughts and strategy planning for your desktop transformation projects to move to the Microsoft Optimized desktop with Windows 7 and App-V technologies.

Thanks!

Gaz

Another leading hospital selects AppSense for their Citrix XenDesktop + Windows 7 environment

Nationwide Children’s Hospital, with over 10,000 users and ranked in the US News & World Reports 2010 ‘America’s Best Children’s Hospitals’ has selected AppSense User Virtualization over other methodologies to enable their migration to and the adoption of a Windows 7 Citrix XenDesktop environment. 

The Hospital first saw AppSense technology while attending a joint webinar with Citrix XenDesktop and chose AppSense User Virtualization for many reasons including:

• “AppSense user virtualization technology delivered the exact solution we needed to confidently migrate to virtual desktops without affecting the user experience.”
• “We selected AppSense because it was a comprehensive product that featured everything we needed to fix the problems we were having, including application configuration and effectively managing access to applications for roaming workstations.”
• “What we quickly began to realize is that AppSense future-proofs our design, allowing us to accommodate our users’ needs as they arise.”
• “AppSense has provided us with is a pain-free end-user migration to virtual desktops, and it is delivering the customization of applications like Microsoft Office to give users the feeling of having the same exact desktop every time”
• “With over 10,000 users and 8,000 endpoints, security is crucial to our desktop environment.Without AppSense, we would have needed to apply our most restrictive policies from all locations, which would have been extremely disruptive to our end users.”

A copy of the PDF Case Study can be read here

As a Citrix Ready Leadership partner and “recommended solution for advanced user personalization and desktop configuration requirements in enterprise environments”, AppSense User Virtualization and Citrix XenDesktop is fast becoming the defacto desktop solution in health care organizations around the world.  You can learn more about other leading hospitals that have chosen a combined Citrix and AppSense solution here:

University of Texas Medical Branch – Citrix XenDesktop & AppSense Customer Video Interview

Another Customer Video – Kaweah using AppSense, Citrix XenApp, XenDesktop and iPads

Banner Health prescribes AppSense for healthy servers

Keep an eye out for more joint Citrix and AppSense for Desktop Transformation as I will be posting more soon…

Thanks
Gaz