VMware View with PCoIP allows companies to deploy inexpensive, power efficient and virtually unbreakable PC’s called thin clients to users while retaining a full dekstop experience with multi monitor setup, streaming video and fast video refresh. Company data can be securely locked away in a remote datacenter without users ever noticing a difference in their day to day computer usage.

In the video below, keep in mind this person is performing all these activities over a remote connection. The video and sound at the 3 minute mark is indistinguishable from a local PC.

VMware View promises to be the first no compromise Cloud based desktop product on the market today.

Running Windows on a Mac is not new. One of the available alternatives for running Windows on a Mac is VMware Fusion. With VMware Fusion, Windows is not installed directly on the Macintosh but rather in a Virtual Machine. Simply put, a Virtual Machine means that the entire Windows environment is just another application for the Mac OS.

For basic business purposes, VMWare Fusion works great. With Fusion, Windows can be accessed without restarting the Mac and files can be seamlessly shared between the Mac OS and Windows running under Fusion. However, Fusion cannot run applications that have intense graphics (design programs, games, etc) as well as BootCamp.

While Fusion allows the Mac OS to treat Windows as another application, Apple BootCamp partitions part of the Macintosh Hard Drive for a native Windows installation. With BootCamp, you partition the drive, install Windows and then during the boot process hold down the ALT key and select either Windows or Macintosh. The advantage of BootCamp is that Windows is running directly on the Mac hardware instead of a virtual machine therefore increasing performance. Windows looks great on a Mac, in fact Windows looks better on my Mac than my PC at work! Keep in mind that with BootCamp, changing environments from Windows to Mac or vice versa requires a restart.

So, which option is the winner in the VMware Fusion vs BootCamp bakeoff? It depends on your needs of course. For casual access to Windows from within a Mac without a reboot, VMware Fusion is a great option. For those users who would use Windows on their Mac for graphics, gaming or spend a fair amount of time in a Windows environment, BootCamp is the clear choice. Keep in mind, both options require a license and media to install Windows. (BootCamp is free, VMware Fusion costs ~$75)

A word of advice for BootCamp users. Be sure to leave plenty of disk space for your Windows installation. I was overly aggressive and had to increase the space for my Windows installation after the install was complete. Luckily, this is not as difficult as it sounds.

1) Install a copy of WinClone
2) Create an image of your Windows partition to an external drive.
3) Use BootCamp Assistant to delete your Windows Partition. (reboot for good measure)
4) Use BootCamp Assistant to create a larger Windows Partition.
5) Use WinClone to restore your backup to the newly created BootCamp parition.
6) From within WinClone, use the tool menu and choose “Expand NTFS Partition”

There you have it, your BootCamp version of Windows now has more space!

Briefly, Virtualization software enables multiple Servers to be installed on a single piece of hardware.  There is no longer a one-to-one relationship of Server Operating System to Server Hardware.  If planned properly, a Single Physical Server can replace or grow into the job of what previously required 5, 10, or even 20 machines.

Beside the obvious cost savings on hardware, just a few of the other benefits include:

1. Flexibility:  Virtual Server resources can be adjusted as needed.  Less wasted resources and easy upgrades.
2. Hardware:  Virtual Servers are not tied to specific hardware.  Migrations are easier and disaster recovery plans are within reach of almost any business.
3. Environment:  Each Server uses ~$50-100/month in electricity and cooling.  Less physical Servers equals less electricity, less heat, less noise and a better environment.

Network Velocity is very excited about this news.  VMWare further lowers the barrier to entry to Virtualization, a key technology to staying competitive by keeping operating costs low.

Please contact us to learn how VMWare may benefit your business.