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IBM and Business Partners Introduce a Linux-Based, Virtual Desktop
(Marketwire Via Acquire Media NewsEdge) ARMONK, NY, December 4 / MARKET WIRE/ --
IBM (NYSE: IBM), Virtual Bridges and Canonical
today announced general availability of a Linux-desktop solution designed
to drive significant savings compared with Microsoft-desktop software by
amplifying Lotus collaboration software and Ubuntu to a larger user base
through virtualization.
This solution runs open standards-based email, word processing,
spreadsheets, unified communication, social networking and other software
to any laptop, browser, or mobile device from a virtual desktop login on a
Linux-based server configuration.
A virtual desktop looks like a traditional desktop but is not limited to a
single physical computer. Instead, many virtual Linux desktops are hosted
on a server. The combined solution includes:
Virtual desktop provided by Virtual Bridges called Virtual Enterprise
Remote Desktop Environment (VERDE);
Ubuntu, the worldwide leading Linux desktop operating system, from
Canonical; and
IBM Open Collaboration Client Solution software (OCCS) based on IBM
Lotus Symphony, IBM Lotus Notes and Lotus applications. IBM Lotus Symphony
is built on the Open Document Format (ODF).
Today's news builds on announcements throughout 2008 around delivering
Microsoft-alternative desktops in conjunction with our partners. This
solution is now a key component of IBM's financial services front office
transformation offering as well as part of the IBM public sector industry
solution framework.
"When we look back several years from now, I think we'll see this time as
an inflection point when the economic climate pushed the virtual Linux
desktop from theory to practice," said Inna Kuznetsova, director, IBM Linux
Strategy. "The financial pressures on organizations are staggering and the
management of PCs is unwieldy. Today's virtual desktop is delivering
superior collaborative software, an innovative delivery method, and an
open-source operating system that is demanding clients' consideration."
Compared to Microsoft-based desktops, this virtual desktop solution,
including industry-leading components from IBM, Virtual Bridges and
Canonical, is estimated on average to deliver cost savings from:
Licensing: cost avoidance of $500 to $800 per user on software license
for Microsoft Office, Windows and all related products (1);
Hardware: cost avoidance of around $258 per user since there is no need
to upgrade hardware to support Windows Vista and Office 2007 (2);
Power consumption: cost avoidance of $40 to $145 per user from reduced
power to run the configuration and $20 to $73 per user from reduced air
conditioning requirements from lower powered desktop devices annually (3);
and
IT services: 90 percent savings of deskside PC support; 75 percent of
security/user administration; 50 percent of help desk services such as
password resets, and 50 percent for software installations, which are
replaced by software publishing (4)
"With the benefits of open standards over a proprietary platform come the
freedom to select software in a heterogeneous environment," said Malcolm
Yates, vice president, Canonical. "Combining Ubuntu with IBM's Open Client
software applications we can break out of Microsoft dependencies completely
and significantly reduce total cost of ownership."
Two Views of the Virtual Desktop
From the end user's point of view, the virtual desktop combining solution
from IBM, Virtual Bridges and Canonical looks like a traditional desktop
but is not limited to a single physical computer. Instead of the software
and data being saved on a user's desktop, the hosted applications permit
the user to access the screen data. That means users can access their
computers on any network-connected device anywhere they happen to be.
Software fixes are automatically inherited to the user sessions without
anyone having to visit the decentralized access point. All the applications
that a user might need -- such as email, calendaring, word processing and
team collaboration -- are available.
From the IT department's view, the difference between virtual and physical
desktop is significant. For this virtual system, all administrative
intervention is done on consolidated virtual machines in the data center
through deployment of standard images. When there is a software update
required, the IT manager can do it centrally. The IT manager can run
concurrent Linux desktop sessions from any x86 Linux server, such as a
blade server. Users can access their Linux desktop sessions from not only
endpoints running Linux, but Windows and Mac as well, which is critical as
users seek standard application environments across heterogeneous physical
desktops. The solution includes a seamless remote printing capability
without the need to maintain drivers.
"The wave of virtualization has hit the datacenter but bypassed the front
office," said Jim Curtin, president and CEO of Virtual Bridges. "Protecting
the security of each desktop individually is a Herculean task for most
organizations. Today, understaffed IT departments can't afford deskside
visits and the help desk requests that accompany traditional desktop
maintenance. With a virtual desktop, centralized control means the loss or
theft of a laptop is no longer a corporate crisis. The IT staff can
instead focus on ramping up capacity and services as the business demands."
IBM Global Technology Services
IBM services can help roll out this offering, as well as other customized
virtual desktops. IBM Virtual Infrastructure Access service helps
customers transform their distributed IT architectures into virtualized,
open-standards-based frameworks. It provides centralized IT services, and
robust application and desktop delivery. It combines hardware, software
and services to connect customers' authorized users to
platform-independent, centrally managed applications and full client images
running in virtual machines.
The IBM Open Collaboration Client Solution
The Open Collaboration Client Solution provides email, calendaring, word
processing, spreadsheets, presentations, unified communication, social
networking, team collaboration and portals, based on IBM Lotus Notes 8 and
IBM Lotus Symphony. The software is built on open standards, based on the
open-source Eclipse Rich Client Platform and supports Open Document Format
(ODF). For more information visit,
http://www.ibm.com/developerworks/lotus/library/occs-overview/
Virtual Bridges' VERDE
VERDE is the first true Linux-only (host, guest and client) virtual desktop
infrastructure solution offering integrated connection broker, robust
KVM-based VM technology, multimedia and sound support, local printing
support and many other features typical only found in Windows-based
solutions. VERDE surpasses Windows-based VDI systems with lower
cost-of-ownership, ease-of-use, security, flexibility as well as easier
deployment and ongoing management.
Availability and Pricing
The virtual desktop is generally available now in most geographies and many
languages by contacting IBM or Virtual Bridges. Standard pricing for a
1,000-user VERDE deployment is $49 per user. Additional volume discounts
are available by contacting Virtual Bridges at sales@vbridges.com.
Footnotes:
(1) Comparison based on information and pricing as listed on
softarespectrum.com, office.microsoft.com and ibm.com as of announcement
date.
(2) Comparison based on information and pricing as listed on bestbuy.com,
as of announcement date.
(3) This is based on customer experience from delivering desktop
virtualization solutions. Estimates for this range are between a 10
hours/240 day year and a 24/7/365 day year. This is estimated at 50
percent of operating cost savings. Actuals may vary based on location,
weather and efficiency of cooling equipment. This does not include the
savings due to server consolidation on System z Linux.
(4) Based on IBM, market research and customer experience from delivering
desktop virtualization solutions.
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Contact info:
Colleen Haikes
IBM media relations
415-545-4003chaikes@us.ibm.com
Copyright ? 2008 Marketwire
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