[June 27, 2011]

IDC MarketScape Evaluates the Leading Vendors in the Desktop Virtualization Software Market

International Data Corporation (IDC) expects the desktop virtualization market to make significant gains in both revenues and total customer count well into the second half of the decade. As the solutions mature, they will become increasingly applicable to more organizations and a greater breadth of vertical industries. To help technology buyers better understand the competitive offerings, a new IDC MarketScape report evaluates the current capabilities and long-term strategies of 12 desktop virtualization software vendors.

"Customers are intrigued by the possibility of a better desktop management model and the operational savings desktop virtualization could deliver," said Ian Song, senior research analyst, Enterprise Virtualization Software. "Many vendors have emerged to provide solutions and desktop virtualization products are now available from small start-ups to Fortune 100 companies. In turn, customers are concerned about the capability and viability of each vendor's solution."

The report, IDC MarketScape: Worldwide Desktop Virtualization 2011 Vendor Analysis (Doc #228619), evaluates vendors in the desktop virtualization space by analyzing their current capabilities as well as their longer-term strategies that impact their ability to provide solutions and gain market share going forward. It utilizes a scoring and ranking model based on both qualitative and quantitative criteria, which results in a graphical illustration of each vendor's position in the competitive landscape. The study is supported by a discussion of the key criteria that contribute to a vendor's current and future success in the market and highlights the differentiators that play a role in each participant's competitive placement.

Among the vendors evaluated in the report, IDC (News - Alert) placed just one - Citrix - in the "Leaders" category. Citrix was recognized for its comprehensive set of technologies and a firm strategic grip on where it wants to take its product lineup. IDC placed seven vendors in the "Major Players" category - Desktone, Kaviza, Microsoft (News - Alert), MokaFive, Quest Software, Virtual Bridges, and VMware. These vendors all have strong capabilities and good prospects for long-term success in the desktop virtualization market. The vendors that were placed in the "Contenders" category were Red Hat (News - Alert), Unidesk, Virtual Computer, and Wanova.

"As desktop virtualization gains more mainstream attention, the solutions offered by these vendors will continue to mature at a quickened pace. In the next 12-24 months, desktop virtualization technologies will move beyond just managing PCs and become a solution that can provide a holistic management paradigm addressing many different facets of end-user computing," added Song. "It is very likely that larger vendors will introduce unified management platforms in the near future to bridge the management between desktops, mobile devices, and cloud services. Smaller vendors will also move up-market and take advantage of unified management, but due to the size and resource limitations, they will remain serving SMB customers, or larger customers on a per use case basis."

About IDC MarketScape

IDC MarketScape vendor analysis model is designed to provide an overview of the competitive fitness of ICT (information and communications technology) suppliers in a given market. The research methodology utilizes a rigorous scoring methodology based on both qualitative and quantitative criteria that results in a single graphical illustration of each vendor's position within a given market. IDC MarketScape provides a clear framework in which the product and service offerings, capabilities and strategies, and current and future market success factors of IT and telecommunications vendors can be meaningfully compared. The framework also provides technology buyers with a 360-degree assessment of the strengths and weaknesses of current and prospective vendors.

About IDC

International Data Corporation (IDC) is the premier global provider of market intelligence, advisory services, and events for the information technology, telecommunications, and consumer technology markets. IDC helps IT professionals, business executives, and the investment community to make fact-based decisions on technology purchases and business strategy. More than 1,000 IDC analysts provide global, regional, and local expertise on technology and industry opportunities and trends in over 110 countries. For more than 47 years, IDC has provided strategic insights to help our clients achieve their key business objectives. IDC is a subsidiary of IDG, the world's leading technology media, research, and events company. You can learn more about IDC by visiting www.idc.com.

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