VMware and Intel hook up on virtual clients

VMWARE said it is partnering with Intel to enable virtual clients to be deployed and managed on user desktops or laptops via Intel vPro technology.

The VMware Client Virtualisation Platform (CVP) is a new offering that will form part of the VMware View suite of products. It builds on the vClient initiative announced in 2008, using vPro technology to provide management and security for virtual clients running on endpoint systems.

At the VMworld Europe 2009 conference Paul Maritz, VMware president and chief executive, said the industry is too focused on providing devices instead of enabling end users to do their job.

"We need to create an environment tailored to the user, available on any device. Devices come and go, and the plumbing should be able to take care of this," he said.

VMware CVP, set to ship in the second half of 2009, enables firms to package a standard desktop environment and run it on a desktop or laptop that has Intel's vPro technology built in.

Greg Bryant, vice president of Intel's Business Client group, believes that the integration allows for greater security in corporate laptops.

"With vPro, you can use the hardware to confirm that a virtual image is the one you want running, enforce isolation, and perform out-of-band management to access the device, wake it up and deliver any updates," he said. µ