A video still from a demo of ThinkGrid's hosted virtual desktop
(WEB HOST INDUSTRY REVIEW) — Cloud services provider ThinkGrid (www.thinkgrid.com) announced on Tuesday that it has launched Microsoft Windows 7-based Hosted Virtual Desktops.
This announcement comes three months after ThinkGrid partnered with ConnectWise to integrate its business management solutions to drive adoption of cloud services.
According to the press release, the updated service will offer businesses access to a cost-effective alternative to traditional Windows migration in a low monthly-price.
“With support for Windows XP coming to an end, many businesses will soon have to upgrade to Windows 7 and incur significant Capex and migration costs. The Hosted Virtual Desktop route offers businesses an Opex path to Windows 7, and as with the original XP solution, a fully personalised Windows experience,” Rob Lovell, chief executive officer at ThinkGrid said in a statement. “This includes the ability to install ANY application since each user has their own persistent virtual machine, something no other cloud providers today are able to offer. We believe this is the most advanced Hosted Virtual Desktop solution in the market, offering the tightest integration of existing cloud and on-premise computing.”
ThinkGrid says that organizations can purchase the service via ThinkGrid’s partner network on a mothly Opex basis per user per month.
According to the company, there is no minimum number of seats and no Microsoft licenses or additional hardware required.
Benefits of a Windows 7 virdual desktop include the 1080i resolution for remote video performance, and management benefits such as real-time resource management, group management and active directory.
ThinkGirid says businesses will no longer be required to perform manual upgrades across all machines, saving time and money.
ThinkGrid Hosted Virtual Desktops with Windows 7 can be accessed from various clients including iPads.
“For us, the Windows 7 experience from the cloud marks a potential year zero for desktop computing. The age-old pain points around operating system upgrades will disappear and give way to a much more flexible IT environment,” Lovell added. “For example, businesses can more easily support the trend of employee-owned devices, where people want to bring their home laptops or tablets into the workplace, by allowing them to run Hosted Virtual Desktops on these machines. Aside from no longer having to shoulder hardware costs, the wider benefit is that business-level IT is delivered in a far more secure environment with no data residing on the machine itself. In fact, because any updates or even OS upgrades take place in the cloud, end-users are completely abstracted from the process of IT management.”
In a video demonstration on its website, ThinkGrid says that its virtual desktop is the only fully managed hosted virtual desktop that allows you to install your own applications. In the video, Skype is used as an example.
About Nicole Henderson
Nicole Henderson writes full-time for the Web Host Industry Review where she covers daily news and features online, as well as in print. She has a bachelor of journalism from Ryerson University in Toronto, and has been writing for the WHIR since September 2010. You can find her on Twitter @NicoleHenderson.
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I am an IT consultant, and I have several clients to whom I would like to pitch VDI. I’ve looked at your site and I have a question.
I have researched SPLA and hosting Windows 7 is forbidden unless the hardware is dedicated to one specific client. Please explain if this is how you’re doing this. I’m not going to put myself or my clients in a tight spot should you get a “cease and desist” letter from Microsoft.
These clients are in the market for new servers & desktops and I see significant savings in going with VDI, but not if there’s risk. I look forward to your reply.
Mark Levy
System Management Associates