Desktone announced support for Microsoft virtualization technologies as the building blocks of a service provider's desktop hosting infrastructure. The Desktone Virtual-D Platform enables Microsoft System Center, including System Center Virtual Machine Manager 2008, and Microsoft Windows Server 2008 Hyper-V to power a cloud-hosted desktop environment.

"Microsoft's virtualization technologies provide tremendous flexibility, manageability and TCO benefits," said Les Yetton, senior vice president of sales, marketing and business development, Desktone. "Companies that can't dedicate the resources needed to build and maintain virtual desktop infrastructures themselves, can now realize these great virtualization benefits--while ensuring a rich Windows client experience--by consuming VDI in the cloud with Desktone-powered desktops as a service (DaaS)."

Desktone DaaS is a form of cloud computing that provides an uncompromised Windows client experience, which is critical for enterprises with large investments in Windows-based applications. It leverages a hypervisor layer, such as Microsoft Windows Server 2008 Hyper-V, to enable the hosting of authentic Windows client operating systems, as opposed to browser-based and shared services alternative desktops.

"By bringing the worlds of cloud computing services and virtualized desktops together, customers can have much more flexibility in how they use and manage their desktops," said Zane Adam, senior director of integrated virtualization at Microsoft. "By including the System Center offerings and Windows Server 2008 Hyper-V in Desktone's DaaS model, Desktone can deliver expanded capabilities and is providing a way to help customers quickly adopt desktop virtualization and move toward a more dynamic IT environment."

The Virtual-D Platform enables service providers to offer hosted, subscription-based virtual desktops. A solution that integrates all enabling technologies into a single, automated self-service platform, it helps enterprises quickly realize the full benefits of centralized virtual desktops without having to build and deploy the infrastructure internally. It reduces desktop TCO and transforms virtual desktop infrastructure costs from CAPEX to OPEX. And because the Virtual-D Platform is designed along two tiers (enterprise and service provider), it lets enterprises maintain ownership and control over their Windows OS images, applications and all relating licensing while outsourcing just the physical data center infrastructure powering their virtual desktops.

In addition to supporting Windows Server 2008 Hyper-V and System Center Virtual Machine Manager 2008, the Virtual-D Platform allows Microsoft customers to employ other solutions that they are already using to manage their physical desktops, such as System Center Configuration Manager and Microsoft Application Virtualization.