Several key events are occuring at the same time and will drive the adoption of desktop virtualization as Windows 7 rolls out.

Following a major gathering like VMworld it is little surprise that a number of people come away with a similar take on a key area. The adoption of desktop virtualization to support Windows 7 roll outs is just such an area. I recorded a video interview on this last week and this week I have seen articles by Bernd Harzog and Jon Wallace both commenting on the same underlying point.

http://www.virtualizationpractice.com/blog/?p=1316

http://www.insidetheregistry.com/content/viewarticle.aspx?articleid=1768

The roll out of Windows 7 is going to be a key to the adoption of desktop virtualization for a number of reasons:

• The fact that most organizations did not roll out Vista has given IT departments time to reflect on how they want to manage client computing. Organizations that previously went from one OS migration to the next want to get off the treadmill and get more control over their own destiny. Desktop virtualization allows them to do this by componentizing the software components of a desktop and bringing them together for a user whenever needed. This removes the bulk of the issues of application compatibility that have made past migrations so difficult and expensive. The move to Windows 7 should be the last time organizations have to do a brute force migration.
• The economic situation over the last year or so (plus the skipped Vista migration) has left many organizations with a very elderly desktop estate that needs to be replaced. With so much of the estate overdue for replacement there is a great opportunity to introduce a fundamental change such as thin clients and host virtual desktops or client virtualization.
• The technology for desktop virtualization is ready now for some user groups and will fit for a far larger proportion of the user base at the point that Windows 7 will roll out. Technologies for delivering operating systems available from Citrix, VMware and others. Applications can be delivered in a host of ways to support different use cases. User environment management products such as AppSense's deliver all user aspects of the desktop into these standardized environments and aid migration from XP/Vista to Windows 7. They will become an essential part of how you manage desktop virtualization both day to day for future migrations.

In short, several key events have happened at just about the same time and, on top of the roll out of Windows 7, will cause a rapid move to desktop virtualization.