Desktop Virtualization - Options..

2. Shared Computing

Shared computing is another form of Server Based Computing and this solution can be used when there are very limited no of users in a department / organization and all can be connected to the Host PC with in certain distance.

In shared computing solution one PC will be loaded with the required set of applications and the same will be shared for a max. of 10 users. This either uses USB Hub or PCI card based devices for communication. The distance from the server to the client machines are restricted based on the technology being used.

Currently HP is offering Shared computing solution based on USB and N Computing is offering the solution based PCI Card. Microsoft supports shared computing solution using Windows Multipoint Server 2011 operating system.

3. Cloud Computing:

In Cloud computing all the applications / data base / mails everything is hosted in a central location with only the access device at the client desk. The user would need an Internet connectivity to connect to the hosted applications and work on. The up time and back up will be maintained by the hosting company. The users might have to pay an monthly / early fee to the hosting company for maintaining their data and applications.

In this solution the users will not have a dedicated servers / storage. All the applications and storage space will be shared and will be hosted in a central location.

Many of the private companies are now going in for private clouds now a days. The classic example are the outsourcing (BPO / KPO) jobs happening across the world. Where the database and application (Mostly web enabled) is hosted at the central location at the client location and the workers accessing the applications and completing their job from the vendor location.

Google and Amazon have come out with Public cloud. In this any individual / SMB customer can have an account with them and get their application service from them. Google has tied up with Salesforce.com for providing CRM and Sales force automation tools on the cloud computing.

Recently Los Angels city council has moved their operations to Cloud computing with Google and this may be the beginning of cloud adaption in big time by the Federal and Corporate in the coming days.