VMware ACE, I like it and use it
VMware have just announced ACE, this is how they describe it:
VMware ACE is an enterprise solution for IT desktop managers who want to rapidly provision standardized and secure PC environments throughout the extended enterprise. VMware ACE installs easily, improving the manageability, security and cost-effectiveness of any industry standard PC. VMware ACE enables IT desktop managers to apply enterprise IT policies to a virtual machine containing an operating system, enterprise applications, and data to create an isolated PC environment known as an “assured computing environment”. VMware assured computing environments are self-policing, protect enterprise data, and enable safe access to enterprise resources.
I like the idea, I have been using VMWare myself for exactly this requirement. On one of my home servers that sits on my home network I have a Windows XP VM, configured with corporate firewall, AV products, locked down configuration and VPN client. I use this VM to connect to the company network.
This has two advantages, The company network is pretty well isolated from my home network and I am well isolated from it, (since its pretty big and represents a fairly large threat). I would prefer to be able to just fire up a Windows Terminal Server session over the internet when I need to get into work, but until that’s possible this solution works fine.
VMWare are taking the same concept, making it slicker and putting some controls in place that in my implementation depend on my self discipline 🙂
Info world article http://www.infoworld.com/article/04/09/20/HNvmwarenews_1.html
See also http://www.logmein.com for a pretty slick way of keeping networks separate. Way cool and free too.
John
http://www.jsequeira.com/blog
Two interesting approaches, Koppix and Mandrake Move boot from CD and Save to USB drive. You can see soon Boot from USB/Save to USB solutions, which can just plug into any PC being widely used.
VMWare is taking a different approach, because it’s isolating the OS from the PC its booting on, which should reduce the support burden. It should run just fine on any current hardware. I used it most days on a P700 with 512MB. I now run GSX Server on a P2.8 with 2GB.
For volume licence holders at least, (not sure about retail), you would not need a seperate Windows XP licence if that was running on the host and the VM. You probably would’nt need a seperate Office licence either.
I think technologies like these and Windows Terminal Services over the web will have a big role to play in the extended enterprise and consumerization space.
Take a look at moka5’s solution. It is based on VMplayer. You can import your VMware VM and then stream it across the net.