The Daily App: Green Qube

Today's daily app, Green Qube, is another on the growing list of so-called bring-your-own-device (BYOD) solutions out there. Green Qube uses the Citrix Receiver as a mature, reliable means to provide iPad clients remote access to Windows desktops virtualized and stored on Green Qube's cloud service.

From an iPad, users have complete access to and control of their virtualized Windows desktop. Part of the client is a modified Windows' Start menu (shown) adjusted to work better with the iPad's touch environment. When text input is required, a user-configurable soft keyboard pops up. The iPad client also includes an optional mouse pointer to correspond with finger movements, and a row of buttons on a retractable menu bar contains toggle switches for Bluetooth, magnifier, gestures and pointer control.

Starting at $40 per month (reseller cost), the standard Green Qube service includes one hosted Windows desktop with "three nines" of availability, plus browsers, Open Office, the ability to add a company's own line-of-business apps and 5GB of data storage per user. Options for the service include an Exchange account, MS Office, file services and back-end data storage for database apps.

According to Green Qube founder and president Hunter McFadden, Green Qube services were designed with resellers in mind. "Green Qube primarily focuses on developing a reseller channel that white-labels [and] rebrands the service as their own," he said, adding that resellers generally add to the $40-level service. "Most of our reseller’s customers need more...so we offer add-on services and applications."