Provision Networks Launches Virtual Suite For Hosted Desktops
On Thursday, the Reston, Va.-based ISV, a spin-off of solution provider Emergent Online, announced the Virtual Access Suite, an end-to-end solution based on VMware's Virtual Desktop Infrastructure (VDI) framework that converts the PC desktop and applications into on demand services.
The company said the suite will be released to final beta this month, with general release scheduled for Nov. 1 and priced at of $50 per hosted desktop.
The suite incorporates the Virtual Access Broker for managing and monitoring virtual machines and handling client connections as well as desktop and application publishing and on-demand access to VDI-based desktops and applications using the AppPortal.
Provision Networks was launched in 2004 to bring Citrix-like virtualization technology to SMBs. By supporting VMWare's VDI and hosted desktop model, the ISV aims to deliver the PC desktop and applications as hosted services to a variety of customers.
Provision Networks is committed to the channel model, said CEO and co-founder Paul Ghostine. He said all of the company's product and license sales and renewals go through the channel.
Ghostine said Provision may take the lead on a project from proof of concept to purchase in geographic areas where the company does do not yet have a strong partner and then hand that opportunity to a potential partner. "This cultivates trust and mindshare between Provision Networks and that new partner," said Ghostine, who also founded solution provider Emergent Online
"We are changing the way organizations look at VDI," Ghostine added. "Not only are we enabling a simpler method for consolidating, provisioning, deploying and managing desktops and applications, we are transforming the hosted desktop infrastructure into a complete server-based access solution for true enterprise deployment."
He added that other Provision Networks resellers sell, implement and support the product. Provision Networks gets involved only if the reseller and or customer requests Provision's direct involvement, Ghostine said.
Emergent Online, Reston, Va., NetX Information Systems, Columbus, N.J., and Util-IT, San Francisco, are Provision Networks resellers and partners. Ghostine noted that Emergent Online provides services for its own clients and not as a services extension of Provision Networks.
One partner sees demand for Provision's latest product.
"Util-IT is both excited and supportive of another proof point of the growing trend towards virtual, on-demand IT solutions," said Christopher Boone, president and CEO of Util-IT. "We have seen overwhelming enterprise demand for hosted desktops. Small and medium businesses were the early adopters of such a service. Now we are seeing demand for our product from Fortune 100 companies to leading technology to smaller businesses."