Oracle has introduced new desktop virtualization software, including new releases of three products. The new product versions are Oracle Virtual Desktop Infrastructure 3.4, Sun Ray Software 5.3 and Oracle Virtual Desktop Client 3.1.The desktop virtualization solutions enable organizations to provision access for employees to personal desktop computing environments, enterprise applications, and data without being tied to a particular physical client device. The benefits of this approach include user mobility, data security, and enhanced centralized administration - key issues for organizations involved in the public sector, healthcare field, financial sector, and call center operations, where centralized control is important for compliance and security reasons, Monika Kumar, senior director, product marketing at Oracle, tells 5 Minute Briefing.
According to Oracle, its desktop virtualization approach offers everything needed for a complete solution, including hardware and software. Key product enhancements enable expanded storage options, enhanced high definition multimedia for a richer user experience, as well as strengthened security. With the new improvements, the solutions are intended to make it easier and more cost-effective for IT to centrally manage access for users to enterprise applications.
Improvements in Storage, Security, and User Experience
Key improvements in both Oracle Virtual Desktop Infrastructure (VDI) 3.4 and Sun Ray Software 5.3 server software include an expanded range of storage options. Now, in addition to Oracle's Sun ZFS Storage Appliances, Oracle Virtual Desktop Infrastructure 3.4 enables support for local storage and third-party storage solutions, giving customers a variety of storage choices when designing deployments or leveraging their existing storage investments. In addition, for easier management scalability, the new Global VDI Centers feature in Oracle Virtual Desktop Infrastructure 3.4 allows the creation of multiple, independently administered VDI deployments that automatically direct users to the proper server group on login.
Significant new capabilities for Sun Ray 3 Series Clients and PCs running the new Oracle Virtual Desktop Client 3.1 software include the enablement of a richer user experience with improvements to multimedia acceleration. New features include acceleration of Adobe Flash and Windows Media Player on the Sun Ray 3 Series Client devices and 720p HD quality video on Sun Ray 3 Plus Clients and PCs with Oracle Virtual Desktop Client 3.1.
In addition, Oracle Virtual Desktop Infrastructure and Sun Ray Software now support the Extended Application Protocol Data Unit (APDU) standard for smart cards that allows larger amounts of information to be stored on smartcards and exchanged with applications, for greater user functionality.
Supporting improved security, Sun Ray 3 Series Clients now support more sophisticated authentication to the network using 802.1X Extensible Authentication Protocols to allow matching of the network address of the device to the identity of the user prior to access authorization.
And finally, new user location awareness features enable applications to provide dynamic capabilities such as follow-me-printing and help ensure more secure access to applications. New auto-resizing features automatically adapt the user's virtual desktop display size when moving between devices. According to Adam Hawley, senior director, product management, these features are important in particular in the healthcare field for both convenience and compliance with industry regulations that require detailed information on when and where access and changes to healthcare records is implemented.
More information about Oracle Virtual Desktop Infrastructure and Oracle's Sun Ray Clients and Sun Ray Software is available from Oracle.
Download Oracle's Desktop Virtualization software here.