Virtual Bridges Introduces Active Cloud Branch for Virtual Desktops, Combining On-Premises Deployment with Cloud-Based Management

Virtual Bridges, Inc. today announced a significant update to its VERDE virtual desktop management solution that accelerates the provisioning of VDI infrastructure and delivers the highest quality LAN experience for Windows and Linux virtual desktops, while enabling them to be managed from the cloud.

According to Gartner, “Many large-enterprise organizations have stated they prefer that any deployed virtual desktop appliance solution be centrally managed alongside the rest of the SHVD (server hosted virtual desktop infrastructure).”¹

With VERDE’s new Active Cloud Branch capabilities, more processing power is pushed out to remote locations while management of the branch server remains in the data center. This gives administrators and managed service providers ongoing visibility into branch usage from a central location, while preserving the end user experience on the local network.

For example, a large government organization uses VERDE Active Cloud Branch to deploy and configure desktops in Hawaii according to local state security policies and administrative requirements, while managing them from a data center on the United States mainland. This approach ensures a consistent, high-quality LAN experience for the branch end user while maintaining security, isolation and business resiliency.

“Virtual Bridges' technology addresses all of the key challenges we’ve faced with other desktop virtualization solutions while reducing overall costs and management complexity,” said Ed Anderson, Chief Strategy Officer, CompuCom. “With advanced support for cloud branches, VERDE provides our customers flexible, scalable and high-performing access to desktops, regardless of location.”

In addition to Active Cloud Branch, VERDE now includes bare-metal install and support for pooled users as follows:

• VERDE bare-metal install requires no pre-existing OS, allowing users to provision a Windows or Linux virtual desktop in under 30 minutes, including automated configuration of all internal storage applications and peripherals.
• VERDE support for pooled desktops extends the company’s leadership in use case coverage to scenarios such as shared desktops in hotel business centers, libraries, etc.
• VERDE support for CIFS storage and NFS v4 expands the variety of storage models, enabling customers to drive down storage costs.

“From SaaS to cloud computing to BYOD, the desktop has changed but management approaches haven’t kept up. While early VDI solutions were complex and costly, Virtual Bridges provides an elegant, lightweight approach that allows organizations to keep pace with today’s changing desktop environment,” said Jim Curtin, CEO of Virtual Bridges. “This release addresses the biggest challenges that organizations face, including support for branch users, ease of install and managing licenses. With these new features, VERDE delivers the best value in the industry, at half the cost.”

VERDE’s broad feature set includes online, offline and branch VDI, Gold Master provisioning, Storage Optimizer, a Distributed Connection brokering architecture, flexibility to run both Windows and Linux desktops, branch-level VDI at LAN speeds, support for on-premises and hosted deployment, and desktop portability on a USB stick.

For more on VERDE visit http://www.vbridges.com/products/.

About Virtual Bridges

Virtual Bridges VERDE is an award-winning desktop management and provisioning solution that leverages virtualization to deliver desktops either on-premises or in the cloud. VERDE helps enterprises transform TCO by simplifying desktop management, improving security and compliance, and increasing the organizational agility across Windows and Linux environments. Virtual Bridges is headquartered in Austin, Texas. For more information visit: http://vbridges.com.

Supporting Resources

Virtual Bridges Twitter
Virtual Bridges Facebook
Virtual Bridges LinkedIn
Virtual Bridges Blog

¹ Gartner, Desktop Virtualization: Building a People-Centric Infrastructure, Chris Wolf, April 4, 2012.