“The development of VDI Blaster™ was a natural extension of Devon IT’s commitment to providing cost-effective, secure, and more manageable alternative desktop solutions to traditional PC environments”

Users download VDI Blaster™ to old PCs via a USB key or a network install for only $19.99. VDI Blaster™ deploys Devon IT’s thin client operating system, Devon Terminal Operating System (DeTOS™), and Devon IT’s proprietary thin client management software to help IT administrators manage enterprise-wide deployments from a central location. Now users can select to boot into their normal Windows operating system, DeTOS™, or VMware View 4, the industry’s only purpose-built desktop virtualization solution.

“We are pleased that VDI Blaster qualifies for the VMware Ready™ logo, signifying to customers that it has passed specific VMware testing and interoperability criteria and is ready to run in production environments,” said Bernie Mills, senior director, alliance programs, VMware.

“The development of VDI Blaster™ was a natural extension of Devon IT’s commitment to providing cost-effective, secure, and more manageable alternative desktop solutions to traditional PC environments,” says Stephane Verdy, CTO for Devon IT. “VMware shows a similar commitment to desktop virtualization by advancing VMware 4 and other streaming technologies. We are proud to provide both of these innovations together to help continue to momentum from bulky PCs to thin client infrastructures.”

Devon IT’s CTO, Stephane Verdy, routinely offers technical demonstrations and webinars for the media, and is available to comment on all topics relating to thin clients, alternative desktop solutions, desktop and server virtualization, and cloud computing. More information about the company’s hardware and software solutions are available at www.devonit.com.

“Employees crave options in where and how they work. And yet, IT still needs to enforce security and compliance of devices. The business is being pulled in two directions,” said Brad Anderson, corporate vice president of the Management and Services Division at Microsoft. “Microsoft’s desktop virtualization strategy is unique in addressing this balance. It builds on existing investments and comprehensive management to mitigate risks and control costs, while still equipping end users to be more productive from anywhere.”

Customers are also looking at desktop virtualization as a means to reduce costs and accelerate delivery of new applications. A new Microsoft total cost of ownership study on the use of application virtualization technology showed that customers using a Microsoft virtualization technology called Microsoft App-V achieved a 27 percent labor savings, and equivalent cost savings of $82 per PC per year, in application life-cycle management compared with those not using application virtualization. The study also demonstrated how Microsoft App-V helps IT professionals deliver applications more quickly and efficiently.

“We have a strong philosophy that IT is an enabler for the business, and we are always looking for the best IT solutions to meet the needs of our employees and customers,” said Chaz Spahn, senior systems engineer for Expedia Inc. “We’re working with Microsoft on our desktop virtualization projects. We’re using App-V in production and looking to virtualize about 90 percent of our applications. In addition, we have two use cases where we are exploring hosted desktops and foresee about 30 percent of our users could move to this platform. Microsoft was our choice since they have the right solutions to increase our speed of application and desktop provisioning, improve security and compliance, and provide integrated management across our physical and virtual environments.”

Microsoft outlined improvements that make it easier to access desktop virtualization. More information on today’s announcement and Microsoft’s virtualization strategy is available here.

New VDI promotions available for qualified customers to choose from today. Microsoft and Citrix Systems are offering the “Rescue for VMware VDI” promotion, which allows VMware View customers to trade in up to 500 licenses at no additional cost, and the “VDI Kick Start” promotion, which offers new customers a more than 50 percent discount off the estimated retail price. Eligibility and other details on the two promotions can be found at http://www.citrixandmicrosoft.com.

Improved licensing model for virtual Windows desktop. Beginning July 1, 2010, Windows Client Software Assurance customers will no longer have to buy a separate license to access their Windows operating system in a VDI environment, as virtual desktop access rights now will be a Software Assurance benefit.

New roaming use rights improve flexibility. Beginning July 1, 2010, Windows Client Software Assurance and new Virtual Desktop Access license customers will have the right to access their virtual Windows desktop and their Microsoft Office applications hosted on VDI technology on secondary, non-corporate network devices, such as home PCs and kiosks.

Windows XP Mode no longer requires hardware virtualization technology. This change simplifies the experience by making virtualization more accessible to many more PCs for small and midsize businesses wanting to migrate to Windows 7 Professional or higher editions, while still running Windows XP-based productivity applications.

Two new features coming in Windows Server 2008 R2 service pack 1. Microsoft Dynamic Memory will allow customers to adjust memory of a guest virtual machine on demand to maximize server hardware use. Microsoft RemoteFX will enable users of virtual desktops and applications to receive a rich 3-D, multimedia experience while accessing information remotely.

New technology agreement with Citrix Systems. The companies will work together to enable the high-definition HDX technology in Citrix XenDesktop to enhance and extend the capabilities of the Microsoft RemoteFX platform.

“By joining forces in desktop virtualization, Citrix and Microsoft can provide customers of all sizes with groundbreaking solutions that are profoundly simpler, richer and more cost-effective,” said Gordon Payne, senior vice president and general manager, Desktop Division, at Citrix Systems. “Today’s announcements mark a historic milestone in our 20-year relationship that will dramatically simplify desktop computing for years to come.”

In today’s webcast, Microsoft and Citrix executives, analysts, and customers will discuss today’s news and Microsoft’s desktop-to-datacenter virtualization strategy. Today’s webcast also marks the beginning of a 100-city, worldwide series of events to educate customers on the comprehensive portfolio of desktop and datacenter virtualization solutions provided by Microsoft and its partners, including Citrix. To join the dialogue, Twitter users can tweet their comments and questions to #MSVirt.

Founded in 1975, Microsoft is the worldwide leader in software, services and solutions that help people and businesses realize their full potential.

SOURCE Microsoft Corp. http://www.microsoft.com/Presspass/press/2010/mar10/03-18DesktopVirtPR.mspx

Executives are weighing in on what to expect next year in server and desktop virtualization, cloud computing, OS virtualization, I/O virtualization, network virtualization, storage virtualization and more.

We offered our thoughts which are anchored in the game-altering impact new RDP protocols, including VMware View 4, XenDesktop 4, RDP 7 and SPICE are having on the marketplace.

While Citrix ICA and Windows Terminal Services clearly have the deepest market penetration, the high-powered technologies of PCoIP and others, coupled with advanced thin client hardware, can deliver users true PC experiences – on everything from YouTube videos to CAD engineering programs – in a virtual desktop.

It will be interesting to see the adoption in the industry now that some of these performance barriers will be broken – we think it’s the future of alternative desktop computing.

A component of Red Hat’s September 2008 acquisition of Qumranet, SPICE is an adaptive remote rendering protocol designed specifically for virtual environments.  With its modern, high-performance communications technology, SPICE aims to provide a seamless user experience for today’s bandwidth-intensive applications such as multi-media and VoIP, offering a user experience comparable to that of a physical desktop.

“By open sourcing this technology, we are allowing our industry partners and the community to contribute to the future of virtualization with us,” said Brian Stevens, CTO and vice president, Engineering at Red Hat.  “The SPICE protocol is designed to optimize performance by automatically adapting to the graphics and communications environment that it is running in, so vendors have a terrific opportunity to enhance it for their specific applications. Open sourcing technologies is at the heart of Red Hat’s development and business model, and we hope that the ecosystem around desktop virtualization will now grow more rapidly and deliver more innovation to customers sooner.”

“While open sourcing acquired technologies is only logical for Red Hat, the company is backing its release of the SPICE protocol source code as open source with supporting implementation code and components for server and client deployment,” said Jay Lyman, enterprise software analyst with The 451 Group. “We’re still very early on in the adoption of virtual desktop technology and standards, but an open source SPICE has real potential to build developer and ecosystem support and to serve as a common layer among different VDI options.”

“Red Hat’s delivery of the open source SPICE protocol is an important step toward the goal of interoperability for the industry’s heterogeneous virtualization solutions,” said Daniel Frye, vice president, Open Systems Development, IBM. “We look forward to working with Red Hat and the open source community to drive virtualization adoption forward.”

“Devon IT is at the forefront of delivering multimedia through thin client solutions and is a strong supporter of the SPICE protocol using our thin clients,” said Joe Makoid, president, Devon IT.  “Open sourcing paves the way for an industry standard upon which Devon IT can help customers build valuable solutions.  Devon IT is pleased to offer our leadership to help enable open source solutions that integrate into customers’ existing environments.”

SPICE is one of three main technology components included in Red Hat Enterprise Virtualization for Desktops, a solution set currently in a private beta with general availability expected in 2010.

For more information on or to contribute to the Spice project, visit http://www.spice-space.org.

For more information about Red Hat Enterprise Virtualization for Desktops, visit www.redhat.com/rhev/desktop.

For more news about Red Hat, visit www.redhat.com. For more news, more often, visit www.press.redhat.com.

About Red Hat, Inc.

Red Hat, the world’s leading provider of open source solutions and a component of the S&P 500, is headquartered in Raleigh, NC with over 65 offices spanning the globe. CIOs ranked Red Hat as one of the top vendors delivering value in Enterprise Software for six consecutive years in the CIO Insight Magazine Vendor Value survey. Red Hat provides high-quality, affordable technology with its operating system platform, Red Hat Enterprise Linux, together with virtualization, applications, management and Services Oriented Architecture (SOA) solutions, including Red Hat Enterprise Virtualization and JBoss Enterprise Middleware. Red Hat also offers support, training and consulting services to its customers worldwide. Learn more: http://www.redhat.com.

Forward-Looking Statements

Certain statements contained in this press release may constitute “forward-looking statements” within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Forward-looking statements provide current expectations of future events based on certain assumptions and include any statement that does not directly relate to any historical or current fact. Actual results may differ materially from those indicated by such forward-looking statements as a result of various important factors, including: risks related to delays or reductions in information technology spending, the integration of acquisitions and the ability to market successfully acquired technologies and products; the ability of the Company to effectively compete; the inability to adequately protect Company intellectual property and the potential for infringement or breach of license claims of or relating to third party intellectual property; the ability to deliver and stimulate demand for new products and technological innovations on a timely basis; risks related to data and information security vulnerabilities; ineffective management of, and control over, the Company’s growth and international operations; fluctuations in exchange rates; adverse results in litigation; and changes in and a dependence on key personnel, as well as other factors contained in our most recent Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q (copies of which may be accessed through the Securities and Exchange Commission’s website at http://www.sec.gov), including those found therein under the captions “Risk Factors” and “Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations”. In addition to these factors, actual future performance, outcomes, and results may differ materially because of more general factors including (without limitation) general industry and market conditions and growth rates, economic conditions, and governmental and public policy changes. The forward-looking statements included in this press release represent the Company’s views as of the date of this press release and these views could change. However, while the Company may elect to update these forward-looking statements at some point in the future, the Company specifically disclaims any obligation to do so. These forward-looking statements should not be relied upon as representing the Company’s views as of any date subsequent to the date of the press release.

LINUX is a trademark of Linus Torvalds. RED HAT and JBOSS are registered trademarks of Red Hat, Inc. and its subsidiaries in the US and other countries.

The SafeBook E5400X features a 2.20GHz Intel™ Celeron™ 900 processor, a 14.1″ UltraSharp™ WXGA+ (1440×900) display, and an 80GB hard drive. The SafeBook E5400X comes with Windows Embedded Standard (WES). The SafeBook will soon be available with the proprietary Devon Terminal Operating System (DeTOS).

“Devon IT has worked with thin client technology and alternative desktop solution companies for years, but building an enhanced version of our SafeBook with Dell’s technology takes security and mobility to another level for users,” says Joe Makoid, President, Devon IT. “The experience and sophistication that propels Dell’s renowned laptop lineup will ensure our users have access to the best in functionality, reliability, and quality. We expect the SafeBook E5400X to be an industry standard for deploying mobile thin client devices.”

This is Devon IT’s third generation of SafeBook mobile thin client model. The company works with leading virtualization and software companies, including Citrix, VMware, Teradici, and RedHat, to deliver true desktop PC experience to users. Devon IT’s product line also includes the TC5 thin client, the first Intel™ Atom® processor-based thin client available and the only thin device to support dual DVI.

“As a leading provider of OEM solutions, we’re dedicated to providing our customers with best-in-class technology solutions and hardware,” said Rick Froehlich, VP and General Manager of OEM Solutions at Dell. “Together with Devon IT, we can offer customers an innovative, thin client computing solution that not only meets their evolving business needs, but gives them the reliability and service they’ve come to expect from Dell.”

Devon IT’s CTO, Stephane Verdy, routinely offers technical demonstrations and webinars for the media, and is available to comment on all topics relating to thin clients, alternative desktop solutions, desktop and server virtualization, and cloud computing. More information about the company’s hardware and software solutions are available at www.devonit.com.

The VDI Blaster™ video shows how users download VDI Blaster™ to existing PCs via a USB key or a network install. VDI Blaster™ deploys Devon IT’s thin client operating system, Devon Terminal Operating System (DeTOS™), and Devon IT’s thin client management software, ThinManage™, to help IT administrators manage enterprise-wide deployments from a central location. Once VDI Blaster™ is deployed, users can select to boot into their normal Windows operating system or into DeTOS™.

The TC5 video provides an overview of the recently launched Intel® Atom™ processor -based TC5, a stateless, fanless thin client orderable from IBM. The TC5 is one of the first thin clients capable of supporting dual- independent displays and ushers in the next generation of server-based computing. The TC5 is perfect for customers needing improved performance in a small, energy-efficient footprint.

“Our goal with Thin Client TV is to educate IT personnel and end users on the differences between thin clients and PCs and how alternative computing methods can be less costly, more secure, easier to manage, and better for the environment than traditional desktop,” says Joe Makoid, President of Devon IT. “VDI Blaster and the TC5 are our flagship products and Thin Client TV helps us explain the features and benefits for our business partners and end users.”

For more information about VDI Blaster™, please visit www.vdiblaster.com or www.devonit.com/software/vdi-blaster/overview. For more information about the Devon TC5 thin clients, desktop virtualization, or to arrange for a demonstration, email info@devonit.com or call 610-757-4220 or 888-524-9382. Follow Devon IT updates on Twitter at http://twitter.com/DevonIT

“IBM wrote the book on server virtualization, and our thin clients available with IBM part numbers provide users with a complete, powerful alternative desktop solution all from one place,” says Joe Makoid, President, Devon IT. “VMware is the established leader in virtualization solutions, and we have worked with their executives, engineers, and marketing teams for years to develop our thin clients and software virtualization approach. We are very excited to share with the industry our newest VMware View Certified thin clients and our VDI Blaster^TM software release.”

Devon IT will demo various virtual desktop solutions in the two boot locations using IBM’s industry-leading Blade Center S Chassis. The TC5 thin client from Devon IT, built with the powerful Intel® Atom^TM processor, will display its dual-DVI capabilities. The company’s TC2, the smallest thin client in the world, will also be available for testing. Demonstrations will include VMware View and PC-o-IP^TM, all accessed through Devon IT’s VMware View Certified thin clients.

Devon IT will be presenting on, “Next Generation Virtual Client Solutions from Devon and IBM” in the IBM theater in booth 1624. Follow Devon IT updates from VMworld 2009 on Twitter at http://twitter.com/DevonIT

Passing the extensive certification testing helps ensure that the TC10 is compatible with VMware technology and ready for deployment in customer environments.

“By combining Devon IT’s TC10 thin clients with VMware View^TM, enterprises can centralize management, increase security and improve overall TCO.  This combined solution further helps enterprises provision users while meeting their diverse needs,” said Raj Mallempati, director, product marketing, desktop business unit, VMware. “We are pleased that the TC10 qualifies for the VMware Ready^TM Certified logo, signifying to customers that these thin client models have passed specific VMware integration and interoperability criteria.”

“Devon IT’s TC10 is the first desktop access device that gives the end user a true PC experience with instant screen updates, full multimedia support, and full USB compatibility.  Unlike a traditional thin client, the TC10 is for demanding users that require real time PC-like capability such as financial traders and power users such as CAD engineers” says Stephane Verdy, chief technology officer for Devon IT.  “Devon IT’s TC10 can now be centrally managed by the VMware View^TM Connection Broker.  We are proud of our continued relationship with VMware and are anxious to deploy VMware View with the TC10 thin clients to customers.”

The VMware Ready program is a VMware co-branding program for qualified partner products and is a benefit of the VMware Technology Alliance Partner (TAP) program. With more than 1,000 members worldwide, the VMware TAP program works with best-of-breed technology partners to provide them a comprehensive set of VMware technical and marketing services, support, tools and expertise to deliver enhanced value to joint customers.

Devon IT thin clients can be found within the online VMware Hardware Compatibility List at www.vmware.com/resources/compatibility/search.  Devon IT will be demonstrating the TC10 at VMworld 2009, booth 2444, in San Francisco, CA, from August 28 through September 2, 2009.  Follow Devon IT updates from VMworld 2009 on Twitter at http://twitter.com/DevonIT.

For more information about Devon IT, thin client computing, or virtualization, or to arrange for a demonstration, email info@devonit.com or call 610-757-4220 or 888-524-9382. Information is also available at www.devonit.com.

 Citrix, a Devon IT business partner, hosted its XenDesktop Challenge on CitrixTV (http://www.citrix.com/tv/). Thin client vendors submitted videos depicting their thin clients running XenDesktop in various capacities. The winners were decided by Citrix executives Doug Brown, Sumit Dhawan, and Chris Fleck, plus the community votes of ratings and view count. Devon IT submitted two videos, winning in three out of the eight categories.

“Our powerful, Citrix Ready TC5 thin client has proven to be a leading solution for customers worldwide, and combined with XenDesktop users benefit from outstanding performance,” says Joe Makoid, President, Devon IT. “We are ecstatic to offer the TC5 with XenDesktop, and proud that Citrix executives and IT customers recognized this solution’s synergy and voted in the video challenge.” 

Devon IT’s winning videos can be seen on Thin Client TV (http://www.devonit.com/thin-client-tv). The “Benefits of XenDesktop and the TC5 Thin Client” video won for Best Overall Video (User Community Vote) and Best Video (Expert Panel Vote), and the “Coolness of Provisioning Server” video won for Best Support of a Locally Streamed Desktop.

For more information about Devon IT, thin client computing, or virtualization, or to arrange for a demonstration, email info@devonit.com or call 610-757-4220 or 888-524-9382. Information is also available at www.devonit.com.

Virtualized desktops are hosted on a remote central server instead of on the hard drive of a local personal computer. Desktop virtualization software separates an individual’s PC applications, files, data, etc. from their desktop. Benefits of this computing model include lowering the total cost of ownership, extending hardware life cycles, increasing security, lowering energy output, and centralizing desktop management.

“Many schools, healthcare facilities and government agencies are switching from PCs to server-hosted desktops, citing cost-savings as a main reason,” noted Joe Makoid, president of Devon IT. “Virtual desktops can help IT personnel realize significant security, total cost of ownership, increased productivity and flexibility benefits. We are excited to discuss the top trends in virtualization with public sector IT experts across the country.”

Devon IT’s line of thin clients, including the TC2, TC5, TC10, and SafeBook® laptop, run virtualization software from the industry’s leaders, namely VMware, Citrix, and RedHat. End users receive desktop experiences that rival traditional desktop PCs at a fraction of the cost.

For more information about Devon IT, thin client computing, or virtualization, or to arrange for a demonstration, email info@devonit.com or call 610-757-4220 or 888-524-9382.