Solution converts an IGEL Universal desktop, with just the click of a mouse, into a locked down appliance for accessing a virtual PC delivered by VMware VDM. Can be deployed in seconds by simply unpacking the box and attaching the IGEL Universal Desktop to the network.

Reading, England – September 25th, 2008 – IGEL Technology, the world’s third largest thin client vendor, will demonstrate this week at the VMware Virtualisation Forum in London its new VMware VDM Appliance Mode for IGEL Universal Desktops, providing a simplified user experience for customers deploying virtual PCs with VMware’s Virtual Desktop Manager (VDM).  This new solution allows IGEL Universal Desktops to be switched, with just a mouse click, from a traditional IGEL thin client to a tightly defined virtual PC access appliance.  This provides end users with a very PC-like experience, with the desktop always maximized on the user’s screen and the inability to access or “kill” local applications and services on the thin client using Ctr-Alt-Del. The VDM Appliance Mode can be made part of the automatic setup of an IGEL Universal Desktop when it is first attached to a network, making the roll out of VMware hosted virtual PCs as simple as plugging an IGEL device into the network and then logging into Windows.

If organisations need access to more functionality in the IGEL Universal Desktop, the VDM Appliance Mode can be reversed with a single mouse click, giving access to world’s largest range of Digital Services, such as web, multimedia, VoIP, SAP and Java, contained in the terminal. This approach is recommended for knowledge workers using more demanding applications, such as Multimedia or VoIP, that are beyond the capability of the RDP protocol used by the VDM Appliance Mode.

According to a July 2008 report by The 451 Group titled, “Virtualization: Reinventing Desktop Computing,” in twelve months' time, one-third of general-purpose desktop users and mobile workers may be provided with virtual desktops.  While desktop virtualization offers many benefits, including increased security, manageability and scalability, there is a lot of concern regarding the impact to all of these end users’ experience.   By introducing the VDM Appliance Mode, IGEL is addressing this concern and making virtual PC access as simple as possible for end users and IT Managers.

“IGEL is helping VMware customers by making deployment of their virtual PCs no more complicated that plugging in a network cable.” said Stephen Yeo, worldwide strategic marketing director for IGEL Technology. “In addition, IGEL’s VDM Appliance Mode makes the end user experience identical to that of a PC, hence improving user acceptance and removing the need for training.”

The switch to VDM Appliance Mode can be easily implemented using the IGEL Remote Management Suite (RMS) software, which comes free with every IGEL thin client.  A systems administrator can simply build the VDM Appliance Mode into a user profile, and remotely assign the profile upon the thin client’s first connection. RMS greatly improves administrators’ productivity, by allowing them to easily control all aspects of application delivery and the user experience without ever having to visit the desktop during roll out and production.

IGEL’s VDM Appliance Mode will be available on its Linux powered Universal Desktops from mid October.

IGEL offers one of the largest ranges of virtual PC access devices on the market, ranging from traditional desktops and PC upgrade cards to LCD integrated units and quad screen units.