IGEL’s Digital Service Virtualisation technology set to revolutionise thin clients by allowing them to deliver any virtualised application with an experience just like a traditional PC

In Conjunction with Partner RES Software, IGEL Universal Desktop Digital Services can be Reverse Published to a Virtual PC to Deliver the Toughest Server-based Applications

Reading, UK – September 25th, 2008 – IGEL Technology today introduced Digital Services Virtualisation (DSV), a new technological paradigm that promises to revolutionise thin clients. DSV eliminates any of the final issues associated with a user needing a thin client to access virtual PCs running traditionally difficult server-based applications such as multi-media, DirectX graphics or robotic control. DSV delivers a true PC-like experience with all the added security and manageability benefits of a thin client.

“This is the most important evolution in thin clients in the past decade,” explained Stephen Yeo, worldwide strategic marketing director for IGEL Technology. “IGEL has revolutionized the thin client experience with DSV, removing any final barriers to providing a complete PC-like user experience but with all the inherent benefits of a thin client deployment.”

Traditionally, thin client users had three choices for delivering applications. The Citrix® ICA or Microsoft® RDP protocols could deliver a Windows application but struggled to deliver multi-media content or applications that directly accessed client hardware. To counter this, multi-media redirection was introduced that streamed certain multi-media files outside ICA/RDP to the thin client, but it could not handle the popular Flash protocol or deliver applications needing direct hardware access. The final choice was that users could run multiple digital services on a thin client concurrently (like a web browser or ICA) and then toggle between them using the proprietary interface of the terminal. All of these methods compromised the Windows PC experience.

IGEL Universal Desktops, powered by Microsoft® Windows® XP Embedded, are the first in the market to include DSV as standard by incorporating a RES PowerFuse Workspace Extender™ client so that local digital services can be “reverse-published” to a virtual PC. Using DSV, when certain digital services are activated on the virtual desktop, the application call is “trapped” using RES PowerFuse, and a request is sent to the IGEL Universal Desktop.  The digital service then opens locally, integrated with the virtual PC desktop. It is completely seamless to the end-user so that they cannot see where the web browser, media player or other digital services are running.

This innovative approach offers an outstanding user experience with its standard Microsoft Windows PC desktop look and feel, all local digital services controlled from the virtual desktop and no need to “toggle” between digital service sessions. Local digital services can communicate directly via the native protocol designed for the application without having the bottleneck of streaming everything down the ICA or RDP protocol.

Using IGEL DSV, the Universal Desktop can also deliver the “toughest” server-based applications including all multi-media types, VoIP, video conferencing, local device control such as CCTV and industrial automation, and Embedded DirectX local applications on Windows XP Embedded.

Finally, users receive all these benefits along with the traditional advantages of thin clients, such as bullet-proof security, virus immunity, no local data and sophisticated systems management using the bundled IGEL Remote Management Suite software.

 “At RES Software we are delighted to work with IGEL, because they share our drive and vision, said Ron Grevink, vice president of marketing at RES Software.  “We are devoted to improving the end-user experience, no matter how applications are delivered to the end-users and no matter what devices end-users need. For joint IGEL and RES Software customers we will offer RES PowerFuse for IGEL Technology at a special price of £50 for every concurrent user. The pairing of RES PowerFuse with IGEL Universal Desktops provides end-users with superior thin client technology that offers an outstanding end-user experience.”

The DSV update for IGEL Windows XP Embedded firmware is available at www.MyIGEL.com.