Looking forward to webinar on cloud-based desktops as a service story

Virtual desktop infrastructure (VDI) is gaining interest for a lot of technical, risk and cost reasons. But there's more than one way to skin the VDI cat.

I'll be taking part in a webinar presentation later this week, at noon ET on Thursday, Oct. 23, on the cloud version of VDI. Desktone is hosting the webinar, and I'm participating, but not getting paid. Here is more information, and how to join in.

Desktone impressed me over a year ago when I was first introduced to them. The value comes from creating the means for telcos and service providers to deliver virtual desktops, what Desktone calls desktops as a service (DaaS), en masse. The cost savings can be huge, and it gets those who don't need to be in the IT business (just to support a few applications) out of the soup-to-nuts IT game.

For home offices, small businesses, and small enterprises -- not to mention departments of certain types of workers inside large enterprises -- the VDI route via a cloud or network host makes a lot of sense.

It also aligns quite well with the platform as a service (PaaS) trend, in that those using a VDI service can order up access to packaged applications, or hire developers to customize or mashup their own data views or process and workflow efficiencies. All of it then gets delivered as a service. Good VDI is desktops and applications -- you need both.

This may be the last best bet for network service and communications providers as they seek a recurring and growth-oriented business service portfolio. As a small business owner, I'd be happy to acquire QuickBooks as a service, for example, or even move more of my apps, data, and PC functions to the cloud.

If I had more employees, I would certainly look at VDI from a package of business and network services as the answer to keeping them current on the apps I want them to use. And I would seek out a GUI tools set to create custom apps for my specific business needs.

So if you're curious about how VDI from the cloud and app dev works, join myself and other industry analysts, Rachael Chalmers from The 451 Group and Robin Bloor from Hurwitz & Associates, for the Desktone webinar this Thursday. Should be fun.