Sun Desktop Virtualization Software Improves Desktop Security and Ease of Management, Reduces Costs

Solaris OS provides foundation for a more secure virtual desktop.

SANTA CLARA, Calif.- Sun Microsystems, Inc. (NASDAQ: JAVA), the creator of Solaris, today announced a new software offering to provide a more secure and manageable virtual desktop environment. Sun Virtual Desktop Infrastructure Software 1.0 (Sun VDI), installed on the Solaris operating system (OS), helps enable organizations to move applications and operating systems off of personal computers, consolidate them in the data center, and present them to end users on a wide array of devices through high performance display protocols.

Part of the comprehensive range of Sun Virtual Desktop Solutions, Sun VDI Software offers a highly-secure platform for accessing virtualized Microsoft Windows desktop environments from a wide variety of client devices. When Sun VDI Software is coupled with VMware Infrastructure software, desktops can be consolidated onto servers in the data center, with each user enjoying a dedicated virtual machine that is isolated from other users and customized to their needs.

Utilizing powerful Sun Fire x64 systems and VMware ESX Server, many desktop environments can be hosted on a single server, with Sun VDI Software providing the bridge allowing users to access their desktop environments from traditional PCs such as Windows and Mac OS X computers, as well as thin clients from Sun and other vendors. Each virtual desktop functions as though it were running directly on the user’s computer, but critical data is kept in the data center where it can be more easily managed by IT and is less susceptible to loss or theft. Sun VDI software helps enable IT managers to set up new users, workgroups, or departments in just minutes, controlling and managing desktops and updates centrally, reducing costs normally associated with a traditional distributed desktop model.

“The accelerated adoption of server virtualization has heightened awareness of the benefits of consolidating servers and IP in the datacenter, and has paved the way toward the adoption of a hosted and virtualized desktop model,” noted Marc Hamilton, vice president of Solaris marketing at Sun. “Sun has been an innovator in desktop virtualization for nearly 10 years. Sun Ray virtual display clients have won more industry awards than any other thin client on the market. Sun runs on a virtual client network, resulting in one of the largest thin client deployments in the world.”

According to industry analyst IDC, Sun grew its thin client unit shipments three times faster than the overall market in the fourth quarter of 2007 compared to that same time period in 2006.

At VMworld 2007, Sun is previewing new technology which integrates Sun VDI Software with VMware Infrastructure software, resulting in an end-to-end desktop virtualization solution. The new connectivity features utilize management interfaces available in VMware Infrastructure to administer virtual desktop life cycles while providing users access to their virtual desktops from nearly any modern client. Using this technology and Sun VDI Software, a user can work anywhere and seamlessly shift their desktop session between any supported device. Planned for availability in early 2008 as a component of Sun Virtual Desktop Solutions, the initial release of this VDI connector will support VMware Infrastructure deployments, with future versions planned to support other popular virtualization solutions.

Sun VDI Software will be available in October 2007, priced at $149 per user*, and will install on both Solaris and Linux operating systems. Coinciding with the release of Sun VDI Software, a downloadable beta release of Sun’s VDI connector will be made available on www.sun.com.

For more information on Sun Virtual Desktop Solutions, visit http://www.sun.com/datacenter/consolidation/virtualization/desktop/