Nivio and AMD enhance desktop virtualization

http://www.pcworld.com/article/id,136617-c,nonwindowsoss/article.html

Hosted desktop pioneer Nivio has taken an undisclosed investment from AMD to help it work on its ambition of making virtual Windows XP desktops and software accessible from any connected device — even a Linux PC or a smartphone.

The Nivio service uses virtualization to provide users with a virtual PC, which they can configure and even synchronize with their own PC, if they have one. The virtual PCs are hosted on AMD servers at data centers in Geneva and New Delhi, and streamed out over broadband.

Nivio says it can stream a Windows XP desktop, complete with applications, to any device with a compatible web browser. Software — including Adobe and Microsoft applications — can be rented by the month, so users don’t have to purchase a package that’s only needed for the duration of a short project, said the company’s founder Sachin Duggal.

Very cool, virtualization of the desktop remains a great way to reduce your software support issues, as well as reduce the hardware purchase/leasing and energy costs. Interestingly though, with the ability to provide on demand applications in the example above, how does this leave the traditional client/server relationship? Bringing in new functionality often means not only do we need the processes to monitor, to license and deliver these applications, we need to be able to update our billing processes as well, that I could provide a user with a pc for a month, for a day is great, but only if my billing can accommodate it, if my infrastructure can manage who has access to what application, how much they are using it, and how do we license it?