Omnissa brings VDI-style app packaging to physical PCs

Omnissa, the independent company that acquired VMware’s former end-user compute portfolio, has tweaked its App Volumes product that packages and deploys desktop apps for use on virtual PCs so it works on physical machines too.

Orgs that adopt desktop virtualization (VDI) typically do so because they work in highly regulated industries or security-sensitive government agencies where even a well-managed desktop that restricts users from installing software isn’t considered sufficiently safe. VDI players have therefore created tools to deploy desktop apps to virtual PCs, and to manage them in line with corporate policies.

App Volumes therefore bundles apps into a form that makes it possible for just-in-time delivery of apps to virtual PCs, an important consideration because some software can take a while to install and users of virtual desktops probably won’t have time to wait for that to happen.

Virtual desktops, however, account for only around five ...