Dell adds Server Provisioning to its desktop and application virtualization software

Dell Wyse WSM delivers operating systems and applications separately to stateless, diskless clients on demand, providing a manageable, reliable and scalable PC computing experience from the cloud. Unlike traditional VDI, Dell Wyse WSM enables the desktop OS and applications to execute locally on the client, giving that client the same look, performance, feel and function of a traditional desktop PC, but storing all OS, applications, and data in the datacenter. With no OS residing on the client, management, support and updates, including Windows XP and 7 migrations, are done centrally and take considerably less time than with a traditional distributed environment.

In addition to powerful and secure desktop and application virtualization, Dell Wyse WSM 6 now also enables rapid and efficient server image delivery to physical or virtual machines. This new feature allows for more agile deployment, configuration and management of virtual servers than existing methods – processes that previously took hours are reduced to minutes.

Additional enhancements in Dell Wyse WSM 6 include:
· Dell Cloud Desktop BIOS central configuration: This feature increases efficiency by allowing for central configuration and management of the BIOS settings on pre-configured Dell Cloud Desktops from Dell Wyse WSM. Per-model and policy-based settings can be configured centrally on the Dell Wyse WSM server.
· Expanded platform support: Dell Wyse WSM now enables server and desktop streaming to Microsoft Hyper-V and VMware ESX 5.1 virtual machines and above.
· Shared storage support: Storage resources are optimised via shared support as servers no longer require their own dedicated storage.
· Enhanced Active Directory integration: For auditing and compliance needs, integration with Active Directory allows administrators to monitor and control access to Dell Wyse WSM administration through enhanced logging and auditing capabilities.
· 64-bit support: Dell Wyse WSM’s already extremely high-performance desktop and application and virtualization is enhanced with support for demanding 64-bit applications.
· Partnership with CloudVolumes to virtualize applications: Through the Dell Technology Partner Program, CloudVolumes virtualizes everything above the OS and instantly delivers server workloads, including applications, onto Dell Wyse WSM-streamed servers. Administrators can now change the identity and nature of a server instantly, enhancing flexibility, storage efficiency, and agility in server management.

Dell Wyse WSM is designed for large or small customers with demanding user or server management requirements, looking to optimise IT efficiency and cut costs. By reducing hardware needs and administration demands, Dell Wyse WSM helps customers achieve their system reliability, security and compliance goals.

“We have had a very successful beta testing period using Dell Wyse WSM’s new features and are looking forward to continuing to work with them,” said JP Gagne, president at Baremetalcloud. “Being able to manage and pool together our physical servers as if they were virtual is an entirely new capability in the market and it has the potential to increase IT efficiency by leaps and bounds.”

Dell Wyse WSM Starter Kit
Customers and partners who would like to test and evaluate Dell Wyse WSM now have a quick and inexpensive way with the Dell Wyse WSM Starter kit. The starter kit is a turn-key, ready-to-use solution that includes everything IT teams need to conduct a proof of concept within one hour: server, clients, networking, preinstalled software, and virtual desktops for up to three users. In addition, the kit can be expanded to support up to 12 users with minimal effort. Since all components can be reused in production, the upfront investment risk is minimal.

“The new Dell Wyse WSM server provisioning feature demonstrates our commitment to making powerful virtualization and cloud computing tools practical and accessible to organisations of all sizes,” said Jeff McNaught, Executive Director of Marketing for Dell Cloud Client Computing. “This release is right in line with our goal is to be the one-stop-shop for any customers looking to reduce costs and enhance business by optimising their IT systems.”