UPDATED 11:00 EDT / MAY 10 2012

Oracle VDI Update Means Less Vendor Lock-In?

Database behemoth Oracle upgraded three applications in its desktop virtualization portfolio with the addition of new features spread across a number of different areas, from storage and security to video playback quality.

Oracle Virtual Desktop Infrastructure 3.4 now offers a bit less vendor lock-in with support for not only Sun ZFS appliances but also storage solutions from third party vendors. In addition, the Global VDI Centers included with the latest version enable admins to create several deployments which automatically redirect users to the designated server group.

In turn, Sun Ray v5.3 features a few improvements as well. Sun Ray now ‘accelerates‘ Adobe Flash and Windows Media Player, and video can be streamed at 720p if Virtual Desktop Client 3.1 is installed.

On top of that, ‘location tracking’ has been introduced to increase overall convenience – for example, the app automatically adjusts screen sized depending on the monitor the user happens to be logging in from. This is also designed to push security up a notch in some regards, and comes alongside the addition of 802.1X network authentication.

Lastly, Oracle says that its software supports a broader range of USB device and that actual storage performance is increased fivefold.

“With our continued product enhancements, Oracle’s desktop virtualization solution is making it easier and more cost-effective for IT to deliver centrally managed, secure services for end user desktops and provide access to enterprise applications from a wider variety of locations and devices,” Wim Coekaerts, SVP of Linux and Virtualization Engineering.

This latest Oracle update comes just two days after a major development in its case against Google. The judge decided that Android does indeed infringe several Java patents, but the litigation is not over and the plaintiff has only been awarded with a mere $160,000 in damages.


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