IBM accelerates virtual desktop with cloud storage services

Jan Jackman, vice president of End-User Services at IBM Global Technology Services, says that VIA services give users with Internet-enabled PCs the ability to access applications and data through a centrally managed environment – as opposed to the usual costly managed storage. He explains that IBM Virtual Storage Optimiser (VSO) is based on an algorithm developed by IBM Research, and claims that it dramatically reduces the large physical storage requirements associated with storing virtual images. And he adds that the solution also allows companies to streamline operations by creating new desktop images in seconds or minutes – a process that previously took up to half an hour. “VSO helps businesses more efficiently manage physical storage requirements and improve utilisation rates, energy efficiency, availability, and scalability of critical applications,” says Jackman. “VSO further extends our ability to help businesses and schools embrace cloud computing models that accommodate employee mobility and enhance end-user productivity.”