MokaFive BareMetal Hypervisor Tackles PC, Device Management
Installing virtual desktops in this fashion obviates the need for a host operating system while also allowing a company to manage any type of PC through one management pane, according to Purnima Padmanabhan, vice president of products and marketing at MokaFive. Previously companies would've had to deal with the hassle of installing two operating systems to achieve this.
"We virtualize the desktop and put it on top of the existing OS. This means I can use my Mac and have my Windows 7 corporate environment too," Padmanabhan said in an interview.
MokaFive BareMetal can help organizations keep pace with the Bring Your Own Device phenomenon, which is a tricky proposition from an IT perspective due to the permutations of hardware involved. Once BareMetal is installed on the PC, customers have a virtual desktop environment that works with any type of machine, including PCs, Macs, notebooks, and mobile devices, and can be managed and controlled by IT, said Padmanabhan.
"If someone wants to use their personal machine, you create a MokaFive virtual desktop and put it on top of the existing OS. For contractors, whether it's Mac, PC, corporate machine or home, you define your corporate environment and have one management interface," said Padmanabhan.
Padmanabhan cites this flexibility as one of MokaFive's competitive advantages over Citrix XenClient. "The issue with Citrix XenClient is that it's very restrictive. Some of our clients have said it doesn’t install on most machines," she said. "Citrix is more focused on XenClient as a platform and hasn't wrapped management around it. That makes it hard for people to deploy."
MokaFive's core innovation lies in its ability to support a wide range of hardware types in a way that doesn't negatively impact performance or management of these machines, she said. "Every bit that is laid down on the BareMetal machines can be centrally managed and locked down," said Padmanabhan.
MokaFive BareMetal runs on PCs with 2 GB of RAM and a 64-bit compatible CPU, and MokaFive is charging $150 per user annually for use of the product.