Softricity Streamlines Access to Desktop Apps with ZeroTouch

by Alex Woodie

Softricity this week unveiled new virtualization software aimed at making it easier to access their software from user desktops. The new software, called ZeroTouch, employs a combination of Softricity's SoftGrid desktop virtualization software, as well as a new screen scraping technique for enabling customers to access desktop applications from a server over low-bandwidth connections.

While Softricity's technology shares certain similarities with the desktop virtualization offerings of Citrix and Microsoft, there are key differences, says David Greschler, co-founder and vice president of marketing at Softricity. With Citrix's WinFrame and MetaFrame software and Microsoft's remote desktop protocol (RDP) offerings, the desktop application, such as Microsoft Office, actually runs on the server, with graphics and keyboard and mouse input directed from the client. Greschler calls these "screen scraping" offerings.

Softricity SoftGrid takes a fundamentally different approach to desktop virtualization than Citrix or Microsoft. While the code for the application is held on the server with Softricity's approach, which is similar to approach taken by Citrix or Microsoft, when the user requests the application from the desktop, that application is streamed over the network down to the client, in an "on-demand" fashion. Once 20 percent or so of that application is resident on the desktop, the user can begin interacting with it.

But the application doesn't actually reside on the desktop. It sits in a virtual environment that Softricity creates on the desktop, which shields the application from the complexity of the individual desktop--and, conversely, protects the desktop from being modified by another application.

"We have a packager that creates a virtual environment of all the components that would normally be on the desktop, COM, DCOM, fonts, DLL," Greschler says. "What we do is trap those, and put those into a virtual environment. The package looks at what page memory is needed to get them up and running, then creates a map, [which involves] taking the virtual environment and application code, and putting it into a file on a server.

"So when Joe comes in, and authenticates through Active Directory, he sees the five applications that he has access to. The application sees everything as if it's been installed on the desktop, and it can actually read the system registry and all the settings there."

By streaming applications down to desktops, where they run in a virtual environment, IT shops can avoid the "DLL hell" that commonly befalls complex desktop environments, Greschler says. "Any application can run on that machine, without IT having to do all this regression testing to make this work," he says. "I can roll out a new application to you and not worry about breaking an application that's already running."

Softricity's approach brings several advantages. The most obvious advantage is users can access their traditional fat client applications and data from any computer with network access (the company also offers a Web browser interface for accessing applications, in addition to the virtualized desktop). One of the hidden benefits is the capability to run different versions of a Java Virtual Machine--an option that isn't available on traditional Windows desktops, Greschler says. The software can also eliminate the need to have Microsoft's .NET Framework locally installed, and can help users manage licenses.

Softricity currently has about 350 customers, primarily in the financial services, healthcare, and education sectors of the marketplace. These customers are virtualizing access to Microsoft applications, such as Outlook and Office, in addition to commercial healthcare applications, such as EPIC, Cerner, and McKesson. About 50 percent of Softricity's customers use the technology with homegrown applications, Greschler says.

With this week's announcement of ZeroTouch, Softricity takes a step closer to Citrix. Streaming applications down to the desktop is not a good method for users who do not have high-speed Internet access. For these users, Softricity will serve a screen-scraped representation of that application on the desktop. Greschler predicts organizations will use ZeroTouch to provide faster access to applications for users outside of their LAN, while the traditional Softricity virtualization will be used for users on the LAN.

ZeroTouch provides other capabilities, including new self-service provisioning features, which provides a way for users to gain access to applications without involving IT professionals. If a user needs Microsoft Visio to view an e-mail attachment, for example, ZeroTouch provides the workflow logic for a user to check his organization's catalog of available software, initiate the provisioning processes, and to download and use the application.

In the end, Softricity aims to change the way people think about software. "We want to create a platform that allows people to think of software as Web pages. We want them to be able to feel like their applications are instantly available," Greschler says.

With the release of Zero Touch, Softricity is now selling a bundle of software that includes ZeroTouch and its original SoftGrid application virtualization software. The software supports Windows 2000, Windows XP, and Windows Server 2003. It costs $250 per named user or device. Go to www.softricity.com for more information.