Compass enhances Virtual Desktop Infrastructure (VDI) with:

Virtual Desktop Infrastructure (VDI) is a technology that enables desktops to be managed, supported, and executed from centralized servers located in the data center. Using VDI, a remote user can connect to the data center and attain a virtual desktop running any enterprise application and operating system (Windows XP, Vista, Linux). VDI allows for desktop consolidation where traditional PCs in remote locations are replaced with thin clients or repurposed PCs, enabling end-users to access their virtual desktops from anywhere.

VDI architecture uses Server based Computing protocols, such as Microsoft Terminal Services RDP and Citrix/ICA as the underlying protocols for providing remote access to users. The interactive character of these protocols causes most WAN optimization solutions to be ineffective since they are based on small request-reply packets that cannot be optimized using traditional optimization methods. Expand Networks, in contrast to other vendors, implements WAN optimization techniques that provide benefit to real time interactive TCP/IP traffic by providing a special plug-in. In addition to traditional data reduction and compression techniques, this application specific optimization actually multiplexes RDP and Citrix/ICA sessions together temporarily for transport over the WAN.

Expand Networks Accelerators can support VDI and desktop consolidation projects by transparently adding an average of two to three times more user sessions on the same infrastructure. In addition, Expand Networks’ TCP protocol acceleration will help speed those larger RDP transfers, such as graphic applications usage, web browsing, and image viewing. Expand’s VDI solution can can provide acceleration by an average of 300% with peaks of up to 1000% for virtual desktop user traffic. This kind of acceleration goes a long way to combat the ill effects of latency on application performance.