Today, Microsoft virtualization products and technologies are already helping companies automatically match computing capabilities to business needs. Imagine, for example, if your employees could access their personalized desktop, with all of their settings and preferences intact, on any machine, from any location? Or if workloads running on the servers in your data center automatically redeployed to respond to a sudden surge in demand for a specific capability? Or if your entire infrastructure could restore itself instantly following a catastrophic power outage?

Today, all of these scenarios and more are possible with Windows Optimized Desktop Scenarios. Tomorrow they will be the norm as more and more companies take advantage of virtualization to build an infrastructure that is truly dynamic from the data center to the desktop.

Here are a few ways you can leverage Microsoft technologies for your diverse user base:

Mobile Knowledge Workers

Mobility is a major requirement for most organizations. Knowledge workers need access to their data and applications anywhere, anytime. More laptops are being deployed than desktops in many organizations around the world. While users expect flexibility and the ability to take their data with them wherever they go, the IT department needs to make sure that data is protected and end user productivity is not significantly impacted in the case of a lost or stolen laptop. Additionally, both the user and IT share the concern about easily having a “replaceable PC” to get the user back up and running with the same applications and, most importantly, the user’s data, while reducing downtime.

Microsoft’s recommended “replaceable PC” solution for mobile workers includes Windows Vista Enterprise with BitLocker Drive Encryption to protect data, Microsoft Application Virtualization to deliver user the applications they need for online and offline use without installing them, and Folder Redirection with Offline Files and Folders to centrally store and make data available to the user, online and offline.

If a user’s laptop is lost or stolen, BitLocker helps protect the data from unauthorized access, and Folder Redirection helps ensure the data is still available to the user since it is stored on a network server and can be backed up centrally. Once the user receives a new PC, upon logging onto the network the data is automatically synchronized down to the local hard drive so it is always accessible, even when on the road, via Offline Files and Folders. Roaming User Profiles also makes sure application settings, system settings and other customizations follow the user to the new PC. Microsoft Application Virtualization and System Center Configuration Manager 2007 R2 automatically deliver all the user’s assigned corporate applications along with their application settings without any local installation required. These applications can be installed even through the Internet.

For users who require a local application running on the laptop (when connected and disconnected), which is not compatible with Windows Vista, Microsoft Enterprise Desktop Virtualization (MEDV) provides a bridge to address both Windows and web-based application compatibility issues. MEDV enables the administrator to deliver a Windows XP virtual machine to the user’s PC running Windows Vista and Microsoft Virtual PC 2007. With MEDV, the application is seamlessly executed directly from the host machine’s Start Menu. The application will appear in its own window as if it were running natively on Windows Vista. The administrator can also define the level of interaction between the guest and host operating systems, including whether to allow uni-, bi-directional, or no cut-and-paste capabilities.

As an extension to this mobile worker scenario, the IT department can provide the mobile user access to more sensitive applications which run centrally on a Terminal Server via Windows Server 2008’s Terminal Server Gateway.

These technologies in Windows Vista, MDOP, System Center, and Windows Server 2008 make the replaceable PC both a reality today and the preferred way to deploy your PC.

Office Knowledge Workers

When in the office, many knowledge workers—such as analysts, architects, designers, and doctors—typically run multiple applications which require a rich user experience to ensure high productivity. These applications run on the local PC using a dedicated CPU/GPU for the best performance. In addition, these users may need to access Line of Business applications which are run centrally on a server, for example, for compliance reasons when the application uses highly sensitive data.

To provide high levels productivity to these workers, it is important that organizations enable them to have access to their highly personalized set of applications and data locally on their PCs. It is equally important to provide the same list of applications from different PCs across organization, for situations where the workers need to continue uninterrupted work from a different PC in case of a temporary office during a corporate move or being in a different location within a worksite, bad weather or any other event.

Microsoft’s recommended “hot desking” solution for such office knowledge workers who require locally running applications for productivity includes Microsoft Application Virtualization and System Center Configuration Manager 2007 R2 to deliver the applications the users need, Folder Redirection to make centrally stored data available to user, and access to centrally executed applications via Terminal services. For the centrally executed applications, a user disconnecting from the Terminal Services session, can simply log on to another PC elsewhere and reconnect to the application and continue working. With Terminal Services RemoteApp in Windows Server 2008, an application hosted within Terminal Services can appear as a seamless application on the local PC even though it is executing remotely on the server.

As a result, users are able to access their data on whichever managed PC they log into and benefit from the rich Windows Vista experience for applications, while IT is able to maintain their compliance and protection of sensitive data and can easily move users from one PC to another across their organization.

Contract and Offshore Workers

Organizations which hire outside contractors such as offshore developers gain the benefit of their expertise, but must potentially also deal with unmanaged, non-corporate PCs on their network as well as the need to protect sensitive source code. One possible approach Microsoft recommends that organizations can use to mitigate such issues is to provide these developers older PCs, owned by the organization, running Windows Fundamentals for Legacy PCs (WinFLP), and giving the developer access to a Windows Vista virtual machine hosted centrally from a Windows Server 2008 Hyper-V and managed by System Center Virtual Machine Manager. Using this Windows Vista Enterprise Centralized Desktop (VECD) enables the organization to provide the same standardized and managed Windows Vista experience to less-capable PCs while helping ensure all processing and date (including developers’ source code) is kept in controlled, central locations. Developers benefit from the Windows Vista experience, administrative access if needed, and a full range of applications delivered by both Microsoft Application Virtualization and System Center Configuration Manager 2007 R2, and organizations benefit from reduced security concerns, improved manageability, and further reducing costs and being more environmentally responsible by extending the life of older equipment.

Task Workers

Call center employees, warehouse workers, and retail employees are examples of users who tend to use one or few applications, such as bank branch teller software, terminal applications or even CRM or line of business applications. They usually do not have a dedicated work station and must be able to access their applications and data from any desk within their workplace. From the organization’s standpoint, the most important capabilities for task worker scenarios are ensuring a highly secure, low-cost solution and enabling free-seating in an always-connected environment so that users can work productively from shared client devices, while data is stored more securely and centrally. Microsoft’s recommended solution includes using Terminal Services to provide the user with access to the application they need to perform their task as well as Windows Fundamentals for Legacy PCs, which gives organizations the opportunity to extend the life of older PCs and provide task workers with a cost–efficient client device. This solution makes it easy for the organization to enable user roaming across the organization. In addition, the confidential data never leaves the data center, improving compliance and limiting risk of data theft.

Task Workers who need access to a full Windows Vista desktop experience or applications which require dedicated computing power (CPU or GPU intensive applications, for example) can also be provided access to a complete Windows Vista Enterprise Centralized Desktop (VECD) running virtually on Windows Server 2008 Hyper-V and managed with System Center Virtual Machine Manager.

Access From Home

There may be occasions where a user needs to access their applications or data but cannot get to their office (for example, during a snowstorm or other disasters) or they don’t have access to their work PC. Microsoft’s Remote Desktop Protocol makes it possible for a user to access their work environment from their home PC over the Internet, while the IT department can protect corporate data and maintain control of the environment.

Microsoft’s recommended solution is to provide users with access to Windows Vista Enterprise Centralized Desktop (VECD) virtual machines hosted on Windows Server 2008 Hyper-V and managed by System Center Virtual Machine Manager. Through Windows Server 2008’s Terminal Services Gateway, the users can access their complete desktop, including data, settings, and applications delivered via Microsoft Application Virtualization and System Center Configuration Manager 2007 R2. Users can access their familiar environment from any PC running Windows Vista with Service Pack 1 or Windows XP with Service Pack 3 directly through Internet Explorer.

Additionally, users who should only have access to a subset of applications when not at work can be given access to a those applications running directly from a Terminal Server. By using Microsoft Application Virtualization for Terminal Services all their applications will be accessible to them as expected.

Organizations must balance the needs of providing an environment where users can be most productive while maintaining data compliance, reducing costs, and ensuring business continuity. With the Windows Optimized Desktop Scenarios described above, organizations have the ability to provide the best solutions for the differing needs of their user community while meeting their IT requirements.

The Windows Vista Enterprise Centralized Desktop (VECD) and the Microsoft Desktop Optimization Pack (MDOP) are optional additional subscriptions available to customers who also purchase Software Assurance for the Windows Desktop through a Select, Open Value, Campus and School or Enterprise Agreement in Microsoft’s Volume Licensing programs.