IT systems software specialist Novell announced the release of ZenWorks Application Virtualization 9, which leverages an approach to application harvesting that is designed to enable enterprise IT staff to tap into a library of resources and find the best stored version to build the virtual application dynamically. By harvesting work that has already been done, IT users can scan a target endpoint and build a set of needed virtual applications, which the company said can help save time and ensure quality.
Application Virtualization 9 includes access to a number of prebuilt templates for building virtual applications based upon tested and optimized application configurations. These Web-based templates provide IT administrators with access to a central repository that includes up-to-date versions of common applications. Building applications using templates can reduce the manual labor necessary to configure virtual applications, while Web-based access helps eliminate the need to upgrade the version of Application Virtualization each time an application needs to be updated.
"ZenWorks Application Virtualization 9 removes the complications typically associated with application deployment by building upon work that IT has already completed,” said Eric Varness, vice president of product management and marketing at Novell. “By harvesting from our new library of trusted, pre-built application templates, customers can reduce the costs, complexity and time delays required for application compatibility testing and management.”
Additional customer benefits of the platform include offline streaming support–Novell provides adaptive application streaming and now offers the ability for streaming applications to be executed without a persistent Web connection– and "Juke-Boxing," which helps reduce the time and effort associated with downloading multiple sub-products that aren’t being used in an enterprise. "Juke-Boxing" affords the ability to launch individual products from within a single application stream for suite applications.
The platform also features application control, which helps ensure IT can maintain compliance with its license agreements. Portable virtualized applications can now be configured to only execute for users who meet defined criteria, such as Microsoft Active Directory membership or if the device is being managed by ZenWorks, the company said.