Rackspace Offers Cloud Hosted Virtual Desktop Platform in EMEA

Rackspace Hosting announced the EMEA launch of its Hosted Virtual Desktop platform.

Available, the service enables customers to host their virtual desktops on a choice of dedicated and/or cloud-based infrastructures. It leverages industry leading desktop virtualisation technologies from Citrix, NetApp, Inc. and other Rackspace solution partners.

The Hosted Virtual Desktop (HVD) platform combines compute platforms with scalable and NetApp storage to enable the provisioning of thousands of virtual desktops quickly with virtually instant desktop cloning. By using the new service to host desktop virtualisation solutions, such as Citrix XenDesktop and Citrix XenApp, companies benefit from on-demand virtual desktops and applications on almost any device, including PCs, smartphones and even tablets.

David Kelly, UK MD and SVP of International, Rackspace, said: "Hosting virtual desktops with Rackspace allows companies to reduce deployment times of upgrades and new desktop infrastructure while reducing capital expenditure. Simultaneously, this will allow companies to free up IT resources for more critical internal business operations."

The platform combines the company’s hybrid cloud offering, RackConnect, with its Fanatical Support to deliver a new service. It allows them to deploy a virtual desktop solution that utilises a private cloud – which helps address security and compliance concerns and gives them the ability to manage and control servers – and The Rackspace Cloud – giving them the benefits of the scalability and cost effectiveness of the cloud servers for XenApp environments.

Working with vendor partners Citrix and NetApp, Rackspace has selected a number of desktop virtualisation solutions specialists with whom it can offer a HVD solution to the market. These include Infosys, Point to Point, Centralis and Intrinsic Technologies, LLC.

"We’re tapping our community of partners and their networks to provide our European customers with a hosted virtual desktop platform that offers them choices," said Kelly. "Providing Fanatical Support on top of our solutions portfolio produces exceptional business outcomes for our customers and that is what we do best. By working with partners such as Citrix and its network of nearly 9,000 global partner, enterprises now have instant access to the infrastructure they need, whether it’s a dedicated environment for virtual desktop infrastructure or for shared hosted desktops."

"NetApp is proud to be collaborating with Rackspace’s solution partners to underpin this virtual desktop platform in EMEA," said Nick Thurlow, VP, EMEA Partner and Pathways at NetApp. "Rackspace has taken full advantage of NetApp’s Service Provider Partner Program in order to develop this offering, which can ultimately lead to greater flexibility and efficiency for its customers."