Remote applications run on a server. End users view and interact with their applications over a network via a remote display protocol. The remote applications can be completely integrated with the user’s desktop so that they appear and behave the same as local applications, through technology known as seamless windows. The server-based operating system instances that run remote applications can be shared with other users (a terminal service desktop), or the application can be running on its own OS instance on the server (a VDI desktop). A constant network connection must be maintained in order for a remote application to function.

With streaming applications, the virtualized application is executed on the end user’s local computer. When an application is requested, components are downloaded to the local computer on demand. Only certain parts of an application are required in order to launch; the remainder can be downloaded in the background as needed. Once completely downloaded, a streamed application can function without a network connection. Various models and degrees of isolation ensure that streaming applications will not interfere with other applications, and that they can be cleanly removed when closed.

The Benefits of Virtualized Applications

Virtualizing applications ensures faster software deployment with a more seamless end-user experience:

  • Full portability: Virtualized applications can stream from any network share without a local client or a backend server.
  • Increased efficiency of application deployments: Agentless virtual applications enable administrators to confidently deploy or de-commission applications on the fly with little or no regression testing, even for the most secure desktops.
  • No runtime conflicts: Deploying virtual applications reduces lengthy QA and regression testing.
  • Supportability: Single application packages can be supported by any Windows platform. Virtualized applications can run without requiring any modification of administrative security permissions, which protects the host operating system from possibly corruptive installation modifications.