This has been a very cool couple of weeks for the VDI landscape with VMware View. The View client for the iPad that was first seen in a demo at VMword US in 2010 is finally here. Now I know what may have taken them so long.

VMware View 4.6 was also released in the past couple of weeks. With version 4.6 came the ability to use the PCOIP protocol on the VMware View Security Server that sits in your DMZ. This eliminates the need to set up a VPN for the endpoint device to access a desktop pool using the PCOIP protocol from outside your firewall.

I can now see where this functionality would be absolutely necessary to access a View desktop from the iPad. Super-mobile VDI is really cool, but it would have been a drag to only access your desktops over RDP. Also, having to set up a VPN connection from your iPad would go against the ease of use that the iPad offers.

Below is a video demo of the new iPad client. Among some of the coolest features are the virtual laptop track pad and the touch gestures built into the client to take advantage of the iPad functionality.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ldECHtfDyjs

And also some use cases in the field. This one is for Children’s Hospital Central California. I think this is a great use of the technology.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aU0nF_FM–s&feature=related

If you have any questions or would like more information, please contact me. Also, if you would like to see the View Client for iPad in person, we can schedule a demo for you with our VMware View Lab running on our Cisco UCS blade infrastructure.