the vspace platform for desktop and application ......the vspace platform for desktop and...

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The vSpace Platform for Desktop and Application Virtualization

Partner Handbook

25 February 2013


Contents Introduction: Why Should Partners Care About vSpace? ........................................... 3 Section 1: Market Condition and Customer Pain Points ............................................. 4

Customer Pain Points ............................................................................... 5 Strategic Opportunity for NComputing and its Partners ........................ 5 The vSpace Solution Approach ................................................................ 6

Section 2: Key Messaging ....................................................................................................... 8 Company-level ......................................................................................... 8 vSpace Platform ....................................................................................... 8 Analyst Perspective .................................................................................. 8 Customer Value Proposition .................................................................... 8 Partner Value Proposition ........................................................................ 9 Key vSpace Platform Take-Away Messages .......................................... 10

Section 3: Targeting Customers and Sales Guidance ............................................... 12 Who to Sell vSpace to and How to Sell it ................................................ 12 Vertical Solutions ................................................................................... 15

Section 4: Competitive Positioning ................................................................................. 17 PCs, RDS, VDI-in-a-Box ........................................................................... 17 XenApp/XenDesktop, VMware View ...................................................... 18 Technology Background: VDI vs. vSpace ............................................... 19

Section 5: Products, Pricing and SKUs ............................................................................ 21 Newly Announced Offerings .................................................................. 21 vSpace Server 7 for Windows ................................................................. 21 vSpace Management Center for the vSpace Ecosystem ........................ 22 vSpace Premium Support and Subscription Offerings .......................... 23 Product Portfolio/Family Overview ....................................................... 24

Section 6: FAQ ......................................................................................................................... 29 Section 7: Enablement and Resources ........................................................................... 31


Introduction: Why Should Partners Care About vSpace? vSpace represents an opportunity for partners to make the shift to solution selling and enjoy more strategic and more profitable engagements with customers. Margins on hardware are slimmer than ever and the flood of consumer devices entering the workplace is creating even more competition for hardware sales - and from non-traditional sources too. BYOD is also impacting the ability to transact with customers solely based on upgrading or expanding their PCs. vSpace is a complete desktop and application virtualization platform for improving a customer’s IT strategy by providing reliable, high performance access to their critical applications – and doing it in the most efficient, affordable and scalable way. It also strategically places you, their partner, in the position of being the enabling resource for the customer to achieve a solution for new, highly valuable initiatives like moving off of Windows XP, adopting and implementing BYOD and adding mobility too. vSpace also introduces the incremental and recurring revenue opportunity associated with software support and services in addition to traditional hardware support and warranty offerings. The net result of choosing to sell vSpace to your customers will be higher margins, long-term strategic relationships with their IT management as a trusted solution provider and the bottom line benefits of adding revenue streams to your business for software and services in addition to hardware sales. With our experience and success to date, combined with the many technology advancements added to vSpace in 2012, as well as those planned for 2013 and beyond, the timing to adopt vSpace from NComputing as a desktop and application virtualization solution to drive sales with for your customer and prospect base has never been better.


Section 1: Market Condition and Customer Pain Points The traditional drivers for Desktop and Application Virtualization of IT seeking a more cost-effective and easier to manage solution for PC expansion and PC refresh events still exist. However, there are new and more compelling drivers that are making Desktop and Application Virtualization a much more mainstream IT focus due to its native ability to also provide a solution for:

• Mobility – anytime, anywhere user access to corporate standard applications with mobile devices • BYOD – Bring Your Own Device • The Windows XP end of life event in 2014 and transitioning to Windows 7 or Windows 8 • Security and Compliance – needing to secure corporate data on a centrally hosted set of resources

versus locally on the endpoint device

Current market research validates this. Chris Wolf, Research VP at Gartner published the following customer survey results in Dec 2012 citing the top desktop virtualization business drivers. Lowering the ongoing costs (TCO and OPEX) of managing desktops, as well as getting a solution for mobility are the two key standouts.

Along with the advent of new drivers for desktop virtualization, the market is now showing signs of increasing the rate of adoption with virtual desktops making up a bigger planned portion of user desktops than ever before. Consider the chart below taken from the same survey results as the one above, but related to the percentage of adoption for virtual desktops within respondents orgs by 2014 – 11-30% as the leading range is a substantial jump from the 5-10% figures we were seeing only a year or two ago. Additionally, notice the significant amount of respondents that indicated a 31-50% range.


The opportunity of creating high margin, strategically important solutions wrapped around Desktop Virtualization that lower costs and also enable IT to meet high impact objectives like mobility and BYOD is very real today and customers will be receptive to offerings that address these key drivers. Partners will have more opportunities than ever to assist customers with their virtual desktop initiatives as the rate of adoption increases relative to traditional PC desktops. Customer Pain Points

The critical, top problems and challenges faced by IT managers today include: • PCs are too costly to purchase and too complex to manage • Implementing a mobility solution (mobile users, work anywhere, new devices to support – constant

consumer device innovation is contributing to need) • Manageability (fewer IT support staff than locations – need to centralize) • BYOD (need to accommodate users wanting to use their own personal devices in the workplace, but

you don’t want to support and manage every flavor of device with its own OS and locally installed Apps) In addition to the above initiatives and challenges to target, the Windows XP end of life event on the horizon for 2014 is also a major pain point for customers. Desktop virtualization is a cost-effective and efficient alternative to upgrading and refreshing legacy PCs to implement a modern Windows solution. IT departments simply do not have the time, budget or resources to completely re-engineer their application infrastructure. Desktop virtualization preserves a lot of what is already in place but delivers it in a new and more manageable way.

Strategic Opportunity for NComputing and its Partners

What are the alternatives to getting a solution to the pain points and initiatives that customers have?

Traditional Approach – Buy New Devices: • PCs (refresh), laptops/ultra books, tablets (new issues to deal with – e.g. MDM, MAM and how to access

Windows apps using Android and iOS devices)


Until now, IT has maintained a continuous cycle of buying new devices to meet new challenges and stay current with the latest versions of Windows when the capabilities go beyond what their current hardware standards support. Mobility is introducing the concept of running applications on the device, which requires IT to manage the run-time environment on the device and the various OS options in the market. Adopting this approach places a heavy emphasis on the device and with it, the need to manage the device and the applications that will run on it. This is not an easy situation for IT as it creates the need for Mobile Device Management(MDM) and Mobile Application Management(MAM). New Option - Virtualize Apps and the Windows OS: • Get IT out of the device management business! Benefits include: Agility, Security, Management and Any

Device, Anywhere Access Shifting the OS and applications that users depend on to a centralized server and providing virtual access to them dramatically reduces the role of the endpoint device and eliminates the need for MDM and MAM. One OS and one set of applications to maintain in one location that users access dramatically improves manageability, scalability and security, as well as naturally opens up the opportunity for assisting customers with new initiatives like mobility and BYOD in a safe and easy to implement way.

The vSpace Solution Approach

vSpace is a fully integrated, end-to-end application and desktop virtualization platform that utilizes NComputing innovations designed to work together to drive efficiencies and cut costs while delivering the features and performance equal to, or better than a dedicated PC user endpoint device. Customers can take advantage of the functionality and capabilities of the vSpace virtualization platform to provide the following value:

• Reduce desktop compute and management costs • Increase productivity • Enable users to securely work from anywhere with any device

vSpace provides a simplified workspace with session virtualization that gives each user his or her own rich PC experience. With vSpace session virtualization, a single copy/version of the Windows operating system (OS) and applications are installed on a network connected server and are shared by all users as a slice of centrally managed resources. vSpace is a complete solution that is quicker to deploy, easier to manage, and more cost effective than alternative virtualization solutions. vSpace provides a single integrated solution enabling customers to:

• Centralize the Windows OS, as well as Windows, web, Software-as-a-Solution (SaaS) and Linux applications

• Virtualize the desktop OS and applications • Deliver secure access to any application and any device from PCs to smart phones

and BYOD • Manage the complicated many-to-one approach and remotely manage

centralized resources • Efficiently scale the number of users, servers and IT staff required


Additional solution-selling points to reference with customers and prospects:

• NComputing’s vSpace software is deployed as the centrally managed desktop and application virtualization solution for provisioning virtual desktops and applications in all environments where NComputing thin client devices (e.g. L-series and M-series) are being used as an alternative to provisioning users with individual PCs

• The current production installed base for vSpace has grown to over 4 million users within over 50,000 customers spanning over 140 different countries worldwide

• The value of vSpace as the virtualization platform powering the usage of every deployed NComputing thin client is becoming a primary element in the perception of NComputing’s market impact as a company, its portfolio of technology offerings for desktop virtualization and the overall benefits provided to its customers

• vSpace has now matured from being a part of a thin client solution into a “platform” of its own with the additional capabilities and added enhancements from vSpace Client for Windows and as part of the latest company product announcements and updated corporate positioning. (Q4 2012:vSpace Server 7, vSpace Management Center for vSpace, and vSpace Premium Support)


Section 2: Key Messaging Company-level

• NComputing is the leader in accelerating the adoption of desktop virtualization • NComputing removes the desktop virtualization adoption barriers of cost and complexity while

delivering solutions that provide the performance needed

vSpace Platform

• vSpace is a fully integrated, end-to-end desktop and application virtualization platform that reduces costs, while simplifying deployment and ongoing management

• vSpace reduces desktop compute and management costs, Increases productivity and enables users to securely work from anywhere with any device

• New offerings announced in Q4 2012 extend the vSpace virtualization platform in the areas of mobility, manageability and scale

• With more than four million vSpace seats deployed and 20 million users in over 140 countries, NComputing maintains major player status in the desktop virtualization market

Analyst Perspective

Quotes taken from the IDC 2012 Client Virtualization MarketScape report:

“According to IDC analysis and buyer perception, NComputing is an IDC MarketScape Major Player in client virtualization.” “NComputing's strength as a vendor in this space is its ability to provide a simplified end-to-end virtual user session solution at a low cost, which has bred success in the midmarket and small enterprise, especially with education customers and in emerging regions.” “NComputing plans to continue to take advantage of this market opportunity as it continues to offer solutions that drive down the cost per virtual client seat, and many of its larger competitors will have a hard time scaling down and simplifying their product offerings to meet the needs of these customers.”

Customer Value Proposition

NComputing’s vSpace is the ideal choice for organizations looking to take full advantage of the benefits that desktop virtualization provides, but do not have large budgets or IT staffs to deal with the typical high cost and high complexity associated with acquiring, deploying and maintaining these types of solutions. vSpace is a fully integrated, end-to-end desktop and application virtualization platform that utilizes many NComputing innovations designed to work together to drive efficiencies and cut costs while delivering the features and performance equal to, or better than a dedicated PC user endpoint device. The vSpace Desktop and Application Virtualization Platform consists of 5 components:

1. vSpace Server desktop virtualization software


2. NComputing’s User eXtensibility Protocol (UXP) 3. NComputing L-series and M-series thin client devices featuring NComputing’s own Numo System-on-

Chip technology 4. vSpace Client software for connecting non-NComputing devices to vSpace Server 5. vSpace Management Center centralized management software,

featuring NComputing’s Common Management Framework (CMF) vSpace customers can establish a fully functional, centrally managed environment in hours or days versus the weeks and months that other solutions require. In addition to shortening the time to value, vSpace requires far less host computing power and resources compared to VDI-based solutions and can be implemented and maintained by IT staff with just a basic understanding of computers, networks and Windows-based applications, making it a perfect fit for the SME, SMB and EDU market segments. In addition to NComputing L-series and M-series thin client devices, vSpace users can access and use centrally hosted and managed Windows desktops and applications on other devices using vSpace software clients available for Windows devices today, with Android and iOS versions coming soon. vSpace software clients extend the value of the vSpace platform by making it an excellent solution for some of IT’s top priorities, including BYOD, Mobility and avoiding the need to upgrade or replace aging PCs so they can be used as Windows 7 or Windows 8 virtual desktop access devices. Partner Value Proposition

1. The vSpace platform provides partners with a complete solution to address the full continuum of key functionality required for a successful desktop and application virtualization deployment, making you the trusted advisor to guide your customers in choosing among the industry-recognized VDI solutions.


2. vSpace functions seamlessly as a single integrated and optimized platform

3. vSpace environments can be managed remotely from any browser-enabled device

Key vSpace Platform Take-Away Messages

Partners can leverage the following messages in selling situations and demand generation activities: • vSpace is a platform for Desktop and Application Virtualization – one of very few

o Over 4 million users in “production” worldwide (not just licensed, but actually being used every day)

o “Very few” is actually 4 players: Citrix, VMware, Microsoft and NComputing o vSpace can be hosted/deployed using Microsoft Windows Multipoint Server or Windows Server

2008, as well as on Linux operating systems o vSpace can be run on a small, standard, commercial-grade PC or in a VM running on an

enterprise server in a data center – many options for deployment o vSpace is extensible to non-NComputing devices with vSpace Client software o vSpace Management Center can be used from any device with a web browser to access and

manage multiple vSpace instances – does not require an install of any software on the device being used to manage the environment


• vSpace is an end-to-end, fully integrated solution o NComputing gains significant advantage over other solutions by controlling the entire stack

from server software to protocol to device to the SoC inside it (or to a vSpace soft client on a non-computing device) creating the unique opportunity to fine tune and optimize all elements for efficiency, peak performance, simplicity and cost-effectiveness

o Centralized management as well as premium support offerings and services rounds out the complete solution, giving customers and partners a single vendor to partner with and depend on

• vSpace pays off NComputing’s corporate position and message of being “the leader in accelerating the

adoption of Desktop Virtualization” o No other vendor can deliver on all 3 critical solution factors like we can – Simplicity,

Affordability AND the Power needed to perform as well as, or better than a PC o By leveraging NComputing innovations in design and build to reduce cost and complexity, the

vSpace platform places the benefits of desktop and application virtualization within the reach of more organizations – especially those that have smaller budgets and under-staffed IT departments

o The use-cases for vSpace help to accelerate desktop virtualization by giving organizations many more reasons to gain ROI from it for high payback – e.g. mobility/work from home initiatives, BYOD and finding solutions for Windows 7/8 for PCs that are not compatible due to age or other reasons

• vSpace is not VDI – quicker to deploy, easier to manage and more cost effective by comparison

o vSpace is a “user session virtualization” type of Desktop Virtualization solution and not VDI o VDI solutions are required for a highly specialized set of use-cases where an extremely high

degree of personalization to the individual user desktop environment is required – the industry is now agreeing that VDI should not be used everywhere, but only where absolutely necessary

o VDI solutions are more complex to set up initially and to manage ongoing – they require IT to maintain separate VMs for each user and also separate versions of the user OS and Windows environment too – with vSpace, all users share the same version of the OS and Windows environment but have control over their own desktop within their individually credentialed access to it

o The same server or PC host running a user session virtualization solution will typically allow for as many as 4X the number of users to connect to it when compared to that same server or PC host running a VDI based solution

o Examples of VDI solutions include: VMware View, Citrix XenDesktop (enterprise VDI) and Citrix VDI-in-a-Box (SMB/SME VDI)

o NComputing and IDC have a very recent white paper that does a great job of explaining the differences between VDI and how vSpace works and how that can dramatically impact the economics of a Desktop Virtualization project.

o Microsoft offers a white paper on the economic impact of using Windows Multipoint Server The Total Economic Impact of Microsoft Windows MultiPoint Server 2011


Section 3: Targeting Customers and Sales Guidance

Who to Sell vSpace to and How to Sell it

As you work with customers to understand their current technology situation and their future goals and objectives, these sample dialog questions help establish the specific pain points and challenges you may be able to address with a vSpace desktop virtualization and application solution. * Business Decision Makers (BDMs): Line of business managers, Superintendents, Principals. Key decision makers with budget authority. Goals are to find more ways to stretch IT budgets and provide more access to computing. * IT Professionals: IT Directors, School Infrastructure Technologists, Technology Coordinators. Goals are to find greater deployment and management options. * Teachers, Librarians: These important end users and influencers will find more capabilities to monitor, guide, and orchestrate usage and deliver a more personalized computing environment. Questions for BDMs Theme 1: Organizational goals • What are your goals for providing personalized access to technology for your users? • What is the overall ratio of users to computers? • What advantages would adding support for mobility bring to you and your users? • What are your plans around cutting the cost of on-‐boarding new users with BYOD and the policies for it? • What impact does this have on your users’ work efficiency, or your student learning outcomes? • In education: What percentage of your students currently has individual, hands-‐on computer access at

school? Key Messages: • For businesses to grow, managers must provide the right set of computing tools that workers can rely on. • Educators the world over recognize the importance of technology access for students to develop 21st

century skills, but schools have limited IT budgets for acquiring and supporting technology. Key Points: • vSpace enables one host computer to be shared by multiple users simultaneously with each user having

an experience (a “user session”) comparable to having their own PC. • Depending on the host capacity, applications, and licensing, up to 100 users can share one central server. • This multi-‐user approach (session-‐based desktop virtualization) allows businesses and schools to

minimize hardware acquisition and maintenance costs while maximizing user (or student) access. Savings can be used to purchase more user access points or for other enhancements to the computing environment: backup storage, networking improvements, learning software, etc.

• vSpace has been designed so that the solution can easily scale to accommodate more users as worker or student populations and computing needs grow.

• A vSpace solution is an alternative approach for providing 1:1 computing for users. Theme 2: Budget constraints What impact do operational budget constraints and cutbacks have on your computing environment? Is power consumption an issue?


For Business Managers: • How do your current computing hardware and software limit your profitability? • Would your workers be more effective if they had computing access outside the office, orr from

anywhere in the building?

For Educators: • How do budget cut-‐backs affect your ability to integrate technology into the K–12 curriculum? Key Messages: vSpace offers solution approaches for may common institutional challenges: • Economic conditions have placed often drastic constraints on all budgets and made planning for future IT

expenditures difficult at best. Refreshing existing technology to bring it up-‐to-‐date may be indefinitely delayed.

• IT staffs may be drastically reduced via layoffs or professional IT skills may not be available. • Infrastructure challenges, such as the availability or cost of electricity, can also create obstacles to

acquiring and maintaining technology. Key Points: • Capital costs (initial acquisition costs) for a vSpace solution can be as much as 35–50% less than a

comparable 1:1 PC solution. • Centralization of desktop resources dramatically decreases IT tasks: deployment, maintenance and

repair. • Costs are reduced by replacing PCs with cost effective, robust thin client access stations. • Ongoing operations and energy costs are lower because thin clients require less support and a lot less

electricity, fewer PCs must be set up and serviced, and each PC that must be powered can be shared with multiple users.

• vSpace can further reduce hardware deployment costs by enabling access to the centralized computing resources using personal PCs and other devices.

• vSpace is designed for use by non-‐technical professionals requiring less support from an IT staff. • Older equipment currently owned by the organization can be repurposed as vSpace workstations to

deliver a Windows 7 user experience without new hardware investment. Theme 3: Focus on Education • What challenges do your teachers face in integrating computers into their curriculum and providing a

personalized learning environment? • Limited student access time? Large class sizes? • Do you have fewer IT staff than sites that you need to support? • Limited IT skills on staff? Key Messages: • Teachers want to focus on teaching, not learning new technology. They want any technology used to

enable and support the personalized teaching and learning methods they know are most effective. • Teachers must be able to ensure that students are using technology productively and safely.


Key Points: • vSpace Server provides teachers with a familiar Windows experience so they get up-‐to-‐speed quickly. • The shared resource capabilities of vSpace Server and the Windows desktop experience help teachers

create a personalized learning environment: o Facilitate collaboration between teachers, students, and peers through shared folders. o Encourage independent student work. o Leverage the broad ecosystem of Windows applications that benefit education.

Questions for IT Professionals Theme 1: Difficulties with PCs • What are your main challenges in supporting users in their use of PCs? • How many PCs do you currently support across the institution? • Where are they located? • Are you able to provide timely support to users? • What Windows operating system and applications are you running on existing PCs? • What is your typical refresh cycle?

Key Messages: • For Businesses: The traditional PC-‐centric computing model is costly and complex. The vSpace solution

combines the benefits of a high-‐quality, centralized, managed computing experience for your users with lower acquisition, maintenance and upgrade costs for your IT staff.

• For Education: Schools typically have limited (if any) technology support staff and budget constraints

mean IT Pros are always stretched to their limit. Teachers rarely have professional-‐level IT skills, and besides, teachers want to focus on teaching, not maintaining technology. If technology is complicated and time-‐consuming to manage and maintain, teachers will not incorporate it into the curriculum.

Key Points: • PC administrators must acquire, manage and maintain 1 OS and 1 set of applications for each PC and

each user. • With a shared-‐resource or multi-‐user solution like vSpace, there are far fewer computers to maintain: 1

OS and 1 set of applications support all of the users connected to that server. Each user then accesses a personal desktop environment simultaneously.

• Replace costly PCs with a centralized, managed desktop computing server that users can access from cost effective and easy-‐to-‐manage thin clients, or from personal PCs.

• The vSpace solution allows upgrades, patches and deployments to be applied once on the central servers and then every user that connects to it can have access instantly.

• There are typically far fewer calls to the Help Desk for a vSpace solution. • Administrators and power users (like group leaders, teachers, and librarians) can administer multiple

vSpace systems on the same network from a single management console. Theme 2: Deliver a secure, centralized, managed desktop experience • What tasks do users need to accomplish to be effective in their work? • What critical business functions could benefit from adding mobility?


• What impact would BYOD have for you in IT and for your users? • What of you could add mobility and BYOD and do it in a secure, centrally managed way? • What kind of data or tools do users need to access as part of their tasks? • Do users need web access or multi-‐media as part of their tasks? • Do users need full admin access to control their computing environment? • What happens if data is lost, destroyed or accessed by unauthorized individuals? Key Messages: • Enable access to common desktop applications, browsers, web apps and online resources. • Replicate a 1-‐1 PC computing experience for each user. • Users can get the same desktop experience from any station that can access the central server. • Workers cannot be efficient if they do not have the up-‐to-‐date tools that meet their needs. Similarly,

students must use the technology they will find in the workforce, or they are not gaining the skills they need. vSpace simplifies your ability to deliver an up-‐to-‐date computing environment to each user.

Key Points: • Provide users with the basic desktop features and experience, including Windows desktop, Internet

Explorer, Windows Media Player, and Windows Search. • Use the standard active directory or profile management tools to provide a customizable desktop

environment for each user. • Provide file sharing and storage on the host PC even without a LAN—users don’t have to keep their files

on an external flash drive. • Data is kept safe on the central servers and access is limited only to those granted login credentials. • Reuse older terminals, desktop computers, keyboards, and mice as student stations on the vSpace

system, while delivering a Windows desktop experience.

Vertical Solutions

Education • Ready for Online Assessment in 2013

• Fixed or mobile areas set up for online assessment (BYOD) • Programs such as AIR or Pearson – standardizes end point

• Computer Labs, Classrooms and Workgroups • Cost-effective modern Windows environment • 1 PC/Server to maintain, not 30 • Thin Clients save on power, cut noise and heat

• Centralized Management – accessed remotely • Leverages IT staff at district or regional level

• BYOD and Mobility (including Distance Learning) • Students and faculty

Healthcare • Clinician Workflow

• Tap-in/Tap-out/Tap-over Single Sign-On • Secure roaming virtual desktop sessions • Thin clients and vSpace Client (mobile)

• Secure Access to Centralized EMR • No patient data stored on the device


• Use vSpace Client for easy, secure BYOD and mobility • Thin Clients in Healthcare Environments

• Cool, clean and quiet • Need very little power and generate very low emissions • Can be mounted to back of monitor for zero footprint/kiosk apps

Manufacturing • Task worker applications

• Assembly line workstations • Pick\Pull warehouse environments • Mobile cart applications/yard connectivity

• Hands off management • Deployable in all environments

• Harsh • Secure\limited access • Extreme temperature and clean areas

• Kiosks • Clock in\clock out • Employee break areas


Section 4: Competitive Positioning When looking at the competitive landscape for desktop virtualization, there are a lot of vendors that offer various pieces of the overall solution, but only NComputing offers a complete platform that includes virtualization software, an optimized protocol, thin client devices and soft clients, as well as centralized management. The biggest competition that still remains is breaking the customer’s mindset and trend towards upgrading and buying new PCs. However, once the benefits of virtual desktops are understood, vSpace provides the most cost-effective, easy to implement and support solution that delivers a quicker time to value for your customers and the ability for you to get in and out of more projects quickly to drive accelerated revenue.

PCs, RDS, VDI-in-a-Box

1. Traditional PCs Many organizations continue to deploy PC’s as their primary computing resource. The vSpace platform products provide a valuable complement or replacement:

o Architected to offer dramatically lower costs than PC’s both up front and over time. o More manageable, provide easier setup, have less room for error, and offer seamless client updates. o Embedded management coupled with the vSpace Management Center ensures a low-touch

experience. o Offer similar or higher levels of security, with no moving pieces, embedded operating systems, or

accessible ports. With purpose-built security functionality, these devices can provide for enhanced security and compliance.

o Use dramatically less power, less than 5W versus PC utilization of 70-150W o Much cooler and quieter, providing a better working environment

2. Microsoft RDS/RemoteFX

o Similar architecture to vSpace platform: RFX is the native Microsoft desktop virtualization platform which has a similar architecture: desktop virtualization software (RDS) on the server, a communication protocol from the server to the device (RDP), and hardware-based graphics acceleration in the device (RFX).

o Cost: It is perceived as “free” because it is included with the main Windows Server offerings. It is not free. The use of RDS requires purchase of RDS Connection Access Licenses. All other methods (NComputing vSpace, Citrix HDX, VMware PCoIP) of connecting to a Windows Server require purchasing RDS CALs AND licenses for the 3rd party method.

o Not widely adopted: Microsoft depends upon independent hardware vendors (Dell Wyse, HP, Devon IT) to adopt this architecture and incorporate it into their devices. RFX was introduced along with RDP 7 and Windows Server 2008R2; at this time there are very few thin client devices that support it. RDP 8 was announced along with Windows Server 2012. No devices supporting RDP 8 have been announced.

o Requires a more costly access device that is more difficult to manage: Full support of the full RFX functionality requires a client with either a full Windows Client OS (PC with Win 7 or Win 8) or an embedded version of the Windows Client OS (thin client with WES 7 or WES 8). This increases the cost of the endpoint device and introduces a much more complicated firmware environment that must be managed and maintained.

3. Citrix VDI-in-a-Box

o VDI solution – inherently MUCH more complex and costly compared to vSpace (session virtualization approach to Desktop and Application Virtualization)


o Citrix is a marketing machine and is targeting SME/SMB and EDU as well with VDI-in-a-Box o NComputing makes best-in-class N-series HDX Ready SoC Thin Clients for Citrix environments,

including VDI-in-a-Box o Strategy/message: If an SME/SMB/EDU customer really requires VDI functionality (NOTE: very few

use-cases and vertical applications require VDI and there is a LOT of content on the web to leverage regarding this – including the recently published NComputing IDC white paper on the economics of Client Virtualization options), then we offer our N-series as the NComputing solution to adopt, otherwise, we present the fully integrated, end to end benefits of our vSpace platform to the customer and highlight how it is much less complex, easier to deploy and manage and more affordable too.

XenApp/XenDesktop, VMware View

Although in certain cases vSpace can provide a quality, scalable solution for extremely large deployments (tens of thousands of users), it is primarily designed and targeted at deployments in the 5,000 user and below segment. Before looking at how vSpace stacks up against large-scale enterprise solutions, it is important to note that the requirements for large-scale enterprises, the amount of resources and infrastructure they already have in place, and the costs associated are very different and that is why we view the solutions below as an indirect comparison. It will be important to convey to prospects that if they are considering using one of the solutions below for a deployment that could be addressed successfully with vSpace that they are most likely biting off more than they need to chew and will wind up with a solution that is over-kill and not the best value for their time, effort and investment – both initially and longer-term as well.

4. Citrix XenApp/XenDesktop o Complicated desktop virtualization environment: XenDesktop is the Citrix VDI desktop

virtualization environment, and it is a VERY complicated and costly solution to implement compared to vSpace. XenApp is the session virtualization feature within the Citrix environment, and requires the same infrastructure.

o Infrastructure is too complicated and expensive for SME, SMB and EDU: Both of these technologies have broad installed bases within Enterprise customers, along with a large suite of supporting technologies for large scale management, integration with security infrastructure, and WAN optimization. These are great for large deployments, but too expensive and difficult to manage for smaller organizations. Consequently, Citrix targets these sectors with VDI in a Box.

o We provide devices for this market, not a replacement infrastructure: NComputing focuses on providing devices to plug into this architecture for enterprise clients, and not on replacing this architecture with vSpace. Citrix has defined the HDX protocol to provide a high performance end user experience. NComputing has partnered with the Citrix HDX SoC program to provide the N-series devices for this market.

5. VMware View o View is the VMware VDI product, built on the PCoIP protocol first introduced by Teradici. It has a

similar architecture to vSpace, RFX and HDX: server virtualization software, a communication protocol (PCoIP) and hardware acceleration in the device (Teradici chips).

o Complicated VDI environment: It is designed to be an add-on to VMware OS virtualization framework, and consequently requires two layers of complicated infrastructure: one to configure and manage the physical servers that will host the virtual machines, and a second for the deployment, brokering and management of the virtual machines that users will connect to.

o High quality but very costly: the PCoIP architecture is capable of higher performance metrics than vSpace or RFX. However, the cost for each component in the solution is higher: the virtualization infrastructure, the View VDI add-on and the cost of the PCoIP acceleration chips in the devices. IMPORTANT NOTE: Recent pricing/licensing changes have resulted in the minimum software cost of


View going up to $250.00 per concurrent user even before considering the cost of an endpoint device.

Technology Background: VDI vs. vSpace

IDC defines four basic types of virtual client computing solutions: Centralized Virtual Desktop (CVD), Distributed Virtual Desktop, Application Virtualization, and Virtual User Session (VUS). These solutions share an underlying metaphor: the desktop, which is the platform and experience presented to a user. This is not a "desktop PC"; rather, this is the presentation of essential computing resources to the user, and this desktop is subject to the rules of control, access, security, and so on, as defined by the organization. Descriptions:

• Centralized Virtual Desktop (CVD): In a centralized virtual desktop model - CVD, also commonly referred to as Virtual Desktop Infrastructure or VDI) - a server running virtualization software hosts multiple instances of the operating system (OS), each of which has its own desktop, set of applications, user settings, etc. End users "connect" to these virtual desktops through a piece of connection software, referred to as a connection broker, which assigns each user to his or her own dedicated virtual desktop. The client devices used to access these virtual desktops can be one of several choices, but typically they are traditional PCs, thin clients, or "zero" clients, which are a variation of thin clients that do not have an embedded operating system or persistent settings in memory.

• Distributed Virtual Desktop: With distributed virtual desktops, the virtual desktop is launched directly on an endpoint, allowing one or more distinct desktops to run on that machine at the same time. Distributed virtual desktops are used almost exclusively with traditional PCs.

• Application Virtualization: Application Virtualization solutions leverage the onboard operating system of client devices such as PCs and thin clients but connect to servers that run specialized software that enables applications to be "shared" by multiple different users. The benefit of this approach is that IT departments can easily manage and upgrade the applications without having to upgrade individual client PCs.

• Virtual User Session (VUS): Virtual User Session solutions -- also known as “session-based” desktop virtualization -- entail specialized virtualization software running on a server that multiple users can access. Unlike VDI/CVD solutions, VUS products use a single operating system and "virtualize" desktop sessions for each user, and they also provide each user with his or her own applications, profile settings, and data storage so that the user has a complete desktop experience.

The VDI/CVD and VUS models of client virtualization operate on the same concept: a server "hosts" the user's desktop, which is then presented to the user. The specific elements that go into both VDI/CVD and VUS solutions are:

• Server-side software, which does the heavy lifting of creating the virtual desktops that individuals log on to

• Connection broker software, which assigns users from individual devices to their own virtual desktops • Protocols, such as HDX, PCoIP, RDP/RemoteFX, and UXP, which enable the visual display of the virtual

desktop to be transmitted from the server down to the client device • Management software, which allows IT managers to see and actively manage the virtual desktop

sessions in their environment • Access devices, such as thin clients, zero clients, or even repurposed PCs


As mentioned previously, the critical difference between VDI/CVD solutions and VUS solutions is how the operating system is used with the virtual desktops. In VDI/CVD, each virtual desktop (typically Windows) has a completely independent instance of the host operating system, while in VUS, a single instance of the operating system is used by multiple users, all of whom essentially have their own accounts within that iteration of the operating system. Summarizing the IDC information above, here is a quick “at a glance” comparison

Simplified Workspace with Session Virtualization: • This is the way vSpace works and is the category of Desktop/Application Virtualization it falls into –

vSpace is NOT VDI • Single copy/version of Windows OS and applications installed on a network connected server and

shared by all users as a slice of centrally managed resources • Consistent with IT strategies where the same Windows OS and version of applications was being

maintained manually on each user’s PC • Not a solution for all environments, but will work for most • By far the easiest way to implement initially and maintain– providing the highest user density with the

most minimal server resources, requiring very little incremental knowledge from existing IT staff • Represents a happy compromise between end users and IT for embracing new devices in the workplace

– IT keeps the standard of giving users access to the one/same centrally managed copy/version of Windows OS and applications and users get to use the devices they want to use for Mobility and BYOD (also works for using older PCs as modernized Windows workstations)

Individualized Custom Workspace with Enterprise VDI: • IT provisions and maintains multiple copies/versions of the Windows OS and applications, with each

user accessing their own unique environment in a centrally managed virtual machine with personalized versions of the Windows OS and applications – greater complexity for IT to deal with

• Unique Benefit of VDI - Legacy applications that are deployed as stand-alone/single-user copies require this type of Desktop/Application Virtualization and will not run in a vSpace environment where multi-user capabilities are needed

• Potential Over-Provisioning Risk - VDI is overkill if every user can run the same version of Windows OS and applications

• Major Drawback - VDI requires much greater human costs to support the environment than vSpace - IT staff must have very specialized knowledge of virtualization technologies and specifically how to configure and maintain virtual machines and manage server virtualization solutions (e.g. VMware, Microsoft Hyper-V, etc.)

• Major Drawback - Far less user density as VDI solutions will typically only accommodate about 20-25% of the number of simultaneous users that a session virtualization solution like vSpace can support with the same host PC/server resources (more servers = more cost, more complexity and larger numbers of more skilled, expensive IT resources to manage the environment)


Section 5: Products, Pricing and SKUs Newly Announced Offerings

There are three new offerings that are now part of the vSpace Platform that expand customers’ capabilities in four key areas:

1. Manageability 2. Scalability 3. User Experience 4. Maximizing their technology investment

vSpace Server 7 for Windows

Patented desktop virtualization software for multi-user access to desktop computing.

Product Description: • NComputing’s patented vSpace Server desktop virtualization software divides a computer’s resources

into independent virtual workspaces that give each user their own rich PC experience, providing up to 100 users simultaneous access to a single Windows operating system instance

• vSpace Server interacts with the NComputing UXP (User eXtension Protocol) and the NComputing hardware and software access clients to deliver a highly optimized end-to-end desktop virtualization solution

The development theme for this latest release is to improve the manageability, security and end user experience with vSpace Server driven desktop computing for Windows New Feature Benefit

Supports the NComputing Common Management Framework (CMF)

Enables integration with vSpace Management Center for expanded manageability and scalability: hundreds of servers and thousands of devices.

Supports Isochronous USB Peripherals

Enables webcams and audio devices for live video collaboration tools such as Skype.

Smart Card Support Enables access to secure servers and applications via smart card as a factor of authentication.

Profile-based access control of USB 2.0 ports

Enables administrators to control data movement and prevent the connection of USB devices.

New L300 and M300 Firmware Enables client side support of new vSpace features with network connected devices.

Broad Windows OS support Windows Server 2008 R2 SP12, Windows MultiPoint Server 2011, Windows 7 SP1 (64-bit)


vSpace Management Center for the vSpace Ecosystem

Centralized, scalable management for NComputing enabled access devices.

Product Description:

• For organizations deploying NComputing desktop access devices, vSpace Management Center provides a highly scalable, flexible and easy to use single point of client management.

• With its web-based console, IT administrators can manage their client devices from anywhere, anytime. • By allowing administrators to access and manage all client devices from a single location, regardless of

the size or number of separate vSpace Server instances and deployment sites, vSpace Management Center dramatically reduces the administrative overhead needed to maintain and control their environment.

Feature Benefit

Supported devices L-series or M-series for vSpace: L300, M300 devices connected to vSpace Server 7.0

Comprehensive

A single management tool for the NComputing vSpace environment.

Centralized Access an entire NComputing deployment from a single console

Scalable Manage tens, hundreds, or thousands of devices across multiple networks and locations

Single or group management Push settings to manage an individual device (1:1) or use profiles for group management (1:many).

Profile-based configuration Assign devices to common profiles for rapid, scalable device provisioning and roll-out

Easy firmware updates Update wizard and automation features simplify device updates and scheduling

Simple status Central dashboard with device online status and logging view enables rapid assessment of your environment status

Consolidated install Install the complete vSpace Management Center via one installer in under 10 minutes

Comprehensive logging System events are continually logged to aid in troubleshooting and to confirm actions

Delegated administration Supports two levels of management for “view-only” and “edit-capable” access and can be easily configured via Active Directory/LDAP

Management zone redundancy Deploy multiple servers to manage the same group of devices: mirror the device data for management protection

Remote viewing & control Gain access to user sessions or to individual vSpace Servers.


Access the NC Console management utility to provide support or to configure the local vSpace Server settings.

vSpace Premium Support and Subscription Offerings

Providing exceptional on-going value with the resources customers need, when they need them – also provides an additional set of value for partners to leverage with their customers Product Description:

• NComputing has a relentless commitment to customer satisfaction. • NComputing support programs are the conduit through which customers access the on-going value of

their NComputing products: our enhancements, innovations, and response. • Our SnS offerings enable:

o Upgrade Benefits: Ongoing access to software upgrades, including major and minor releases and updates

o Enhanced Response Times: Defined service levels for time-to-respond based on severity of incident o Unlimited Support Tickets: Predictable, fixed budget for support throughout subscription term o Cost Management: Multi-year plans enable you to obtain an additional discount and lock in a price o Operational Efficiency: No need for purchase negotiations and contracts for software upgrades

Support and Subscription Offerings for vSpace Software

• vSpace basic support is included for 1 year with the purchase of all NComputing products. There are two additional SnS products available for vSpace Server and vSpace Management Center:

• vSpace Standard SnS: Provides access to software upgrades and unlimited email or phone support during local business hours

• vSpace Premium SnS: Designed for customers with complex environments requiring regular software upgrades, enhanced response times, and 24x7 support access

Support and Subscription Offerings for NComputing Hardware

• NComputing stands behind every device we make by including a standard 3-year hardware warranty. For customers who want an extra level of protection and to guarantee hardware availability, NComputing offers:

• Extended Hardware Warranty: Extend your limited hardware warranty with a 1-year or 2-year extension to your standard 3-year hardware warranty.

• Advance Hardware Replacement: NComputing advance-ships replacement hardware within a specified response time from the closest NComputing service center.


Product Portfolio/Family Overview

Included with product

Product Software License Management Support Warranty

L300 Device & M300 Kit

Rights to install vSpace Server

Local Client (built into device)

1 year Basic Support (SW Updates not Upgrades)

Standard 3-‐year

1 CCU in each device for connection rights to ANY vSpace Server.

NC Console from vSpace Server

vSpace Client Concurrent User (CCU) License

Rights to install vSpace Client software on any device

Configuration settings on Local Client

1 year Basic Support (SW Updates not Upgrades)

Standard 3-‐year

Rights to install vSpace Server

1 CCU connection to ONE vSpace Server.

vSpace Server 100 hardware connections included

NC Console 1 year Basic Support (SW Updates not Upgrades)

N/A

vSpace Mgmt Center

Rights to install vSpace Mgmt Center

vSpace Mgmt Center 1 year Basic Support SW/FW Updates (not Upgrades)

N/A


Optional for product

Product

Enterprise Mgmt Tool

Software Support and Subscription

Hardware Support and Subscription

Standard Premium Extended Warranty

Device Adv Replacement

L300 Device & M300 Kit

vSpace Mgmt Center Perpetual license PER CCU (device)

Device FW included with vSpace Server support

Device FW included with vSpace Server support

Per device Per Device

vSpace Client Concurrent User (CCU) License

N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A

vSpace Server

Included with purchase of vSpace Mgmt Center License for each CCU

Subscription: Fee / CCU / YR (device or software client connection)

Subscription: Fee / CCU / YR (device or software client connection)

N/A N/A

vSpace Mgmt Center

N/A Subscription: Fee / CCU / YR (devices only)

Subscription: Fee / CCU / YR (devices only)

N/A N/A

vSpace Devices vSpace Thin Client Devices SKU MSRP

L300 Device 500-‐0095 $279

M300 3-‐in-‐1 Device Kit 500-‐0111 $399

vSpace Software vSpace Client Software Licenses SKU MSRP

vSpace Client CCU for vSpace Server -‐ 5-‐user VSPACECCU-‐5 $499

vSpace Client CCU for vSpace Server -‐ 10-‐user VSPACECCU-‐10 $949

vSpace Client CCU for vSpace Server -‐ 25-‐user VSPACECCU-‐25 $2,199


vSpace Management Center Licenses SKU MSRP

vSpace Management Center -‐ 1 License VS-‐MGT-‐001 $25

vSpace Management Center -‐ 10 Licenses VS-‐MGT-‐010 $250

vSpace Management Center -‐ 100 Licenses VS-‐MGT-‐100 $2,500

vSpace Management Center -‐ 500 Licenses VS-‐MGT-‐500 $12,500

vSpace Management Center -‐ 1,000 Licenses VS-‐MGT-‐1000 $25,000


Hardware Premium Support Advanced HW Replacement

Advanced Hardware Replacement (not available in all locations; check with your reseller)

Multi-‐Year Discount

Advanced Replacement per Year MSRP per

Device or Kit

SKU Advanced Replacement

per Contract Term MSRP per Device

1-‐Year Advanced Hardware Replacement N/A $5.00 ADV-‐HW-‐1YR $5.00

2-‐Year Advanced Hardware Replacement 15.0% $4.25 ADV-‐HW-‐2YR $8.50





Hardware Extended Warranty

Extended Hardware Warranty (in addition to standard 3-‐year Warranty)

Hardware Estimated Customer

Price (ECP) per Device

Extended Warranty per Year

MSRP per Device or Kit

SKU

Extended Warranty

per Contract Term

MSRP per Device

L-‐series 1-‐Year $224.00 $11.00 per device EHW-‐L-‐1YR $11.00

L-‐series 2-‐Year $224.00 $9.90 per device EHW-‐L-‐2YR $19.80

M-‐series 1-‐Year $300.00 $15.00 per kit EHW-‐M-‐1YR $15.00

M-‐series 2-‐Year $300.00 $13.50 per kit EHW-‐M-‐2YR $27.00

N-‐series 1-‐Year $200.00 $10.00 per device EHW-‐N-‐2YR $10.00

N-‐series 2-‐Year $200.00 $9.00 per device EHW-‐N-‐2YR $18.00

Partner and End User Training

Technical Training Training Delivery Method

Description SKU MSRP Cost / Student

N-‐series and VMC -‐ ELT eLearning (ELT) N-‐series, vSpace

Management Center TRG-‐ELT-‐N $100.00

N-‐series and VMC –ILT

Instructor Led (ILT)

1-‐Day Hands-‐On Class TRG-‐ILT-‐N-‐VMC $250.00

vSpace -‐ ELT eLearning (ELT) L/M, vSpace Client, NC Console, VMC

TRG-‐ELT-‐vSPACE $100.00

vSpace -‐ ILT Instructor Led (ILT)

1-‐Day Class for L300/M300 users <150 devices

TRG-‐ILT-‐LM $250.00

vSpace and VMC -‐ ILT Instructor Led (ILT)

1-‐1/2 Day Class for L300/M300 users 150< devices

TRG-‐ILT-‐LM-‐VMC $350.00


Section 6: FAQ 1. What did NComputing announce at the end of Q4 2012 related to the vSpace platform? NComputing announced multiple new offerings for its vSpace desktop and application virtualization platform, a fully integrated, end-to-end virtualization platform. With the vSpace Platform, NComputing accelerates the adoption of desktop virtualization through a unique combination of simplicity, performance and value: reducing typical costs while simplifying both the initial deployment and ongoing management. 2. What is the vSpace platform? vSpace is an end-to-end, fully integrated desktop and application virtualization platform. It consists of four core technology components:

1. vSpace Server: Desktop virtualization software which creates the individual desktop sessions for each user.

2. User eXtension Protocol (UXP): Communication protocol that provides the communication link between the vSpace Server and the access devices.

3. Devices: NComputing L-series and M-series thin client devices featuring NComputing’s own Numo System-on-Chip technology

4. vSpace Client: Client software for use with non-NComputing devices to connect to vSpace Server. 5. vSpace Management Center: Centralized management software to manage large scale device

deployments. 3. What is the advantage of having an integrated solution? NComputing gains significant advantage over other solutions by controlling the entire stack from server software to protocol to device to SoC inside it (or to a vSpace soft client on a non-computing device) creating the unique opportunity to fine tune and optimize all elements for efficiency, peak performance, simplicity and cost-effectiveness. 4. What are the benefits of the vSpace platform? vSpace customers can establish a fully functional, centrally managed environment in hours or days versus the weeks and months that other solutions require. In addition to shortening the time to value, vSpace requires far less host computing power and resources compared to VDI-based solutions and can be implemented and maintained by IT staff with even a basic understanding of computers, networks and Windows-based applications, making it a perfect fit for the SME, SMB and EDU market segments. 5. Is vSpace the same as VDI? No. vSpace is a “user session virtualization” method of Desktop Virtualization. In this method, the virtualization software runs on servers and creates a separate desktop session for each user. the operating system is shared among all users; however, each session is individualized and each user controls their own desktop from their own access device. This type of method is also known as "terminal services" or "remote desktop services." 6. How is VDI different from vSpace? In VDI, an entire individual client OS is virtualized for each user and hosted on a physical device. VDI solutions are more complex to set up initially and to manage ongoing because they require IT to maintain separate VMs for each user. VDI solutions are required for a highly specialized set of use-cases where an extremely high degree of individual user desktop environment personalization is required – the industry is now agreeing that VDI methods should not be used everywhere, but only where absolutely necessary.


7. What are the Desktop Virtualization technologies from other vendors? Examples of VDI solutions include: VMware View, Citrix XenDesktop (enterprise VDI) and Citrix VDI-in-a-Box (SMB/SME VDI). Examples of user session virtualization solutions include: Microsoft Remote Desktop Services and Citrix XenApp. 8. Are there any neutral analysts who have analyzed the differences between VDI and User Session Virtualization? IDC has a very recent white paper that does a great job of explaining the differences between VDI and how vSpace works and how that can dramatically impact the economics of a Desktop Virtualization project. Microsoft has a good white paper on the economic impact of using Windows Multipoint Server as well. 9. When will the product be available? vSpace Server 7.0 and vSpace Management Center 3.2 will be available worldwide in Q1, 2013. 10. What channels will the vSpace platform be sold through? The vSpace Platform products can be obtained globally through select NComputing resellers and distributors.


Section 7: Enablement and Resources There are a full set of sales tools designed to help you convey the full value of the vSpace platform to your prospects and customers. All of these materials and more are available now on the NComputing Partner Portal. If you have not yet received access to the partner portal, please follow these simple instructions to create an NComputing account.

• Customer-facing vSpace platform overview presentation • vSpace Management Center for the vSpace ecosystem overview data sheet • L-series thin client device overview presentation • L-series thin client device data sheet • M-series thin client device overview presentation • M-series thin client device data sheet • vSpace Client for Windows overview presentation • vSpace Client for Windows data sheet • vSpace Software Support and Services data sheet • NComputing Training Programs data sheet • IDC Whitepaper: Selecting the Right Approach Dramatically Impacts the Economics of Virtual Client

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