VMWorld 2010 is about to start and we are very excited to be back at the show. As always, these trade shows provide a great opportunity to meet the vendors, learn about products, see demos, get lots of swag, win prizes, etc. We like it too.
But... we also understand that there is a lot to absorb, that the demos are too short, that the collateral somehow gets lost, that the swag quickly loses its charm and that the prizes tend to get won by other people.
And so, we decided that our "swag" should be something a little bit more substantial. Something that will really keep you interested in what we do. Something that will convey the real business benefits of our product.
Something like our product
For the first time ever, VMWorld attendees can download our client software and run virtual instances of Internet Explorer 6 and 7 right on their PCs, complete with tutorials and demos that clearly articulate the value and business benefits of our solution. Our client is a virtual application so it will not put any system services or drivers on your PC, and it can run on a fully locked-down PC as well. When you are done looking at the software, you can simply delete it from your computer.
To get started, simply visit us at booth 740 at VMWorld 2010 and grab a card with the registration details.
Oh... and when you do register for the download, you will automatically get into a drawing to win an iPad. This *is* a trade-show after all... :-)
Looking forward to seeing you at VMWorld!
Alon Yaffe
Director of Marketing
As the Director of Post Sales and Services here at InstallFree, I have the opportunity to work with our customers on their deployment of our product. In this blog post, I would like to share with you some of the lessons learned from these deployments, and also how we developed a new approach based on these lessons.
We call this new approach 7Bridge, which is both a product and a methodology. But before I explain what this is all about, let me properly set the stage.
Our customers say that InstallFree brings significant value to the table. Oftentimes, they say that they can only grasp the full value of the product after using it for a period of time. Here are few of the things we hear all the time:
- Windows 7 compatibility problems with key enterprise applications such as Siebel, SAS, and JD Edwards are resolved through the use of the InstallFree application virtualization technology.
- Delivering applications to end users is easier, faster and more flexible. The resulting environment is also much more secure.
- InstallFree allows a much better control over the application inventory and the ability to easily determine what is available for end-users to use.
- It is now possible to lock down end points without hearing complaints about it from users all day long.
- Applications are roaming with the end-users, which allow both the users and the IT department more flexibility.
You have to remember, the great value that InstallFree brings represents a big transformation in the way customers package and manage their applications. And like any other transformation, it involves a significant undertaking such as acquiring application encapsulation know-how and spending time encapsulating applications. It also requires the adoption of new processes around managing applications. As a result, we see more rapid success with customers that adopt a phased approach, such as the one I outline below:
- Start with only few apps – pick applications that demonstrate the biggest value by solving a critical problem. For example: a handful of applications that are slowing your Windows 7 migration project due to compatibility problems.
- Let us help – we will work with you to encapsulate these initials applications. This will not only accelerate the project, but also enable you to learn how to do this in the future.
- Go quick and wide - very quickly deploy these handful of applications to a large number of devices to demonstrate the value right from start.
We see great results with customers that adopt this phased approach, and they usually report very similar benefits:
- Fast adoption and smooth rollout.
- The value of the solution to their organizations becomes clear very quickly. The important apps are working which provides good visibility for management.
- The solution is working in a stable way and there is time to expand to more applications and use cases in a planned and organized manner.
We have spent much time thinking about these lessons learned. We wanted to come out with the best way we can build our product and processes to improve our customers’ experience. We want all of our customers to experience the success of a truly fast and seamless deployment. This is why we created 7Bridge -- a product that is built to make the adoption easier and takes under consideration the elements discussed above. Here is what 7Bridge is:
- It’s the same good old InstallFree Bridge technology that is built to support a pre-defined set of your most crucial applications. The idea is that you focus on what matters the most and once everything is up and running and there is a need for the full Bridge solution, you can easily upgrade.
- We work together with you to package your initial applications. As a matter of fact, we will package them for you so you will be able to focus on the more important things at first.
- We give you the option to upgrade to the full InstallFree Bridge solution once your initial deployment is up and running and your end-users and management are seeing the benefits.
Click here to learn more about InstallFree 7bridge.
Thanks for reading!
Gilad Hertanu
Director of Post Sales and Services
In the last few weeks we noticed that many of our customers ask us to help them solve Siebel CRM application compatibility issues with Windows 7.
Siebel CRM is widely used by many different companies in many different industries. While Siebel CRM 8 is compatible with Windows 7, the majority of users still have older versions, like Siebel CRM 7 or even Siebel CRM 6. We also found that many of our customers customize the Siebel CRM application to better suit their needs.
Customers are encountering Windows 7 compatibility issues with Siebel for several reasons:
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Application Customization - most companies customize the reports, layouts, forms, etc of their Siebel implementations. When upgrading to a newer version of the application, these changes cannot be transferred and therefore must be re-written. For this reason, customers tend to stick to older versions of Siebel for long periods of time.
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Application Compatibility with Internet Explorer - Siebel CRM 7 (or older) requires Internet Explorer 7 (or older) and cannot run with Internet Explorer 8 (or newer). For this reason, customers upgrading to Internet Explorer 8 are encountering compatibility issues.
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Application Compatibility with Windows 7 - As long as customers stay with Windows XP, they can prevent IE compatibility issues with Siebel by staying on an older version of IE (although even that is a problematic strategy). However, this cannot be achieved when migrating to Windows 7 simply because Internet Explorer 8 is the OLDEST version of IE available on this platform.
So how can InstallFree help?
InstallFree can help in any of these situations by enabling the older versions of Siebel to run on Windows 7 and alongside Internet Explorer 8. In fact, we created the InstallFree 7Bridge product exactly for cases like this. We allow applications to utilize a private, virtual instance of Internet Explorer 6 or 7 and run them on Windows 7 and/or alongside Internet Explorer 8 without any changes. Using 7bridge as a near- to mid- term solution in the process of migrating to Windows 7 has the following key benefits:
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It keeps the business running during the migration - you can simply continue using the older versions of Siebel while you are migrating to Windows 7. Our technology makes sure that the application can continue to run unchanged on the new OS with no conflicts.
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It simplifies the migration and reduces time and cost - we eliminate the need to upgrade your instance of Siebel for the purpose of migrating to Windows 7. You can always do this later, but at least you've decoupled these two big projects and made each problem easier to solve individually.
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It gives you more time to customize Siebel CRM 8 - after you are done with the Windows 7 migration project you will be able to properly evaluate your customization needs and make good decisions regarding how, when and how much to customize.
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It eases end user transition - by allowing your end users the time to gradually adopt each change (Windows 7, new version of Siebel), you are less likely to face a decrease in productivity and an increase in help desk calls.
If you need more information on how to get started, just click here.
Thanks,
Robert Sampson
Solution Architect
In my last week's post, I talked about how InstallFree can make applications portable between Windows XP and Windows 7. We also posted a video showing an example of how we take an application that is not compatible with Windows 7 and make it run on Windows 7.
This week, I'd like to talk a little bit about another type of application that's causing a lot of problems for customers migrating to Windows 7: the web-based application.
Web-based applications often use client-side browser plug-ins like Java or Flash, which create strong dependencies between the application, the version of the plug-in, the version of the browser and the version of the OS.
For example, suppose you have an application that was written for an old version of Java (let's say 1.3) and does not run correctly with newer versions of Java. In order to run this application, you need a browser that can use Java 1.3. You can use Internet Explorer 6, but you cannot use Internet Explorer 8. Internet Explorer 6 can be used on Windows XP but cannot be used on Windows Vista (contains IE7) or Windows 7 (contains IE8). So, your web application is now effectively locked to Windows XP!
We have spoken to many customers that were struggling with this issue and, in many cases, planned to re-engineer these applications in order to successfully migrate away from Windows XP. Obviously, this was a very expensive and disruptive proposition for them.
Fortunately, InstallFree's ability to make applications portable and compatible with Windows 7 extends to web-based applications as well. Using our product, you can continue to run your legacy web applications on Windows 7 by using a virtual instance of Internet Explorer 6 or 7 that includes all the plug-ins you need.
We have just posted a new video that shows this exact use case in action. Take a look and let us know if you have any comments or additional questions.
Thanks,
Alon Yaffe
Director of Marketing
InstallFree, Inc.
alon.yaffe@installfree.com
If you were reading our web site lately (or even talked to any of us here at InstallFree), you probably noticed that we really like to talk about how InstallFree can help solve application compatibility issues when migrating to Windows 7. You might also have noticed that unlike other vendors in the app virtualization space, we don't really "hedge" or "qualify" our statements.
Where other vendors say that you can package applications on Windows XP and they will *probably* run on Windows 7 (subject to a rather long list of exceptions and conditions that you can see here and here), InstallFree just says that the applications you package on XP will run on Windows 7. Period.
Why is that we don't hedge, qualify or footnote these kinds of statements?
The answer is actually quite simple: we don't need to. If your InstallFree Virtual Apps run on Windows XP, they will run on Windows 7***
The reason other application virtualization technologies have a problem with portability is that their virtual applications are not completely isolated from the underlying OS. Or, to put it in other words, they are not really virtualized. They still use and rely on certain OS or other natively-installed components in order to function, and when those components are no longer available, the apps stop working. When you think about it, the way these other products package their applications tells the whole story: you need to install the application on a clean machine and capture the delta. Whatever was already present on this clean machine becomes a dependency that is really not 100% transferrable to a new OS.
With InstallFree, we create virtual applications that are completely isolated from the host OS. Our Encapsulator creates a virtualized environment into which you "install" the application and we don't use "delta" or "before and after" scans to identify application resources. This way, there are really no hidden dependencies and we can make applications fully portable.
In the next few weeks, we will be posting a series of demonstration videos that will focus on these OS portability use cases. The first video in the series is available right now on our web site and on our YouTube channel. It shows how we can take an application that cannot be natively installed and used on Windows 7 (in this case, Windows Server 2003 Admin Pack) and then make it run on Windows 7. Next week, we will post a video showing you how you can take an application with dependencies on legacy versions of IE and Java and run it on Windows 7.
If you have any other use cases you'd like us to demonstrate, leave a comment below or contact us and let us know.
Thanks,
Alon Yaffe
Director of Marketing
InstallFree, Inc.
alon.yaffe@installfree.com
***No hedges, qualifiers or footnotes :-)
Following our InstallFree Bridge 2.0 release earlier this month, we are happy to announce that we have released a new version of the InstallFree Encapsulator. The Encapsulator is our packaging utility that enables you to take a standard Windows application and package it as an InstallFree Virtual Application (IFV App) that is fully portable between different versions of Windows and different desktop delivery technology (distributed PC, server-based computing, VDI, USB storage, etc).
Unlike other app virtualization technologies in the market today, the InstallFree Encapsulator does not require a clean machine for packaging as it creates a clean virtualized environment into which you install your application. In addition, it can be used to virtualize complex applications that require runtime access to CDs and mapped network drives by virtualzing the drives.
Watch this short demonstration movie to see the new Encapsulator in action>>
Click here to learn more about the InstallFree Encapsulator>>
Thanks,
Alon Yaffe
Director of Marketing
InstallFree, Inc.
alon.yaffe@installfree.com
April is shaping up to be an exciting month here at InstallFree.
Today, we are announcing the general availability of the InstallFree Bridge Suite 2.0 and a few other exciting news. Here's a quick breakdown of the announcement and what it means to our current and future customers.
InstallFree Bridge Suite 2.0 - Key Features and Benefits
Version 2.0 enables you to package applications on Windows XP and then run them on Windows 7 or Windows 2008 without repackaging. If it works on XP, it will work on Win7, Windows Server, Terminal Services, VDI, etc. It's that simple. You can find more information and demo movies on our Windows 7 Migration page.
You can now run virtual instances of Internet Explorer 6 and 7 on Windows 7 or any other version of Windows that has IE8 natively installed. We've seen many customer situations where migrations to Windows 7 were either delayed or seriously complicated due to the need to continue supporting legacy web applications. You can find a great example for this here. You can find more information and demo movies on our Virtual Internet Explorer page.
The release currently supports 32bit versions of Windows and we expect to have 64bit support generally available in Q3/2010. You will not need to repackage applications specifically for 64bit platforms and your existing virtual applications will continue to run without any changes.
Windows 7 Migration Promotion
If you are in the process of migrating to Windows 7 and have compatibility issues with XP or web applications, we would like to talk you. We are currently running a limited time promotion that will allow you to use our product to get over the migration hump for a very attractive price point, and then be able to take advantage of additional discounts should you decide to upgrade to the full product. If you want more details on this promotion, send an email to sales@installfree.com.
Online Hands-On Lab
Customers can now evaluate our software without the need to setup the product in their environments. Our Hands-On Lab will enable you to use a private instance of the InstallFree Management Console and a test endpoint, and run through standard day-to-day use cases with the product. We even provide embedded step-by-step instructions for evaluating key features.
If you want to give it a try, simply register for evaluation and we'll follow up with you to set up an account.
Application Cookbook
Our customer support portal now includes a section that will allow you to view encapsulation (packaging) recipes and submit new recipes for lab review. This should help you get more productive with our product much more quickly.
Stay tuned for additional news and announcements and if you have any questions or comments feel free to contact us.
Thanks,
Alon Yaffe
Director of Marketing
InstallFree, Inc.
alon.yaffe@installfree.com
Application Virtualization is a departure from the norm typically on how most Enterprise solutions are packaged and deployed. Communicating and planning based on what you know regarding the application life cycle is critical to both the customer and the company.
Key Questions to Ask:
- What are Target Application Dependencies?: are there any dependencies with physically installed applications on the endpoint? If so what are those applications? Should or can they also be virtualized? What will the potential impact be? Always good to get a list and/or dependency mapping of all applications.
- Why is the customer migrating the application to a virtual paradigm? The typical responses are either Application Compatibility issues, OS Migration requirements, Implement Software As A Service in a Cloud, Offshore support, Reduce Terminal Server Footprint or reduce life cycle overhead. How and what you architect and implement will vary depending on what the ultimate goal of the customer is. How they will measure the success or ROI of your product within their environment.
- Compatibility with Target OS?: Not all Application Virtualization can simply be migrated to a newer version of the OS. Some require additional repackaging of the application to move to the new version. If OS Migration is a key reason - it is important to see if the applications are already virtualized and to make sure that you are working with the version of the Application Virtualization solution that is compatible with the target OS.
- Who are critical People, Processes and Technology that will be impacted? It is important to identify all the stakeholders during a production roll out, educate them on what application virtualization is, the purpose of the deployment, and what the expected impact will be to them or their organization. Typically I suggest training a SWAT team initially of the key stake holders so there are less issues around communication and misunderstanding because it is a departure from the norm.
- What is the Plan from Inception to Maintenance? The road to hell is paved with good intentions. Key to vet out and plan for not only the knowns but add time for the unknown factors that will come up.
- What is the impact on Current Solutions, Processes, and Systems? Such as can internal products used for testing, deployment, troubleshooting etc work with the virtual application? If not what are the contingency plans for this new way of packaging applications? Does the vendor supply a virtual reg edit for example? How will current processes for deployments, change orders, and asset tracking be impacted? Any special integrations needed with existing tools such as Discovery, CMDB, or Delivery mechanisms?
- What is the CUSTOMER'S Starting Point? Every customer and environment is unique. It is critical to understand what the customer's understanding is of Application Virtualization, educate them on the different approaches and work with them to take baby steps to implementing a solution so they can adjust along the way. This last one is particularly critical because too often People don't know what they don't know. It is better to start with a smaller pilot, identify GAPs in technology, training, and processes - have them addressed and then continue.
- How critical is/are the applications being virtualized? I once had a Architect ask me the impact of using virtualization in the emergency room of a hospital and the best way to recover. My answer was not to use virtualization for that purpose as the technology in general is still in early stages. When it comes to life or death - always proceed with caution when deciding whether or not to give new technology a go. The more critical the application the smaller the steps that should be taken and more planning required to cover back out plans in the event something goes wrong.
- Does the proposed architecture meet hardware requirements? One of the key reasons many people did not migrate to Vista was the hardware tax. Meaning the overhead would exceed the capacity of their system requirements. When a customer is proposing to deploying multiple versions side by side on a machine - Disk Consumption, Port Conflicts, Network Capacity, I/O, and other hardware related questions should be considered as part of the equation. Understand what the overhead is going to be on a per application basis to architect a realistic solution. Just because you theoretically can deploy multiple versions of the same application doesn't mean existing hardware can support it when this exponentially grows as more applications are virtualized.
- What is the communication strategy? Meaning people are busy with their day to day distractions of their job - it is important to set aside time to clearly create the plan, touch point calls to ensure execution, and take time to evaluate overall plan to adjust if needed. This allows everyone to set the right expectations that are achievable and realistic.
Some of this may sound like simple project management - but one would be surprised by how many times key items like compatibility with current systems, regulatory requirements, or simple lack of communication cause deployments to fail.
Regards,
Jeanne
Although our opinions are interesting they are not as relevant as our customers that use our products in production and ultimately sign our checks. Too often, technologists become so enamored with their own ideas and ego that they forget that the end user is the key to unlocking true innovation and ideas. Great ideas come from users providing feedback, presenting challenges, and looking for a solution to solve a compelling problem - not from ivory towers.
The whole internet is a "twitter" with Steve Job's comment that they don't "listen" to users for the launch of the iPad. Apple has done a great job at taking it a step further at not only "listening" to users but also observing them. As a human performance technologists by trade I applaud this approach and taking it a step even further through validation of factors in the ecosystem that will impact the users in the future to blend form and function for products that really make an impact.
InstallFree recently won product of the year for 2009 award by TMC - validating our product management philosophy of putting the user first. The key to developing strong products and ecosystems is through a succinct process that not only captures word for word what the users say but also records what they don't say - what they do. One of the rules of cognitive ergonomics is that once a user becomes an expert at something they tend to overlook issues that may have significant impact to their productivity, how they do their job, etc because they have developed and automatic response. What they say will not necessarily match what can be discovered through observing them - what will really make an impact.
If product innovators only listened to users there would be no true innovation - but more of rehashing of the old systems and problems. True paradigm shifts are born from observing more than talking - and taking the time to walk a mile in the end user's shoes. No one company or person will always get it right - but as long as we continue to improve based on valuable user feedback (listening, observing) balanced with overarching market changes (Regulatory, Economic, User) followed by execution and communication - we hope it will enable us to make a difference in the lives of the customers we serve and people that use our products.
Thank you to all our valuable customers, partners and supporters that helped make this award achievable. Regards,Jeanne MorainChief Marketing Officer, InstallFree
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