2011 is the Year That Desktop Virtualization is Taking Off, Finds Matrix42 Survey

LEHI, Utah, June 15, 2011 /PRNewswire/ --

- However physical desktops are not going away, meaning IT has to manage both

Mainstream adoption of desktop virtualization will finally become a reality in 2011 with 59 percent of companies deploying within the next six months, according to a new survey  of enterprise IT professionals conducted by Matrix42 (http://www.matrix42.com ), a leading supplier of workplace management solutions. However, IT professionals will also face the reality of managing hybrid virtual/physical desktop environments, which will increasingly include users' own devices. To read the full report, please visit http://www.matrix42.com/downloads/survey-synergy . Key takeaways include:

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Desktop virtualization is taking off

• Fifty-nine percent of companies are either in the process of, or plan on, deploying within the next six months.
• Today, five percent of desktops are virtualized; by next year, this is expected to rise to 20 percent

But physical desktops are not going away, a mix will be the new normal

• Only four percent of companies expect to go completely virtual.
• Fifty percent expect to support a mix of virtual and physical desktops indefinitely.

Reduced cost of management tops benefits driving desktop virtualization adoption

• Forty-two percent of respondents cited reduced cost of management and support as the biggest perceived benefit of desktop virtualization.
• More user flexibility and mobility was stated by 33 percent.
• Improved availability and performance - 24 percent.
• Twenty-two percent said hardware and software cost savings.
• Improved security and compliance - 22 percent.

"Bring your own device" (BYOD) initiatives are popular but managing and securing multiple devices creates extra challenges

• Twenty-four percent of companies already support use of their employees' own devices like smartphones and tablets in the workplace.
• Thirty-eight percent are planning on it.

No to separate IT management tools

• An overwhelming number of respondents (70 percent) confirmed their desire to use a single tool for managing both physical and virtual desktops rather than having to use separate solutions.

"2011 seems to be the year that businesses stop speculating about virtualization and actually invest in it," said Matrix42 CEO Herbert Uhl. "Unfortunately, however, there won't be a clear-cut switch for most organizations. For the IT manager, the new challenge will be managing a mix of physical and virtual desktops - for the long run."

Matrix42 surveyed 90 attendees at the Citrix Synergy 2011 conference in San Francisco, California in May, 2011. Analysis and full survey results can be found at http://www.matrix42.com/downloads/survey-synergy. Supplementary infographic available at http://www.flickr.com/photos/matrix42/5834049770/in/photostream/.

About Matrix42

Matrix42 is the leading supplier for Workplace Management solutions. Matrix42 Workplace Management enables the seamless management of physical and virtual environments. It combines Client Lifecycle, Cloud, SaaS, Virtualization and Service Management into a holistic solution enabling users to have transparent access to their data and services everywhere, from any virtual or physical device at any time. Founded in 1992, Matrix42, with headquarters near Frankfurt, Germany, has been established in the dynamic IT market for almost 20 years. Over 3 million clients are managed by Matrix42 software at more than 1,500 customers worldwide including market-leading enterprises such as Infineon, Magna, Lufthansa Systems and Puma and integrators like T-Systems, Raiffeisen IT, msg systems and Bechtle.  In early 2008, Matrix42 became part of the Asseco Group.  With over 8,000 employees and a market capitalization of around 1.2 billion Euros, Asseco is one of the largest European software companies.