Oracle VDI Supports Windows 8, Ubuntu 12.04 (But That's Not All)

Oracle (NASDAQ: ORCL) has extended its Virtual Desktop Infrastructure (VDI) software to support Windows 8 and Ubuntu 12.04. That’s a reasonable vote of confidence from Oracle toward Microsoft’s latest operating system as well as Canonical’s Linux alternative. But the interesting news for VARs and MSPs involves Oracle Enterprise Manager 12c, a systems management platform that can maintain customers’ VDI deployments.

Windows 8 hasn’t exactly set the world on fire since Microsoft launched the operating system in late 2012. The software giant said in January 2013 that it has sold about 60,000 Windows 8 licenses, but it’s unclear how many of those licenses are used in live deployments.

Perhaps the point is a moot one. Oracle seems to be saying that Windows 8 has enough momentum — and will enjoy broad enough deployment — that it deserves VDI support. There also are improvements in terms of VDI extended to iPads and Android tablets, Oracle asserted.

And the VDI system, now at version 3.5, integrates with Oracle Enterprise Manager 12c, which corporate IT managers can use on-premises, or channel partners can use to remotely manage the VDI deployments. Oracle’s Sun Ray Software 5.4 is also part of this story — though The VAR Guy could use a refresher course on where exactly Sun Ray fits into the discussion.

Back in the VDI world, Oracle faces plenty of competition. Industry upstart Virtual Bridges recently announced a DaaS strategy that includes an MSP partner program . Citrix Systems has been working overtime to educate partners about VDI. And the VMware Horizon Suite remains front-and-center at that virtualization giant.