WAN optimization technologies are becoming crucial components of enterprise infrastructure as cloud computing pushes more of the data load on to the wide area infrastructure. Mark Urban, senior director, product marketing, BlueCoat Systems talks about the transition in WAN optimization in this CIOL interview.
“What will desktop virtualization mean for WAN optimization?
“Mark: Desktop virtualization, as a concept, separates a personal computer desktop environment from a physical machine using a client–server model of computing. It is a real continuation of thin client. Yesterday’s thin client is tomorrow’s virtual desktop. Desktop virtualization presents two challenges for the wide area network. First, when the entire desktop is stored centrally and then transferred to the remote user upon logging in, there is a sizable amount of data that must be transferred. It is not uncommon for it to take 20 or 30 minutes each morning to get one’s desktop loaded and running.
“WAN optimization can dramatically change this to, perhaps, less than a minute. Most of the data can be cached locally in the branch office.”
