The potential for bringing graphics rich 3D CAD to virtual desktops and applications via the cloud just got a whole lot bigger with the news that the VMware Horizon desktop-as-a-service (DaaS) Platform will now be powered by Nvidia GRID technology. DaaS on GRID will enable mobile access and remote collaboration by delivering graphics-intensive 3D applications to users on a whole range of connected devices.
VMware’s Horizon DaaS technology is specifically designed for delivery through the cloud and is aimed at firms that might not necessarily have the budget to deploy a virtual desktop infrastructure or the skills to manage it.
Service providers will be able to deliver complete virtual workspaces, including desktops and 3D graphics applications, such as DS Catia or Autodesk Design Suites, to end-users as a monthly cloud subscription service.
Nvidia and VMware also revealed a joint development to enable VMware customers to use Nvidia GRID vGPU (virtual GPU) technology for GPU sharing with VMware virtual machines. The technology will allow up to eight users to be served per GPU, with the hardware assigning the right amount of memory to meet the requirements of each user. An early access version of Nvidia GRID vGPU hardware working with VMware virtual machines will be available to select customers later this year with general availability in 2015.
