A new application has been created to allow business travellers to completely by-pass check-in desks and get immediate access to their hotel rooms.

The new app can be downloaded to a smartphone and then the hotel user receives a unique encrypted audio code that enables them to enter their rooms.

The technology is already being used on a trial basis in Australia for airline hotels, such as Virgin Blue, Jetstar and Qantas. A US hotel chain, InterContinental Hotels Group (IHG), has also expressed interest in the technology and has announced it will be testing the product within the next month.

Bryson Koehler, IHG executive, said, "The proliferation of smartphones is growing in such a way that we have to look at what people are already bringing with them to make their stay more enjoyable."

The trial will last 60-90 days and take place in the Holiday Inn Chicago O' Hare Rosemont and the Holiday Inn Express Houston Downtown Convention Centre.

In the long term the technology could mean that hotel chains no longer need as many staff, as they will be able to operate using virtual software. This would then prove to be extremely cost-effective for the chain.

At present the app only works with smartphones but there are plans to release it on all mobile devices to make the check-in process a lot smoother.

The benefits of the technology mean that business travel can become a lot less stressful and that hotels can make a large saving by upgrading to the new technology.

A question that may concern some businesses, or at least their IT departments, is ‘How many virtual desktops can run on a single server?’. So to put their mind at ease let's discuss the issue.

A common system configuration is a four-way server with every CPU equipped with four cores, so this will be the set-up that will be discussed. An initial estimate, based upon this configuration, suggests that 256 users could use the virtual server at any one time, without any problem. But is this figure accurate?

Charles Babcock, an IT specialist, said, “One commodity server could host that number of end users without causing a serious degradation in the desktop experience they were accustomed to.”

Based upon this figure a company could save a significant amount of money, as they would no longer need to buy hundreds of individual PCS or laptops, instead they could just have a single centralised server that all users could access.

In fact, other specialists have suggested that the figure could be even higher than 256.

Roger Pilc, CA Technologies senior VP of virtualization, said, "UCS can drive the VM density to higher numbers. We know of instances where 330 desktops are supported on a single blade [server]."

However, it is not just about saving money as the virtual system can also increase efficiency by significantly increasing computer power, which would help a company to function.

With this technology being so cost effective, efficient and versatile there is no doubt that it can have an impact on any business environment.

The Norwegian National Police Computing and Material Service (PDMT) has installed virtual desktop at their organisation making them the one millionth customer for the US, RES Software Company.

The PDMT updated to the technology as they wanted to enhance their computer infrastructure with the new virtualization technology, making their operation a lot more efficient.

With such a high sales figure for a single company it definitely seems that virtual desktops are becoming increasingly popular for office environments.

Lars Henrik Bøhler, director general of PDMT, said, “The solution’s sophisticated user workspace management capabilities have enabled us to centralize and streamline the management of our vast desktop pool, minimizing the amount of resources needed to oversee these components and ensuring uninterrupted service to our end-users.”

Some of the features of the technology include, the ability to organize operations in any environment, automating the management and dynamic user workspaces, all of which minimises the resources to run the system As a result the technology will allow the Norwegian Police to replace its static out-of-date desktops with the innovate virtual workspaces that are more user-friendly for infrastructural upgrades and day-to-day use.

Klaus Besier, president and CEO of RES Software. “Effective desktop management is imperative to ensure strains on IT are reduced and user productivity remains constant as more organizations implement and/or update their infrastructures.”

These benefits perhaps explain why more and more companies are deciding to upgrade to the virtual desktop, as well as indicating how the software may be beneficial for your company.

Although desktop virtualization may not suit every business, if you are considering the technology it is important that you adopt a system that is user-friendly, easy-to-use and secure.

Commenting one VD user, Doug Debrecht CIO of Chemtura Corporation, said, "It'll make my life a lot easier if I can get my end user experience to be better."

As a result, US virtual desktop experts have advancements in the technology to improve the quality of their products by offering desktop profiles that give a more personal experience and yet also increase security.

Mr Debrecht added, "My users have been complaining about their Citrix environment for a while. If we can give them some control back and a PC-like experience, they will feel better."

Now with these recent improvements being made the Chemtura Corporation has decided to use virtual desktops with up to 2,500 of their employees, which includes chemical plant workers, travelling sales people and Europe-based employees.

For Mr Debrecht the most important thing is the increased usability for his staff, he said, "We want them to have one image, the same experience in the home and in the office.”

Another company that has also become interested in the technology is the City Bank Texas. Jim Simpson, vice president of IT at the bank, said that the improvements to security have meant that virtual desktops can meet their needs. As a result the bank intends to integrate the technology for use by their tellers, loan officers and remote branches.

This then demonstrate how versatile the technology has become and how it can be applied to almost any industry.

Michael Dell, a Dell CEO, has recently commented that mobile technology will never wipe-out the PC but that instead devices will become easier to sync via desktop virtualisation.

At a San Franciscan conference during a keynote speech the Dell CEO said that it is data that will merge together rather than different devices, meaning that one device is unlikely to replace another. This then suggests that in the future there will be many devices all accessing the same virtual desktops.

Mr Dell said that idea that one device will replace all devices is not practical as "some are better for carrying with you. Others are for consuming content, others are better for creating content."

This indicates that even though virtual desktop technology is expanding this does not mean the amount of different devices will shrink. In fact  it is not only Dell that has reached this conclusion as Microsoft has already made attempts to enter this expanding market.

First sales figures and reviews of the iPad seem to confirm these speculative comments because the device is a lot like other devices in that it just accesses the same virtual data, such as emails and social networking sites.

"There is an application infrastructure growing up significantly around devices like the iPad. Does this create new uses, new demand, or does it replace something else? Seems to me it creates new uses," said Mr Dell.

It is these uses that virtual desktop solutions are suited to as the technology is versatile enough to meet the needs of most office-based businesses.

A new virtual reality system has been used to give a pre-construction tour of a veterinary clinic in North Carolina, USA.

This week staff at the Triangle Veterinary Emergency Clinic put on goggles and stepped into the 3D virtual representation of the new 13,000-square-foot building. The technology gave extremely advanced tracking of head and hand movements and real time graphics, which some have said makes it a predecessor of the Star Trek holodeck.

All manner of movements were possible in the virtual environment, including flying and falling but if you would prefer you could just as easily walk through the virtual floors, walls, fish tanks and surgical stations.

Mike Grafinger, a veterinarian and co-owner of the clinic, said that the virtual environment allows the staff to master the design of the clinic.

He said, "You have to consider patients coming and going, actually walking through it, seeing how big your exam table is, helps you visualize the end product."

This is completely possible in the environment as it displays computer graphics of all the major structural and design features of the building.

David Fuller, the man responsible for the technology, said, "We can bring in different stakeholders and troubleshoot. This allows you to design better and more efficiently."

With such advancements in 3D virtual environments the technology may become a staple of virtual conferencing and large scale business presentations. Although this may not be present at the moment, the technology could make a dramatic impact for virtual desktop users in years to come.

New virtual technology from Dell offers an enhanced and secure solution to office workers that need a way to access their desktops while on the move.

Dell recently revealed this new range of products and they are already gaining recognition for their simplified user-friendly layout and their heightened security protocols.

As the technology makes it even easier to access your desktop at a variety of locations, it is well suited to a mobile workforce.

Steven Lalla, vice president and general manager, Client Product Group, Dell, said, "Today's workforce has become more globally dispersed and highly mobile with the expectation of 24/7 access to critical data and applications."

As a result it is thought that the improvements that Dell has made could make companies more efficient and allow their workforce to become more productive. This is because the technology will allow out-of-office workers to stay up to date with office developments.

This is not the first virtual desktop solution that Dell has developed; notable products include the Dell Latitude E4310 and the Dell Latitude 2110. These models were earlier pieces of technology that proved to be beneficial for travelling office workers by offering a durable portable computer with advanced wireless connectivity.

With these products, companies are able to maximise the productivity of their workers, and at the same time their mobile workforce can receive the functions and computing power of a regular PC.

Mr Lalla added, "We are committed to providing innovative and flexible virtualization solutions that help customers reduce costs, increase security and improve manageability.”

With these new solutions, virtual desktops are becoming more suited to the needs of the modern office workforce. 

Davinci Virtual, a provider of virtual office solutions, has revealed that it has exceeded all business projections now that it is in its 4th year of trading.

The company’s growth has meant that they now provide virtual office solutions to over 6,000 companies and entrepreneurs in 5 different continents, including America, South Africa, Asia and Australasia.

Bill Grodnik, President and CEO of Davinci Virtual, said, "We are very proud to celebrate four years of continued growth, innovation and success.”

The company actually offers turnkey virtual communications and virtual office solutions, which includes an online command centre, voice and video conferencing, unified messaging, live web chat and virtual assistants. These are only a few of the virtual desktop features that are on offer.

Mr Grodnik added, “We will continue to grow our worldwide virtual office location network, develop cutting edge technologies and add best of breed virtual office solutions on a global scale. We really truly are enjoying what we do and it shows."

The company is now becoming a leading company for virtual desktop solutions and is in fact emerging as a market leader for turnkey virtual office software. This has meant that they have obtained professional offices in over 750 prime locations, in order to sustain a global presence.

This growth indicates that there is an obvious demand for virtual desktops, and that hundreds of offices worldwide are benefiting from the technology, meaning that the software is becoming more and more popular with office workers.

Unidesk is currently showcasing their new Citrix Ready® virtual desktop at Citrix Synergy, a convention in San Francisco.

This marks the first large-scale presentation of the Unidesk software. The innovative technology allows users to customize their desktops with applications, local documents, and changes to the profile. The software is completely unique in that it allows 100% personalisation of the desktop and sustains all user modifications after logging off. It also automatically updates Microsoft Windows and reduces VDI storage requirements by up to 80%.

The software really makes using virtual desktops an enjoyable and user-friendly experience and is also the first viable solution to the cumbersome and difficult to use alternatives that have been available in the past.

The technology is also the only software that offers the three major requirements of efficient storage, personalization and patching of Microsoft Windows and other applications.

Ron Oglesby, Unidesk Chief Solution Architect, said, "For VDI to really take off, it needs to provide not only the Windows image management and application delivery efficiencies that have been promised, but also a rich user experience that's as good as any physical PC."

Mr Oglesby added, "The tradeoff between storage costs, user personalization, and management complexity is one of the reasons desktop virtualization adoption has been slower than predicted.”

Now that these issues have started to be eliminated there is enough potential for the software to overtake stand-alone PC’s in most places of work, schools, hospitals and other organisations, such as the police.

Nokia, one of the biggest mobile phone manufacturers, has filed a lawsuit against Apple due to the features available in their iPads.

Nokia are claiming there are infringements in the technology used in the transmission of data, when enhancing speech and the antenna features for virtual desktop users.

This is the most recent legal issue, between the two companies that have had many patent issues in the past. Unfortunately the lawsuit came on the same day that Apple announced plans to release the iPad in nine countries on the 28th May, however the impact this has had on their campaign is unclear.

Paul Melin, general manager of patent licensing at Nokia, said, "We've taken this step to protect the results of our pioneering development and to put an end to continued unlawful use of Nokia's innovation."

Nokia has invested about £34 billion in research and filed 11,000 patents, but in such a competitive market it is understandable why different companies develop similar ideas and technology. As a result there have been more than one infringement suit in recent years.

Just last year Nokia filed another lawsuit against Apple for another infringement, which resulted in a countersuit against smartphones. Similarly Apple has been involved in another legal debate with Taiwan's HTC, maker of Google's Nexus One phone. The Taiwanese company has allegedly infringed on Apple patented technology.

An expert for technology patents has said, that patents are common in the technology industry due to the similarities of various products, and that in most cases a dispute ends with some sort of licensing agreement. So the iPad will still be available for sale on May 28th for virtual desktop users.