VMware has released ThinApp 4.0 (formerly Application Virtualization Suite). This is the first release of the product since VMware acquired it as part of their acquisition of Thinstall in January. At that time VMware stated the goal of the acquisition was to expand their desktop virtualization offerings and assist customers in provisioning and deployment. ThinApp provides application virtualization with features such as:
- Run any version of any application on a single operating system without conflicts
- Run multiple versions of the same application.
- Package each application with its own DLL file and registry changes to eliminate installation conflicts
- Execute applications on locked-down PCs in 100% user mode
- Run applications from any media without needing admin privileges
Two new features highlighted in the press release are:
- Application Link – Free-flowing communication between interdependent virtual applications. Application Link allows interdependent applications to communicate with one another (such as Java, .Net, IE, Office) to eliminate conflicts, reduce application size, and maintain continuity and tracking of software licenses.
- Application Sync – Internet-based updates of applications. Application Sync streams byte-level updates to users’ critical applications inside and outside the enterprise using HTTP/HTTPS, and on managed and non-managed PCs running virtualized applications.
Geert Baeke provides an example of Application Link on his website. Sven Huisman wrote a detailed review of a beta of the product in June. His pro's included ease of installation and application capture. He did find issues with application management and auditing however. Readers may also be interested in an application virtualization comparison chart that Huisman and Matthijs Havernik created that compares ThinApp to competing products such as Microsoft Softgrid and Symantec Appstream. For more information on application virtualization, please read InfoQ's feature article An Introduction to Virtualiz