Alternatives to Symantec's end-of-life Workspace Virtualization and Streaming product

What are the alternative technologies to Symantec's end-of-life Workspace Virtualization (SWV) and Workspace Streaming (SWS), for virtualizing and delivering software on demand?

I don’t normally blog about reactions to speculation or conjecture, but in early January 2017, Symantec released a statement announcing that their long-serving Workspace Virtualization and Streaming solutions are now end-of-life.

July 2018 Update:

• Symantec have now announced that their Workspace Virtualization (SWV) and Workspace Streaming (SWS) products are both no longer supported, with even the extended level of support expiring in July 2018. 
• Symantec have also announced that they are offering no replacement product

Why is that important?

Well, before I expand into the implications of this, Symantec were one of the few that saw the application virtualization space the same way we do. They had some unique features, with a unique approach to the market.

So, if you’re a Symantec customer you’ll no doubt be looking around for a product that’ll do much the same as you’re used to, and no doubt look to the obvious big players in this space. But before you go running off to Microsoft thinking that App-V will be the answer to your prayers, remember all the features that you enjoyed in SWV:

Here are 3 key benefits of SWV/SWS, to name a few...

Symantec's Endpoint Virtualization Suite has many great benefits, including:

1. Ease of integration - Unless otherwise specified, apps behave and interact with the operating system and other apps as designed, with no effort required to "link" or "un-bubble" them (even for different versions of the same app). For the occasional situation where apps must be isolated or hidden from the OS or other apps in order to work properly, various levels of isolation may be set or changed at any time without needing to re-package, to change the application behaviour.
2. Package 100% of apps - SWV/SWS is often regarded as having a greater application virtualization success rate than competitors. That's because SWV packages (often referred to as layers) use two sub-layers; a read-only layer that maintains the known good base installation, and a re-writable layer that contains the changes and user customizations for that app. This makes it very simple to reset the layer instantly and at any time, if there’s ever a problem or a need to start over.
3. License control methods - Provides organizations improved control of their software costs, with a web-based, centralized view of app usage data across their extended network, including up-to-date statistics on the number and location of licenses installed, along with usage statistics such as time and frequency of use.

What you'll be searching for is an alternative, something that offers the same features of Symantec’s EOL products (SWV and SWS) and more.

Don't forget the end goal.

Application virtualization is a solution; providing users access to apps across multiple devices is the goal. 

• You want end-users to be able to access software anywhere, on any device
• You want the user experience to be awesome: software needs to perform as if it were locally installed
• You want to reduce the size of your image and the time it takes to image machines
• You want to increase the efficiency of your IT department, with limited cost increases

What are the alternative virtualization tools?

There's a variety of technologies on the market, designed to virtualize apps, each with their own range of features, strengths and benefits. Some of these are listed in the table below.

When it comes to application virtualization, many organizations will immediately think of Microsoft's App-V and VMware's ThinApp. These virtualization technologies have been on the market for over a decade, and have their own strengths. But limitations arise when it comes to needing to virtualize 100% of software titles; these tools simply can't handle ALL apps, with a virtualization rate closer to 60%. There are also challenges when it comes to these apps interacting with the local OS, printers, drivers and other services.

Some organizations will also consider desktop virtualization (VDI) as the solution, where the apps run on a virtual desktop infrastructure and are accessed remotely by the end-user. This presents it's own drawbacks, namely the performance of the app (and how that affects the end-user experience) and the huge costs involved in both initial investment and ongoing support and maintenance.

Our view...

We've built AppsAnywhere to support and integrate with what we think is the most advanced application virtualization technology out there; Numecent's Cloudpaging. Cloudpaging is a next-generation application virtualization tool that lets you virtualize 100% of Windows software, including big 'tricky' apps that legacy technologies such as App-V and ThinApp can't, at a fraction of the cost of traditional VDI solutions.

Cloudpaging meets all the demands of Symantec Workspace Virtualization users, as well as other key benefits including being able to fully integrate software apps seamlessly with the local Operating System (OS).

Cloudpaging from Numecent

Watch this short animation to learn more about Cloudpaging (from a technical point of view), the next-generation tool for virtualizing software applications, and find out how it's the perfect alternative to Symantec Workspace Virtualization and Workspace streaming technologies (SWV/SWS).

In our eyes, Cloudpaging is the only practical way for universities, colleges and organizations to deliver any Windows app, anywhere, on demand. This is really important when it comes to virtualizing heavyweight software such as ArcGIS, AutoCAD, SPSS and MATLAB. Combine Cloudpaging with AppsAnywhere and you've got a solution that delivers any app to any platform and any device, on-demand.

And for users, apps virtualized using Cloudpaging look, act and feel exactly the same as if they were locally installed, all delivered without the hassle of installation, updates and imaging.

Use Cloudpaging and AppsAnywhere to package apps once, deliver anywhere, on demand.

Learn more: About Cloudpaging >

It's a sad day when a product we all appreciate and derive benefit from goes end-of-life. Apple dropped the CD player at its prime, and more recently the headphone jack. Now Symantec are bringing their advanced Endpoint Virtualization Suite to an end. This is a shame; the product stands out above the legacy application virtualization tools commonly used such as App-V or ThinApp. It's one of the few that lets you virtualize 100% of apps.

Before you make a backward step looking for a replacement, there's a more advanced alternative. Like Symantec's product, Cloudpaging utilizes smart layering technology to enable the virtualization and deployment of 100% of apps. On top of that, we've packaged it together with the world's coolest university app store. Coupled with our education community and expertise, it's the perfect match and the replacement you've been looking for.

Original article on LinkedIn >

Tony Austwick, AppsAnywhere CEO

Compare application virtualization technologies

The table below shows a comparison of application virtualization tools, taken from PQR's independent whitepaper.

Download the PRQ Application Virtualization whitepaper

To find out more about Cloudpaging, and for an independent comparison of application virtualization technologies, download PQR's full Application Virtualization Smackdown whitepaper.

Written by industry experts Ruben Spruijt, Jurjen van Leeuwen and Rory Monaghan, this whitepaper compares application virtualization technologies including Numecent's Cloudpaging, VMWare's ThinApp, Microsoft's App-V and Symantec's Workspace Virtualization and Workspace Streaming.