VMWare's executive recently talked about how he believes Windows 7 will be a catalyst for desktop virtualization, but expects adoption to be slow. What he doesn't tell you is an important reason why: cost. If its going to cost you $1000-2000/desktop to upgrade from XP to Windows 7 either with traditional PCs or virtual desktops, CIOs are asking if its worth it.

Gartner's VP Research, Michael Silver estimates that when you include replacement hardware, admin costs, application testing, and replacing incompatible apps, -- in a hypothetical organization with 2,500 Windows users -- the cost of upgrading from Windows XP to Windows 7 will run $1,035 to $1,930 per user. For 2,500 users, this is a $2.5M-$5M effort, which is substantial. Migrating to first generation VDI architectures such as View would be no cheaper. Analysts estimate the average upfront cost/desktop to be $1,200-2,000 for traditional VDI.

But what if you could upgrade from XP to Windows 7 for under $500/desktop, and get all the benefits of virtual desktops, with lower operating costs, greater security and the option to preserve the XP desktops to smoothen migration woes?

We are announcing today Windows 7 support with Kaviza's VDI-in-a-box^TM , a beta is coming in the next few weeks. You can get a Windows 7 virtual desktop for under $500, and this includes all the hardware, software licensing and storage costs. We are already getting a lot of partner and customer interest in this, so its going to be exciting!

Click here for a free trial of Kaviza's VDI-in-a-box^TM.

Labels: desktop virtualization. VDI cost, PC upgrade, VMWare, Windows 7, Windows 7 cost