WorldDesk: Revolutionizing the Virtual Desktop Market

WorldDesk was conceived by founder Rao Cherukuri five years ago with one single purpose – deliver a user-centric Windows desktop experience anywhere, anytime and on any device. WorldDesk is a container that provides a home for your applications, files and personal settings. This is separated from any piece of hardware allowing you to access your own personal computer experience on any Windows machine. Unlike other virtualisation vendors, WorldDesk uses the end-client’s resources for all its processing power. This allows people to run processor-intensive applications and continue doing this whether online or offline.

Rao Cherukuri founder CEO of WorldDesk in an exclusive chat with CloudStory.in

What does DeskStream (or is it WorldDesk) do?

It is WorldDesk. DeskStream rebranded itself as WorldDesk after acquiring WorldDesk early this year.

WorldDesk is an exciting new technology company set to completely revolutionize the desktop computing paradigm, redefining how organizations, schools and individuals use computers. WorldDesk built a unique patent-pending abstraction layer that frees all aspects of a user's Microsoft Windows workspace from the underlying OS and device. This technology allows the free movement of apps, files and profile between devices, truly letting you take your world with you. When using WorldDesk, it will look, and more importantly feel, like a typical desktop with your files, your folders, your applications and your layout. The key difference is that all of these things are no longer tied to a specific computer. Your entire desktop experience can be accessed from anywhere, anytime, on any device.

What is your business model and strategy?

WorldDesk offers the following products:

1. WDFE – Enterprise Desktop Virtualization, per seat, per year

2. WDFY – Consumer model, evolving

What opportunities do you see with the Cloud?

WorldDesk is an enabling software-based technology platform focused on the intersection of four multi-billion dollar markets in Cloud and mobile.

Please give us an idea about the underlying software architecture.

WorldDesk Client is an abstraction layer that functions as a container for all of the windows applications and other desktop functions. The container itself runs as an app executing all desktop apps and handling all the DLLs, registry and file services calls itself.

Tell us about your cloud infrastructure setup.

We have a typical enterprise setup illustrated below.

How is your solution different from other virtual desktop solutions? (OnLive, VMware view)?

WorldDesk competes with online desktop / apps vendors (OnLive, CloudOn). These models are similar to VDI (Virtual Desktop Infrastructure) companies in the Desktop Virtualization/Management market. While these companies provide online access, their services actually don't meet the customer requirements in most use cases. On top of that, these models present all the challenges that VDI presents.

WorldDesk with its groundbreaking technology delivers the same flexibility and experience on par with local PC. WorldDesk’s flexible computing approach serves the broadest addressable market.

The current and next round of Virtualization and Cloud Computing vendors are proposing productivity desktop solutions that contradict the mobile lifestyle they extol. They are back-end burdened, unaligned with popular App Store delivery models and, quite simply, don’t work very well. Industry analysts readily admit that these solutions are expensive, deliver poor user experience, and don’t offer mobile and offline usage. Microsoft is bringing the Metro style apps on Windows 8 but this works for new apps only. WorldDesk has brought the same flexibility and delivery model for all existing applications even on non-Windows platforms.

Why Dropbox as the storage service provider?

We selected Dropbox first as it is more popular and easy to demonstrate. We have tested with other Cloud storage platform vendors like Box.net; for enterprise implementations we tested with other platforms that meet the customer requirements for security.

Do you think the DaaS market is clichéd as a standalone service in comparison to SaaS solutions? Where does Virtual Desktop Infrastructure market-wise stand today?

Yes, clichéd in the case of Enterpriseand SMB segment. In case of Consumer sector, DaaS becomes the base for SaaS/GaaS to grow. Current SaaS addresses a limited set of apps, mostly ERP or Exchange server type. With right DaaS technology, SaaS and GaaS would take off phenomenally, taking huge number of desktop apps to service models.

VDI has matured a lot over the past couple of years. However, it has not been able to overcome the dependencies on network and the server side requiring heavy lifting. These restrict it from entering the DaaS/SaaS markets for reasons of user experience and cost. VDI addresses only 8% of desktop management market today.

 What potential markets do you plan to penetrate with WorldDesk?

We are aiming at APAC and Middle Eastmarkets primarily working with SIs and VARs eco-system, with our DaaS/SaaS/GaaS business models. We are targeting the global market and we are working with OEMs for white labelling as well.

Finally, with Microsoft launching Windows 8 in the near future, how does your strategy change?

Windows 8 looks exciting for its metro style looks. It looks a kind of paradigm shift for Microsoft, moving away from multi-page navigation which Windows is known for. Inside Windows 8, it has several layers built on top of basic Win32 system allowing a HTML5 and JavaScript to run seamlessly bringing a rich User Interface and Experience. However, the underlying architecture, especially the Win32 system, which is the key for legacy apps, does not change.

We would have our version ready by the time Windows 8 enters the market.

Thank you.

Virtual Desktop Market today is gaining a lot of traction with solutions like WorldDesk, and this is just the beginning of it. Cloud is a powerful platform that is tickling the innovators for better innovations and solutions to real-world problems. WorldDesk is one such innovation. What do you think?