Jeff Fisher, Sr. Director of Strategic Development at Desktone, will deliver the presentation, Cloud-Hosted Desktops: The Smart, Low-Risk Way to Enter the Cloud, at SYS-CON's 5th International Virtualization Conference & Expo in New York City this coming March 30-April 1, 2009.

When people talk about cloud computing in the enterprise, they are primarily referring to IT virtualizing server workloads and moving them to the cloud, since in most cases, those applications can be accessed over a network from a service provider's data center as easily as they can from an enterprise's own data center. But there are huge obstacles with this approach, probably the most challenging of which is data security. Most server-side applications are inextricably bound to their data tier, which means when you shift these workloads you have to relocate the data, as well. Most IT managers do not feel comfortable storing corporate information in someone else's data center. This concern is precisely what makes virtual desktops a much better, albeit somewhat counter-intuitive, way for enterprises to get started with cloud computing.

Consuming desktops as a service (DaaS) via the cloud is a low-risk/high-reward proposition that enables enterprises to keep their data secure within their own infrastructure while reaping the cloud's cost and flexibility benefits. And, it gives enterprises a way to get their feet wet with a cloud approach so they can make smart decisions about whether, when and how to move server-side applications to the cloud. In this session, Jeff Fisher, senior director of strategic development at Desktone, will explore why cloud-hosted desktops are the logical starting point, how to adopt this model, and how the experience can ease the way to a more complete cloud approach.

Speaker Bio:
Fisher is responsible for guiding many elements of Desktone's corporate strategy and is also the moderator of the company's blog Desktops as a Service. He has more than 12 years of experience in the client and desktop virtualization space and has worked for Citrix, Softricity and most recently Microsoft, where he was a lead strategist for the company's Flexible Desktop Computing (FDC) initiative. At Softricity, he was Director of Business Development and helped manage the alliance with Microsoft that ultimately led to Microsoft acquiring the company. He holds a BA from Cornell University and an MBA from Columbia Business School.

Learn How to Leverage Cloud Computing and Virtualization in NYC This March
Virtualization and Cloud Computing both take center stage this March in New York City, as SYS-CON Events brings two of its most popular industry-leading Enterprise IT events to the Big Apple: 5th International Virtualization Conference & Expo and 2nd International Cloud Computing Conference & Expo.

Co-located at the historic Roosevelt Hotel in midtown Manhattan, these events have the highest-energy Expo Floor of any comparable event, with more exhibitors, more attendees, and more Special Events like our industry Power Panels, our delegate prize drawings, and our attendee-generated Show Awards.

Register today for a Golden Pass and access to both events.

5th International Virtualization Conference & Expo - New York City - March 30-April 1, 2009
Virtualization is reorganizing the IT industry. It underpins cloud computing by making it possible to separate the software from the hardware.Overall, the virtualization market has grown from approximately $560 million in 2005 to a forecasted $2.7 billion in 2009, according to IDC. According to Gartner, virtualization will be the highest-impact IT trend changing infrastructure and operations through 2012.

While data center virtualization is still the #1 market segment, it's starting to get competition from application virtualization, storage virtualization, I/O virtualization and virtualization for end users - so called endpoint virtualization. In fact, in almost any credible survey of Top Technology Trends for 2009, Virtualization and Cloud Computing top the list. In Gartner's Top 10 Strategic Technologies for 2009, it ranked #1, up from #5 last year.

Top Keynotes, Top Technical & Business Sessions, Top Delegates
The 5th International Virtualization Conference & Expo will feature 100+ technical sessions from the leading industry players from the main layers of the Cloud ecosystem - the infrastructure players, the platform providers, and those offering applications and services. Our two-day Expo is your chance to get in front of senior technologists including CIOs, CTOs, directors of infrastructure, VPs of technology, IT directors and managers, network and storage managers, network engineers, enterprise architects, and communications and networking specialists.

SYS-CON's 5th International Virtualization Conference & Expo will be looking at every flavor of virtualization. Delegates will be attending from all over the world - each with the specific goal of making certain their company is leveraging the performance, reliability and cost benefits of enterprise-class virtualization as it is available today.

Virtualization Topics to Be Discussed in New York City, March 30-April 1, 2009:

• Server Virtualization
• File Virtualization
• Hosted Virtualization
• Virtualization Hardware Support
• Storage Virtualization
• Windows Virtualization
• State of the Virtualization Services Market
• Desktop Virtualization
• The Future of the Virtual Enterprise
• Para-virtualization
• Hardware-level Virtualization
• Virtualization for Server Consolidation and Containment
• Utility Computing

Attend Full-Day Cloud Bootcamp FREE With Your "Expo Plus Bootcamp" Registration!
Cloud computing is an opportunity for business to implement low cost, low power and high efficiency systems to deliver scalable infrastructure. But what's actually involved in moving to a cloud infrastructure? In this compelling one-day, hands-on training program, you'll learn just what it takes to take full advantage of the Cloud. Join fellow delegates as Alan Williamson, Editor-in-Chief of Cloud Computing Journal, uses his expertise to lead you through Cloud Computing Bootcamp on Tuesday March 31, 2009 with configuration samples, live demos and working setups.

Seats are limited to the first 500 attendees so Register Today for Cloud Computing Bootcamp to secure your spot!