Qumranet, the start-up behind the increasingly popular KVM kernel-level virtualization technology, has thrown its hat into the desktop virtualization ring with a system it promises can deliver an experience indistinguishable from a conventional desktop.

The centrally hosted desktop has long been a dream of IT managers, and the goal has become ever more urgent as security concerns make desktops ever more complex to manage.

So far, performance and usability limitations have kept thin clients or virtualized desktops from gaining much popularity, but Qumranet said it has advanced the game a step beyond systems such as Virtual Desktop Infrastructure (VDI) and terminal services models.

The company's new product, Solid ICE, is built on KVM and a custom-built remote rendering technology called SPICE, along with a management system, Qumranet said.

The company's exclusive focus on desktop virtualization has allowed it to develop a system that can be "indistinguishable" from a physical desktop, with features including multiple monitors, bi-directional audio and video, streaming video and support for USB devices, the company said.

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