VMware View with Lync VDI Plugin

VMware is widely considered to be the market leader in virtualization technology, primarily due to the popularity of the vSphere product line for server virtualization. VMware has also been able to capitalize on their market share by developing VMware View as one of the more popular enterprise-level VDI products offered. View leverages vSphere to host virtual desktops for a VDI deployment, with the VMware View agent installed as part of the virtual desktop build to allow connections from client systems. The VMware View client is then installed on user desktops or thin client systems to connect to the View VDI desktops.

The presentation protocol used by VMware View is PC-over-IP, more commonly referred to as PCoIP. PCoIP compresses, encrypts, and encodes the user desktop experience at a datacenter and transmits the associated pixels to a VMware View client, with PCoIP integrated.

VMware View 5.0 went through validation testing for Lync 2010, and is therefore already a Microsoft-supported client virtualization product for use with Lync 2010. However, VMware is developing a PCoIP version that will leverage the Lync VDI plugin for use with Lync 2013. This updated PCoIP software will be required to leverage the media redirection capabilities of Lync 2013, resulting in an optimized Lync client experience for users of VMware View. Although the details behind the new PCoIP software along with any related systems requirements are not yet available, no doubt these updated components will result in significant improvements for users who run Lync from a View desktop.