The deal is a logical complement to the VDI technology, in that Thinstall promises what is in effect an immaculate conception installation process. That is, it packages up install files as self-contained executables that uses the local client for processing, but leaves no footprints. Theoretically that gives you the best of both worlds: the ability to perform operations like printing without having to go back to the server or alter the configuration of your local machine. In recent years, Citrix has chimed in with a rival tool.

VMware plans to incorporate Thinstall’s no-touch installation services into its virtual desktop offering that customers typically host on servers inside their firewall.

Although VMware doesn't spin it this way, what they offer is an alternative to Software-as-a-Service platform providers, the most notable being Salesforce. Both are promoting similar zero software install approaches to lowering cost of ownership, although Salesforce’s focus has been business application rather than desktop application focus. But this approach could become an area of cooptition, because there’s nothing preventing SaaS providers frorm embracing the VMware (or Citrix) offering to deliver what analyst and ZDNet blogger Dana Gardner terms Desktop-as-a-Service.

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