OnLive Expands Virtual Desktops to Android Tablet Devices

Remember OnLive, the video game company that has been leveraging its server know-how for desktop virtualization? The company has moved beyond the iOS ecosystem, making available OnLive Desktop for Android-based tablets. What does OnLive’s consumer-based virtualization solution tell us about the channel and the future of mobility? Let’s take a look …

The proliferation of virtualized desktops, such as OnLive’s offering, is a fascinating phenomena. Although we’ve jumped into the tablet world, letting go of the desktop paradigm has been difficult. People love their tablets, but cling to their desktop applications and the familiarity of the Windows environment. So much so that even large companies such as VMware have spent considerable time ensuring their tablet clients provide a smooth, usable desktop environment.

But consider the following: Most companies leveraging desktop virtualization right now could be gearing up for the next big thing: the virtualization of Windows 8, complete with the Metro interface. Suddenly, OnLive’s strategy doesn’t seem so obtuse. As soon as Windows 8 hits later this year, there likely will be a huge buzz around Windows 8 tablets, yet existing tablet owners may think it excessive or wasteful to spend money on a Windows 8 tablet as well. OnLive solves that problem — anyone with a tablet would be able to jump to the cloud and leverage their virtual Windows 8 environment, complete with all the Metro-style love.

Essentially, this represents a world where a consumers can eat their cake and have it, too. Android, iOS, it doesn’t matter, because Windows 8 can be easily delivered to that device. Need to do something specialized? Drop back into iOS or Android. Time for some work or more sophisticated computing? Log back into the cloud. It’s really that easy.

So here’s some additional food for thought as 2012 rolls on. If the base operating system of a tablet eventually becomes secondary, are we on the precipice of a world with tablet-style thin clients? A paradigm shift like that not only could shake up the channel, but reshape the mobile device management world as a whole. Does that sound cool or just plain crazy? Drop us a comment or let it linger on your mind as we slip into the weekend.