It has been almost two and a half years since VMware originally announced the availability of VMware ACE, the company's virtualization product aimed at giving IT desktop managers the ability to rapidly provision customized, secure and standardized PC environments to any unmanaged endpoint. Fast forward, and VMware is now announcing the second edition of this product - VMware ACE 2.0. With the latest version, use It has been almost two and a half years since VMware originally announced the availability of VMware ACE, the company’s virtualization product aimed at giving IT desktop managers the ability to rapidly provision customized, secure and standardized PC environments to any unmanaged endpoint.Fast forward, and VMware is now announcing the second edition of this product – VMware ACE 2.0. With the latest version, users can now use Linux as a host operating system for ACE user machines. And more importantly, ACE is now integrated with VMware Workstation. Workstation, when licensed with the ACE option pack, can now be used to create and manage ACE virtual machines. Other key features found in VMware ACE 2.0 include: ACE Management Server – The ACE Management Server enables you to manage ACE instances, to dynamically publish policy changes for those instances, and to test and deploy packages more easily. It adds new integration with your Active Directory setups and provides Active Directory/LDAP integration. The SQLite database is embedded in the ACE Management Server, or you can use an external database. ACE Management Server Appliance – The ACE Management Server Appliance is a self-contained, pre-installed, pre-configured ACE Management Server that is packaged with a small operating system in a virtual machine. Using this appliance is the fastest way to get an ACE Management Server running in your environment. Instance View – Instance View enables an administrator to view and control all managed ACE instances. An advanced search function enables you to locate instances in the database quickly. You can also customize the Instance View by adding searchable custom fields. Help Desk – Help Desk is a Web application for use with ACE instances that are managed through an ACE Management Server. Administrators and help desk assistants can use the Help Desk to fix common user problems such as lost passwords and expired instances. Pocket ACE – Pocket ACE enables an administrator to bundle and deploy an ACE onto a USB portable media device, including USB flash drives, Apple iPod mobile digital devices, and portable hard drives. It runs directly from the USB portable media device and can be run with the VMware Player that is bundled with the software. Virtual Printer – VMware ACE includes a virtual printer that enables users to print to any printer available to the host computer from applications inside a virtual machine without installing additional drivers in the virtual machine. Instance Customization (Automated sysprep) – The instance customization feature automates Microsoft Sysprep deployment tools actions and streamlines the process of customizing instances after they have been deployed to user machines. You can download an evaluation of the product or find out more information about it, here. Software Development