Young Saudis are now well versed in new information technology and the Internet, computer experts said during a forum on Understanding Desktop Virtualization held at the Asharqia Chambers and organized by Conti-Tech a local IT solutions company. Many young Saudi IT practitioners, including women, students, and IT managers from various companies, attended the forum. “IT and the Internet have increased the interaction that young Saudis have with each other and with society in general, thanks to the revolution taking place in the computer and IT industries,” said Prem Prakash, general manager of Conti-Tech. He said that 20 years ago, young Saudis experienced the PC revolution, which increased their ability to connect to people and institutions. “Now comes desktop virtualization, a new phase that provides wider appreciation of the power of computing,” Prakash said. Desktop virtualization is the concept of separating the personal computer desktop environment from the physical machine through a client-server computing model. The resulting “virtualized” desktop is stored on a remote central server, instead of on the local storage of a remote client. “Desktop virtualization allows users to access their desktops on any device, such as traditional PCs, notebook computers, smartphones, and other devices,” said Kadri Umay, representative of Microsoft in Saudi Arabia. Prakash said that because the virtual desktop revolution is being used in leading companies like Saudi Aramco and Sabic and in banks, universities, and industries, young Saudis now embrace desktop virtualization to keep themselves abreast of developments in the computing world. “Desktop virtualization is a revolution, like the PC revolution before. It will provide the young Saudis of today with great advantages in their workplaces and homes,” he said.
