Announcing the MED-V 2.0 public beta - The MED-V Blog - Site Home

Hi, I’m Dave Trupkin, Senior Product Manager for Microsoft Enterprise Desktop Virtualization (MED-V) and Microsoft Application Virtualization (App-V), the two desktop virtualization components of the Microsoft Desktop Optimization Pack (MDOP).

Today I have great news. I’m happy to announce the availability of the MED-V 2.0 public beta, which you can download now from Microsoft Connect. Let’s take a look at what’s new in this latest release – features which are largely based on your feedback!

No dedicated MED-V infrastructure to deploy - MED-V 2.0 workspaces are deployed and managed using existing electronic software distribution (ESD) systems, including System Center Configuration Manager (SCCM) 2007 R2 or higher.
Streamlined sign-on to the MED-V workspace - Users can save their passwords for seamless sign-on to the MED-V workspace.
Automatic application publishing – New applications deployed to MED-V workspaces, including App-V virtual applications, are available to the Windows 7 host automatically.
My Documents and Desktop redirection - Legacy applications work just like locally installed applications when it comes to opening, saving and printing documents.
USB device/SmartCard support - USB devices, including thumb drives and Smartcard readers can be shared between the host and applications running in the MED-V workspace.
New Internet Explorer redirection options - IT administrators can redirect legacy web applications using wildcards (http://*.example.com), sites (http://www.example.com/hr), at the page-level (http://www.example.com/hr/benefits.asp) or by specifying a port (http://vpn.example.com:1234)
Automated guest hibernation at shutdown – The MED-V workspace is seamlessly suspended when the user logs off or shuts down the Windows 7 host.

If you have legacy Windows XP or Internet Explorer 6/7 applications that are slowing down your Windows 7 deployment plans, don’t let them stand in your way. The MED-V team has worked hard to ensure MED-V 2.0 is easy for IT professionals to deploy and manage and seamless for end-users to use. Download the MED-V 2.0 Beta today, test it in your lab and let us know what you think!

Be sure to follow the MED-V Blog in the coming weeks, as we dive deeper into the new features you’ll find in the MED-V 2.0 beta.

If you’re attending Tech·Ed Europe 2010, I’d love to hear from you in person. Stop by the Desktop Virtualization booth to see a demo of MED-V 2.0 or to just say “Hello!”

Dave Trupkin | Senior Product Manager