The Enterprise Case for Instant-On Laptops

[Sunite]

The Enterprise Case for Instant-On Laptops
By Mark Long
November 8, 2007 1:13PM

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Although mobile workers will find the concept of instant-on laptops powered by newly introduced BIOS technologies attractive, CIOs are not going to buy a white box, said Gartner's Leslie Fiering. "First the technology needs to become available in enterprise-class systems that offer higher levels of reliability and platform stability," she said.

Related Topics
   Phoenix
   BIOS
   Laptops
   Notebook PCs
   Windows
   Linux
   Security

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   New virtualization platforms for laptops are currently in the works that promise to give notebook Relevant Products/Services users instant-on access to selected applications without having to wait for Windows to boot. Announced last month by San Jose-based startup DeviceVM, Splashtop was first down the chute, followed by Phoenix Technologies' HyperSpace platform, which was unveiled earlier this week.

Both offerings target the computer's BIOS -- the core PC software responsible for loading the operating system and initializing all system components. By adding another layer on top of the BIOS, the two platforms allow dedicated core services to run side-by-side with, or even in place of, Windows.

"For a technology that's deep like this, the actual customers will be the laptop OEMs and the ODMs," said Gartner research vice president Leslie Fiering. It will be up to them to determine the product classes in which the technology first appears, she noted.

Laptop-makers are most likely to use the technology initially as a potential "product differentiator" in the consumer market, Fiering said. "This will certainly be attractive to mobile notebook users," she noted.

Selling CIOs

Although many mobile workers might find the concept highly attractive, CIOs are not going to go out and buy a white box, Fiering noted. "First the technology needs to become available in enterprise-class systems that offer higher levels of reliability and platform stability," she said.

Moreover, enterprise users typically boot their systems while they check their voice mail or take off their coats in the morning, so there is essentially no wasted time to recover, noted AMR Research director Ian Finley. "Then during the day, laptop users put their laptops to sleep and don't have to boot multiple times."

On the other hand, Fiering said she believes that once the technology becomes a component of a highly stable product line, CIOs might find it attractive. "Not if they have to pay a premium for it, but, all things considered, it might prove to be a tie-breaker," she said.

"Longer battery life is measurable and attractive for CIOs," Fiering added. "Enhanced security Relevant Products/Services is also potentially of interest, but it will depend on how the OEMs implement it and how it can become integrated as a part of the stable environment" that CIOs are always looking for.

Security Enhancements

Both offerings promise to enhance laptop security because the enabling technology operates independently of the computer's primary operating system. With HyperSpace, security lies at the BIOS level, which lies underneath Windows, and is turned on instantly, a Phoenix spokesperson noted. "It's like having a force or army outside of a fort, restricting what goes in and out," he said.

HyperSpace will serve up applications even when Windows is booting, resuming, updating, or even when Windows itself is on the fritz. Laptop users will be able to conserve limited battery life -- yet keep on computing -- by suspending Windows while they are on the go. In addition, HyperSpace will enable PC vendors "to remotely restore customers' PCs and deliver security that is far more powerful than what is possible today," noted Phoenix CTO Gaurav Banga.

PC motherboard manufacturer ASUS already has agreed to start integrating Splashtop into the BIOS for its upcoming motherboard products. For its part, Phoenix says we can expect to see HyperSpace-enabled laptops on sale in the Spring of 2008.