VMware launches virtual desktop app for iPad

iPad corporate users can directly access and control their Windows PCs from their tablets through a new app from VMware.

Launched in Apple's App Store today, the free VMware View app for the iPad is designed for business users who want to be able to access their own office PCs or PCs set up in their company's data center through their tablets. The app can run over a Wi-Fi or 3G connection, allowing people to connect either in or out of the office.

In a blog posted today, VMware said that iPad users can use the tablet's soft keyboard to click, select, and move around their Windows desktop. But the company has also set up support for physical keyboards hooked up to the iPad via the dock or wirelessly through Bluetooth. Taking it a step further, users can even view their Windows PCs on an external monitor or projector connected to the iPad through Apple's VGA adapter.

With its new app, VMware is tapping into PCoIP (PC over Internet Protocol), a protocol from Teradici that boosts the performance and display of remote desktops by sending just the pixels and not the actual data.

Though the View app itself is free, it does require that VMware's View 4.6 client software be installed on the Windows PC. The View client is part of an overall starter kit for enterprises that want to set up and deploy virtual desktops for their employees. Businesses can also download a free 60-day trial version of the View software package to evaluate.

VMware View has already hit No. 1 in "free business apps" in Apple's App Store. The company is promising greater support for the iPad with additional improvements and more capabilities in the coming months.