The proposed student virtual desktop is design to allow students web access to a desktop providing standard configurations of computer applications used in classrooms. The dynamic nature of software makes deployment difficult for instructors and lab managers using traditional desktop technology. Some students have access to some applications, but not to the extent that can be relied on for classroom teaching.
Most students do have Internet access as do nearly all university students-access computer labs.
A virtual desktop accessible on the Internet could greatly improve the speed of application deployment and student access. The course can make a good class for a pilot of the virtual desktop because the students are learning the same technologies that are used to deploy virtual desktops, making first use glitches a learning experience. One of the goals of ISDS7520 is to give students hands on experience with modern network operating systems and network management software. The challenge is that this software is difficult to deploy in working, general-purpose labs. In the virtual desktop scenario, ICQ can be a more useful communication channel as it will show the user as logged in whenever the user is logged into the virtual desktop.