Kingston U Expands Desktop Virtualization to All HTML5-Enabled Devices

Kingston University is providing its students and staff with access to the university's entire online student learning environment from any device running an HTML5-enabled browser.

In August 2010, Kingston University in London, England began the process of implementing the Quest vWorkspace desktop virtualization solution and Microsoft Windows Server 2008 R2 Hyper-V virtualization technology to provide its students and staff with virtual access to their university desktop and learning resources anywhere, any time, on a wide range of devices. The goal was to provide students with the flexibility to use their own computers and also to support the university's 1,500 distance learning students.

The university is now expanding its virtualization initiative to include Ericom AccessNow for Quest vWorkspace, which will enable students and staff to access their desktops and applications from any HTML5-enabled device, including Windows, Mac, Linux, Chromebook, iPad, iPhone, Android, BlackBerry, and Playbook. AccessNow for Quest vWorkspace runs entirely inside the browser, without the use of agents or plugins. Users simply open their browser, enter the URL for the university's server, and log in. They then have full access to their university desktop and learning resource applications within their Web browser.

Ericom AccessNow runs natively in Chrome, Safari, Firefox, Internet Explorer, and any other browser with HTML5 and WebSockets support, without Flash, Java, or any other software installed on the client. It works on all devices, regardless of CPU architecture, and has a consistent user interface across all devices.

"We want to make our systems as accessible as possible from every device possible," said Daniel Bolton, technical architect, Kingston University in a prepared statement. "AccessNow--Ericom's HTML5 RDP client--enables us to reach more users in different ways. If a user needs a quick, simple way to connect to a Quest vWorkspace desktop comprising core, good old-fashioned Microsoft Office and software like IBM SPSS, or to other inline applications, from whatever device, Ericom AccessNow is the best way to do that. This is especially true now that we're beginning to see more and more students with the Google Chromebook wandering about campus."

Kingston University serves approximately 25,000 undergraduate and graduate students and employs nearly 3,000 faculty and staff at its four campuses in Kingston upon Thames in southwest London. It was established in 1899 as the Kingston Technical Institute and was granted university status in 1992.

About the Author

Leila Meyer is a technology writer based in British Columbia. She can be reached at [email protected].

Featured

  • From Fire TV to Signage Stick: University of Utah's Digital Signage Evolution

    Jake Sorensen, who oversees sponsorship and advertising and Student Media in Auxiliary Business Development at the University of Utah, has navigated the digital signage landscape for nearly 15 years. He was managing hundreds of devices on campus that were incompatible with digital signage requirements and needed a solution that was reliable and lowered labor costs. The Amazon Signage Stick, specifically engineered for digital signage applications, gave him the stability and design functionality the University of Utah needed, along with the assurance of long-term support.

  • abstract illustration of a glowing pathway curving upward, with floating symbols of a graduation cap, a briefcase, and a tech icon, alongside two silhouetted figures

    Arkansas Community Colleges Tap Education Design Lab to Expand College-to-Career Pipeline

    A new program in Arkansas aims to create more community college pathways for learners to attain job-ready skills.

  • minimalist bookcase filled with textbooks featuring vibrant, solid-colored spines with no text, and a prominent number "25" displayed on one of the shelves

    OpenStax Celebrates 25th Anniversary

    OpenStax is celebrating its 25th anniversary as 2024 comes to a close. The open educational resources initiative from Rice University has served almost 37 million students in 153 countries and saved students nearly $3 billion in course material costs since its launch in 1999.

  • a glowing golden coin with a circuit board pattern, set against a gradient blue and white background with faint stock market graphs and metallic letters "AI" integrated into the design

    Google to Invest $1 Billion in AI Startup Anthropic

    Google is reportedly investing more than $1 billion in generative AI startup Anthropic, expanding its stake in one of Silicon Valley's leading artificial intelligence firms, according to a source familiar with the matter.