Bring back Zero Touch (SoftGrid/App-V)

Article by Danny Knox

Microsoft – why did you kill the radio star?  The application virtualization product formerly known as SoftGrid prior to Microsoft’s purchase had a fledgling web based self-service application provisioning tool called Zero Touch.  Sure, it sounds like the image deployment methodology from Microsoft called “zero touch” but why kill it?  Re-brand it and offer it – nothing new there.  That’s pretty common MS practice.  MED-V is still blush with Kidaro brand colors and its former artwork.

Once logged in to SoftGrid’s Zero Touch you could provision your own apps or make request to your manager or an approver for anything not approved.

In the absence of a Microsoft offering Virtual World blog (which is Microsoft – hmmm) is reporting that Immido AppScriber 2.0 is now available.

Eerily odd the feature list looks like a close cousin to Zero Touch.  In the absence of their own product once again Microsoft will be playing catch-up if they ever decide this market is worth the entry.  And why wouldn’t it – making it easier for folks to get their apps without making a call to the helpdesk or opening a ticket for something that if you’re already approved for kind of makes sense.

We get asked often at CompuCom if Microsoft has a virtual app self provisioning tool.  We tear up and remember when . . . welcome AppScriber.