Introduction to Microsoft Enterprise Desktop Virtualization (MED-V)

  • Article

Applies To: Microsoft Enterprise Desktop Virtualization

A newer version of the Microsoft Enterprise Desktop Virtualization (MED-V) documentation library is now available. To view the most recent MED-V documentation library, see https://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkID=167079.

Intended Audience

This Microsoft® Enterprise Desktop Virtualization Planning, Deployment, and Operations Guide provides background information about MED-V, installing MED-V, and how it works and explains how to correctly use the product.

The intended audience is MED-V administrators and IT personnel.

MED-V Introduction

MED-V uses Microsoft Virtual PC to provide an enterprise solution for desktop virtualization. With MED-V, you can easily create, deliver, and manage corporate Virtual PC images on any Windows®-based desktop.

MED-V is an integral component of the Microsoft Desktop Optimization Pack, a dynamic solution available to Software Assurance customers, which helps reduce application deployment costs, enables delivery of applications as services, and helps to better manage and control enterprise desktop environments.

Enable Legacy Applications and Accelerate Upgrades to New Operating Systems

Incompatibility of legacy applications with new versions of Windows can often delay enterprise upgrades to the latest version of Windows. Testing and migrating applications takes time, and users are unable to take advantage of the new capabilities and enhancements offered by the newest operating system.

By delivering applications in a Virtual PC that runs a previous version of the operating system (for example, Windows XP or Windows 2000), MED-V removes the barriers to operating system upgrades and allows administrators to complete testing and to deal with incompatible applications after the upgrade.

From the user's perspective, these applications are accessible from the standard desktop Start menu and appear side-by-side with native applications—so there is minimal change to the user experience.