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Making Things Easier Thanks to Application Virtualization

By: Artem Razin Click author's name for more of his/her articles

Your position is probably well-known to many in your business. You have something you want to share with people but they may not have all the programs needed to experience it. They may not be too willing to install a lot of programs on their machine. Or maybe you have a program you use on the go but you can't use it on many systems because you aren't able to install things on the machine or because you can't use the installer. For these situations, you need a better answer. You might even need application virtualization.

Different Challenges

Whether you're concerned about the ability of your end users to access the software you're providing them or you want to run software portably that require ActiveX and similar software to start smoothly, you have probably experienced the same challenges. This can be upsetting and can interfere with your plans in several ways.

If you're attempting to market a software demo movie that requires a Flash ActiveX player, for instance, you're going to be wasting your time if most of the consumers don't have the necessary software installed on their system. Even if they do have the software installed, the player can't play files from the computer's memory. The movie you want to play needs to be part of the software, too. This can be quite a problem and can be a big setback to your marketing endeavor.

Or what if you've got a favorite portable program that, incidentally, also needs Active X to play but most of the computers you use don't already have these programs installed and using the application requires that ActiveX be loaded automatically so there's no time for installation through the system. Do you just give up attempting to use that program or file anywhere but at home?

An Innovative Solution

These and other challenges can now be mended through application virtualization. While the phrase may sound like something out of a science fiction story, it accurately explains what BoxedApp SDK (http://boxedapp.com/) can do for you.

Basically, the application allows you to simply create virtual files, create virtual registry keys, embed ActiveX, embed DLL, and more so that you can load the applications you want and can create pre-packaged files that operate the way you want them to on your system and on buyer's machines without the need for extra installation of files. This works because BoxedApp SDK (http://boxedapp.com/) literally tricks the computer into thinking the needed files are already there.

The best part is that no temporary files are made as part of the process so you can use the virtual files created with the program on any system even those which don't allow things to be written onto their hard drive. The end user won't even see the files you've created and are using to run the software. It's all thanks to application virtualization.

The program is amazingly versatile and includes samples from C++, Delphi, VB6, C#, and VB.Net. You'll find a wide range of uses for this helpful program and the virtual files it can create.