Symantec has released an update to its Software Virtualisation Solution that adds Windows Vista support and allows applications to be streamed to users on demand instead of needing to be installed on each client system.

Altiris Software Virtualisation Solution (SVS) already allows applications to be deployed in a middleware layer that decouples them from the operating system, enabling software to be effectively added or removed from PCs at the touch of a button. Symantec acquired Altiris earlier in 2007.

Version 2.1 of SVS adds two key improvements; it bundles server software from AppStream that enables applications to be streamed on demand to user desktops, and applications packaged in SVS can also now run on Windows Vista.

Vista compatibility is "not just a checkbox item," according to Altiris systems engineering manager Mark Boggia. It can help IT departments manage a migration to Vista because any applications now running on SVS with Windows XP will work unmodified with Vista, he claimed.

"People got caught out with application compatibility issues when they moved to XP, but the problems will be much worse with Vista," Boggia said. Using SVS to deploy applications, "you can create a virtual layer with all required DLLs, and your application just works. It reduces application compatibility issues, and you don’t have to do any re-packaging or testing" he added.

Equally significant is the inclusion of AppStream's server to support streaming of software. This on-demand delivery means that applications do not have to be installed onto each client on a network, easing administration.

"You can advertise a shortcut to an application, which the user double-clicks to access. An empty layer is then generated on-the-fly and AppStream fills it with the required components," said Boggia.

The layers can be removed when the user quits the application, leaving no trace of it behind. Because the application is not actually installed on any client system, firms might be able to use this to save on the licence costs covering some applications, according to Boggia.

Available immediately, Altiris SVS 2.1 costs from £18.90 per node, with the Professional version with streaming support priced from £35.80 per node. SVS is also available as part of the Altiris Client Management Suite.