These two products are both aimed at the application lifecycle. This involves packaging, deployment, updates, support and termination.
Both products provide tools for repackaging applications for execution on computers in an environment that virtualises the file system and registry. By running applications in these virtualised ‘bubbles’ the application can be run on computers without requiring installation and also resolves conflicts such as DLL versions.
Softricity SoftGrid repackages applications into a single file that is ’streamed’ to the client for execution inside a virtual environment. Streaming the application means that the whole package does not need to be copied to the client for execution - only those components that are executed are downloaded by the client. However, in real-world deployments, it would be best for the client to download the whole package to provide the best experience for the user. Applications are executed from a virtual drive letter mapped into the streamed file.
Altiris Software Virtualisation Solution repackages applications into a ZIP file that is unpacked on the client to an alternate file (C:\fslrdr) and registry location. Applications or layers are then activated or deactivated as required. Once a layer is activated the redirector driver makes the applications folder and registry entries appear to be in their correct location on the computer and thus the application executes normally.
Both products provide self provisioning options, where users can select the applications they require and these are downloaded to the client for execution. Softricity SoftGrid provides a client for Terminal Server where the Altiris Software Virtualisation Solution currently does not. Both products provide integration into Microsoft Systems Management Server (SMS).
Softricity are focused soley on virtualising the application and due to the way in which their product works are probably the only true application virtualisation vendors. For more information on SoftGrid go here: http://www.softricity.com/products/index.asp and here: http://www.softricity.com/products/howitworks.asp
Altiris are aiming to manage the whole client - the operating system and applications. The next version of Software Virtualisation Solution will be able to virtualise OS hotfixes and be integrated with Protect and further managed with Client Management Suite. For more information on SVS see the following webcast: http://www.altiris.com/juice/articles/99.asp?id=5
Brian Madden has some good articles on Softricity and application virtualisation: http://www.brianmadden.com/subject.asp?ID=18
