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Microsoft Publicly Announces Windows Installer Application Virtualization Extension

Thursday, 13 September 2007 by Michel Roth

Yesterday Microsoft publicly announced that they will be releasing some described as "the MSI Utility for Microsoft Application Virtualization" Thincomputing.net reported about this more than a month ago. This "MSI Utility for Microsoft Application Virtualization" was or is also known as the Windows Installer Application Virtualization Extension (WIAVE). I think I like the latter name better.

WIAVE is supposed to be released in Q4 of this year. WIAVE is a utility that will package SoftGrid virtual applications into an MSI file including metadata describing the application. This MSI can then be added to SMS and SCCM and deployed through their normal channels, except when the MSI runs, it simply imports the application and publishes the shortcuts.

These virtual applications will also be viewable by the SMS and SCCM inventory as well. Furthermore, a hotfix for SoftGrid will be released that will allow the importation of applications without an interactively logged on user, so the virtual applications can be loaded behind the scenes when a user is away from the system.

WIAVE will replace the current SoftGrid SMS Connector. WIAVE will be an integral part of SoftGrid 4.5. For earlier versions, WIAVE will be available as a free downloadable utility. It will require an update to 4.1/SP1 or 4.2 SoftGrid client but no changes to sequenced applications or to the sequencing process.