GRID test platform reaches APAC shores

Nvidia developed a simple and secure way to test the power of its GRID technology for cloud-delivered graphics acceleration from almost any location. The first of its type, Nvidia's GRID Test Drive is available now in South East Asia and Australia, as well as in China, Taiwan, North America, and the United Kingdom.

Nvidia GRID technology allows knowledge workers and high-end graphics users such as engineers and designers to utilise graphics-rich applications through the cloud anywhere on any device—with the same quality and performance they would have on a professional workstation.

As the demand for virtualised desktop infrastructure (VDI) continues to grow, the Test Drive allows anyone considering VDI, or those frustrated with the performance of their current VDI deployment, to easily test GRID for free and experience the difference of having powerful graphics behind their remote desktops and applications, without first having to build a proof-of-concept private cloud.

The trial provides users with two hours of access to Nvidia GRID technology, which can be used over a series of sessions until exhausted. The Test Drive enables users to securely and seamlessly enjoy graphics-rich applications such as Autodesk AutoCAD, Google Earth, and Siemens Teamcenter—on virtually any connected screen, anywhere. An extended GRID Test Drive using a persistent virtual desktop is available upon request for qualifying customers.

Nvidia GRID has experienced strong customer adoption and engagement among OEM and ISV partners, including Citrix, Dell, HP, Microsoft, and VMware, which continue to add support for virtual GPUs in new product releases.

Ian Song, research manager of Client Devices at IDC, said, "Traditionally, VDI has been limited to task workers and knowledge workers due to high cost, high complexity and low user experience. With the introduction of NVIDIA GRID and its cloud delivery model, VDI can now be made available to everyone in the enterprise workforce including power users and designers."

The trial also provides GRID partners an easy way to demonstrate this technology to customers via onsite virtualised environments or in the cloud.