Spoon Server: Best of TechEd Interview

Today I interviewed Spoon Founder and CEO Kenji Obata about Spoon Server.

Spoon is an application virtualization platform that works over the Internet.

"The idea of Spoon is that you'll never have to install software," Obata said. You also won't have to patch or manage it.

Obata said that standard cloud-based applications save admins the trouble of patching and managing, but the downside of those technologies is that you're limited to what browser technologies such as Java can handle. He said Spoon Server lets you combine the advantages of cloud apps with standard local apps.

"It really hits all kinds… anyone who has a desktop application, essentially," Obata said.

Obata said essentially all Windows applications—including those that use SQL Server of IIS—are compatible with Spoon Server. Application installations don't need drivers, reboots, or privileges, and Spoon Server can handle 32- and 64-bit apps (although 64-bit apps require a 64-bit client OS). It's also able to run applications that usually wouldn't run on a current version of Windows, because it uses virtualized Windows resources (like the System32 folder).

"It's outstanding for Windows 7 migration," Obata said.

 There's a free consumer-targeted version at Spoon.net, and Spoon Server is basically an on-premise version of the same software. It can provide an app store model to users, and once its applications are cached, users can disconnect from the Internet. Settings and data—which can be synced to Spoon Server—are automatically synced once the user's back online.

Spoon Server is licensed per seat, with a $40 MSRP. Visit the Spoon website for more information.