Parallels has launched version 4.0 of its desktop software.

The popular application allows users to seamlessly run Windows, Linux and a variety of other operating systems on Mac OS X.

The new version reportedly boosts performance by up to 50 per cent, and features a range of advanced security, backup and power saving options. In addition, Parallels 4.0 offers full support for DirectX 9, DirectX Pixel Shader 2.0 and OpenGL 2.0.

"Parallels is committed to continuing the innovation that has resulted in Parallels Desktop for Mac winning more than 30 major awards and being a premier Windows-on-Mac virtualisation product," said Serguei Beloussov, CEO of Parallels. "With version 4.0, we're delivering an advanced solution that is easy, fast and powerful - with industry-leading tools and utilities included at no extra cost."

According to Michael Rose of IDC, the rapid growth of desktop virtualisation software has made it easier for Windows users to purchase Macintosh computers.

"The availability of this technology is one of many factors driving growth in the adoption of Mac desktops and notebooks, for which shipments have grown 46.6 per cent between the first half of 2007 and the first half of 2008, according to our data," explained Rose.

As IT Examiner previously reported, Parallels recently kicked off an extensive campaign to market its virtualisation software in India and appointed Mumbai-based Teqdis as its national distributor.

"Virtualisation's real benefit lies in its potential to reduce management and support burdens, improve security and reliability, and lower total cost of ownership. Companies are thinking that the equipment that has to be maintained at the desktop can be very simple - a thin client, or it can be a PC that just runs remote desktop access - so they'll save on desktop hardware costs, and maintenance costs. Plus, they can bring the same kind of availability and functionality to a virtual PC as they did to the [virtual] server," said Ravi Pradhan of Teqdis. X

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