Citrix is developing a "bare metal" hypervisor for client PCs.

Most hypervisors for the client today are "Type 2", which are installed on a PC's host OS. A bare metal hypervisor is installed with the firmware beneath the OS, directly on the computer's "bare metal."

If the new hypervisor works, and Citrix is working with Intel to make sure it does, then it will help the use of desktop virtualisation by overcoming some of the technology's shortcomings.

It should be available in the second half of the year with the first release of a new product code-named Project Independence, which Citrix says will make it easier to create and centrally manage virtual desktop images for PCs used in the workplace.

A bare metal hypervisor runs separately of the client OS and this provides better security and performance for end users.  Applications don't need to be stored on a server but can be bought down to the client level.

These are the sorts of problems which have kept client virtualisation solutions and usage models from being broadly adopted in the past.