Gustavus Technology Services rolled out the latest in technological advancement this semester with the introduction of a new and cutting edge service, the Gustavus Virtual Lab.

The Virtual Lab is a program that allows users to remotely connect to a Windows lab computer from their own personal machines. Gustavus students, faculty and staff can now utilize many of the software programs the school offers from anywhere with an internet connection. This means no more trekking across campus to get access to a computer lab with the right software for a specific project; it can all be reached from the comfort of a dorm room.

The idea behind the Virtual Lab is relatively simple. Gustavus purchased the virtualization software from the leading corporation in the field, VMware. Technology Services then designed a computer image with what software programs and specifications they desired. From there members of the Gustavus community can access that computer image from their own machines over an internet connection, just as if they were sitting down at a computer in one of the computer labs on campus.

All of the actual processing is done on a remote computer server; users just see the image on their own screens. For this reason hardware and software requirements for use are pretty minimal. The program is also available for use on different operating systems. Mac and PC users will find nothing to squabble about here: each can access the Virtual Lab with ease.

The Lab currently has many widely used software programs such as Adobe, Microsoft Office, SPSS and ArcGIS installed. The computer image is also easily modifiable, so any additional software available on campus that doesn’t currently exist on the Virtual Lab can be requested for inclusion by contacting the Technology Helpline.

Jessie Twaddle, Gustavus’ Windows system administrator, is the leader in Virtual Lab technology on campus. He first got the idea of implementing the Virtual Lab system a few years ago and believes that this is where technology is headed.

“This is how I’m envisioning the future. Labs will be used less and less. People will just connect from their own machines,” Twaddle said.

Not only does this system bring many benefits to users, it also helps to increase efficiency for the Technology Services Department. Running updates and fixing specific problems on one computer server is much easier than troubleshooting each individual computer on campus. Also, as more people utilize the Virtual Lab, there will be less need for physical computer labs, a potentially huge cost savings.

Gustavus currently has licensing rights so that fifty people can utilize the Virtual Lab at a time, but if interest and demand grow then the school will look into purchasing more licenses and expanding the service.

The Virtual Lab currently has around 45-50 users a day, and Twaddle is looking to expand its popularity and use on campus. With the cold creeping, now might be a good time to hunker down and experience the computer lab of the future for yourself.

Instructions for installing the necessary software and running the Virtual Lab can be found on the Technology Services website at www.gustavus.edu/gts/Virtual_Lab. Questions, feedback and software suggestions can all be directed to the Technology Helpline by phone or email.