Much of the attention devoted to cloud issues comes from server folks. But desktops can also benefit, according to Microsoft, who is hosting a webinar on the subject on June 22.

Microsoft describes it thusly:
Hosted by Windows IT Pro Community Manager Stephen Rose, who will be joined by Microsoft Technical Fellow Mark Russinovich and other desktop subject matter experts and customers, this Virtual Roundtable will cover Windows IntuneTM, Windows AzureTM, Microsoft Office 365®, and desktop virtualization. How will these technologies impact the desktop? What is possible between the cloud and the desktop today? What are the steps you can take to quickly scale and manage users and devices without having to invest in a large infrastructure? The panel will tackle these questions and dig into PC management best practices, the challenges of protecting and supporting remote users, and how to provide the latest productivity services to businesses.


You can sign up here: ms.istreamplanet.com/springboard/

You're absolutely right - cloud and desktop are increasingly intertwined. Over the past few weeks, I've had long conversations with tablet (e.g., RIM, Samsung) and thin client (Wyse) vendors, software vendors (VMware, Microsoft), and CIOs, and the idea that tablets/cloud provide an important alternative (to the desktop) user experience on the one hand, and that VDI is and should be an important component of desktop strategy on the other, is becoming more prevalent in all corners...

Smartphones, too, are increasingly entwined with the cloud. Microsoft's Windows Phone 7, for example, relies heavily on its "Hub" system - basically transparent integration with the cloud.

We can't neglect security anywhere any more.