The “year of desktop virtualization” has been touted for almost a decade. In practical terms, technology and service providers need to cater to its varying market characteristics, which represent an array of technologies best suited to particular needs across industry and geographic boundaries. Gartner’s current research agenda for client computing aims to examine five major transitions that impact organizations today. This document explores the first of these transitions — namely, desktop virtualization’s crossing into the mainstream — from the perspective of technology and service providers.