Desktop Virtualization seems like a great way to save energy and reduce desktop support. But experts warn that technology that can streamline the datacenter doesn’t necessarily translate into a cure-all for the topsy-turvy world of desktop support.

Denise Dubie of Network World explores Desktop Virtualization Pros and Cons and is able to glean some great insights, including…

For John Turner, desktop virtualization isn’t the right move yet. The director of networks and systems at Brandeis University in Waltham, Mass., says his group evaluated the possibility of extending their successful server virtualization implementation to the desktop and the argument didn’t stand up. For one, being a university it would be a challenge to “lock down” a PC image for the majority of students, faculty and others to use. And without solid support for streaming video across the virtual PCs, Turner says he couldn’t sign on just yet.

Also discussed are network and shared storage requirements as well as some economics that penny-pinching–or shortsighted–CIOs may find off-putting. A definite must-read.