But while virtualization ROI is "a slam dunk" in the server space, client virtualization has always been a tough sell, he pointed out.

Intel's own IT group implemented a program called the Dynamic Virtual Client, a term borrowed from one of the company's product strategies. Virtual containers in particular are the "ultimate direction" Intel is heading towards, he said.

A locally installed OS with application virtualization is one way to abstract one layer and might serve as a good example for mobile computing, said Dunlop. Streamed OS and applications is a delivery mechanism for desktop usages, which Intel is applying to shared PCs and training rooms, he pointed out.

But the virtual container solution is where things are heading, he said. "That is the notion of having a client native hypervisor sitting right on the hardware that allows you to have one or more containers," said Dunlop.

The architecture moving forward is a hardware layer with Vpro technology, and top of that, a client native hypervisor. "This isn't science fiction anymore," said Dunlop.