Virtual software systems, also known as 'application virtualization' technologies, allow users to run numerous programs that aren’t installed on their devices by installing a single piece of client software or a web interface, and using it to connect to virtual computers hosted on a central server on which the programs actually run. This enables Android, iOS or Mac users to easily access software that is only written for Windows, for example. Lehigh now uses AWS AppStream for this, and has a customized implementation called 'LUapps'.
Users first select which virtual environment they need depending on the software they require, and once connected to the LUapps environment, they see a desktop with icons for the various software available. Note: the programs on the system default to using network storage for opening and saving files, and users are advised to familiarize themselves with available storage options.