Parallels Desktop 20 for Mac Launches with New AI Toolkit and Management Tools for Businesses
Published: Sep 10, 2024
Key Takeaways:
- Parallels Desktop 20 introduces a new AI package, offering a pre-configured virtual machine with 14 AI development tools.
- Users will experience up to an 80% performance increase for certain tasks on Windows 11 VMs.
- The new Enterprise Edition includes advanced management tools, security policies, and per-user licensing options.
Parallels has announced the release of Parallels Desktop 20 for macOS. Parallels Desktop for Mac lets Mac users run macOS, Windows, and various Linux distributions in virtual machines, and it’s currently the only officially supported solution for using Windows 11 on Apple Silicon Macs.
Parallels Desktop 20 for Mac includes a new Parallels AI package, which provides a pre-configured virtual machine with 14 AI development toolsets, sample code, as well as detailed instructions. The AI VM works completely offline and lets users disable network access and customize resources according to their needs.
“As PCs become more AI-capable, we believe AI will soon be standard on every desktop. This shift challenges developers to update their applications to fully leverage AI-enabled PCs,” said Prashant Ketkar, CTO at Parallels. “That’s why we created the Parallels AI Package: to equip development teams—whether experts or beginners—with accessible AI models and code suggestions. This enables ISVs to build AI-enabled applications in minutes, significantly boosting productivity for every software development team using a Mac.”
The new Parallels AI package is included at no extra cost for customers with Parallels Desktop for Mac Business and Enterprise editions. It is also available for free to Parallels Desktop for Mac Pro users throughout 2024.
According to Parallels, users running Windows 11 version 24H2 VMs on Apple Silicon Macs should experience up to an 80 percent performance boost for certain workloads. Moreover, the latest version of Parallels Desktop for Mac brings a new shared folders technology to offer better compatibility with Windows apps. Users will notice that operations on Mac files in Linux virtual machines will be four times faster.
What’s new for IT admins in Parallels Desktop 20 for Mac?
Parallels has also launched a new Enterprise Edition for businesses. It comes with a new management portal that helps IT administrators deploy, manage, and monitor Parallels Desktop virtual machines within their organizations. This new edition offers premium support, onboarding services, as well as advanced licensing options.
Additionally, the Parallels Desktop Enterprise edition lets IT admins protect their virtual machines with security policies, including VM restrictions, deletions, and other parental controls. It also offers a per-user licensing option with SSO/SAML/SCIM integration. Parallels says that existing Business Edition customers can upgrade to Enterprise Edition at any time.
Last but not least, Parallels Desktop 20 for Mac allows administrators to convert the existing bundle package into a flat package format that is compatible with the popular MDM providers. Additionally, admins can now link a cloud-stored virtual machine in the package for MDMs with file size limitations.
Parallels offers the subscription version of Parallels Desktop for Mac at $99 per year, while the perpetual license is priced at $129.99. Users can upgrade from any previous version for $69.99. For more details on pricing for the Mac Pro, Business, and Enterprise Editions, we invite you to visit the official website.