Certain aspects direct to a computing device for launching a virtual machine at a hypervisor. In certain embodiments, the computing device is a thin client or a zero client, which stores a user interface (UI), a first virtual desktop client (VDC) and a communication module. The UI receives input from a user of the computing device, and initializes the first VDC locally. The first VDC communicates with a first virtual machine (VM) hosted by a hypervisor of a remote computer system, receives desktop video display signals from the first VM, and sends signals associated with input from a user to the VM hosted by the hypervisor. The communication module constructs a first web-services message in accordance with a first web services protocol, and sends the first web-services message to the hypervisor, wherein the first web-services message instructs the hypervisor to perform a hypervisor management function.