Which feature is important for effective application virtualization?

The concept of application virtualization revolves around the ability to run applications in an isolated and encapsulated form, independent of the underlying operating system. This encapsulation allows applications to operate without being directly installed on the host OS, which in turn simplifies deployment and management. By using virtualization techniques, applications can be packaged along with all their dependencies, configurations, and any necessary support files. This means they can be executed in different environments without conflict with existing software on the machine. This is key for maintaining compatibility and ensuring a smooth user experience across various user environments.

In contrast, the other options suggest a more traditional method of application deployment, which can lead to issues such as version conflicts, dependency problems, and a more cumbersome installation process. For effective application virtualization, the encapsulated approach is crucial for flexibility, ease of updates, and streamlined management.