  We evaluate the method of optical and infrared Surface Brightness
Fluctuations (SBF) as a distance indicator and its application on 8-m class
telescopes, such as the Very Large Telescope (VLT). The novelty of our approach
resides in the development of Monte Carlo simulations of SBF observations
incorporating realistic elliptical galaxy stellar population models, the
effects induced by globular clusters and background galaxies, instrumental
noise, sky background and PSF blurring. We discuss, for each band and in
different observational conditions, the errors on distance measurements arising
from stellar population effects, data treatment and observational constraints.
With 8-m class telescopes, one can extend I-band SBF measurements out to
6000-10000 km/s. Integration times in the K-band are too expensive from the
ground, due to the high infrared background for large-scale distance
determination projects. Nevertheless ground-based K-band measurements are
necessary to understand stellar population effects on the SBF calibration, and
to prepare future space-based observations, where this band is more efficient.
