Citrix Systems this week said it has officially begun shipping its new desktop virtualization solution, Citrix XenDesktop.
XenDesktop, which will be co-marketed with Microsoft, is a new desktop delivery solution that allows companies to virtualize Windows desktops in the datacenter and deliver them on-demand to office workers in any location.
According to Citirx, unlike first-generation virtual desktop infrastructure (VDI) technologies, XenDesktop is a comprehensive end-to-end desktop delivery system that simplifies desktop management and reduces the cost of traditional desktop computing by up to 40%.
XenDesktop separates applications from the desktop’s operating system, provisioning them independently at runtime from new master images thus; end users get a fresh new desktop at each login that is fast, secure, personalized and free from the corruption and conflicts that plague traditional desktop solutions.
The solution further aims to enhance end-user experience by using a high-speed delivery protocol that provides instant access to Windows desktops and applications over any network, regardless of how far away users are from the corporate datacenter.
According to industry estimates, managing a typical end-user desktop can now cost over 5,000 dollars a year per employee, an investment level that is coming under increasing scrutiny in many companies around the world. Unfortunately, this extraordinarily high level of investment still cannot keep pace with the rapid increase in application conflicts and corruptions that degrade user performance, reduce employee productivity and increase the risk of data loss and security exposure.
“Desktop virtualization has shown some promise in addressing key challenges with traditional desktop deployment. However, the limitations of existing technologies do not yet sufficiently address the myriad amount of challenges associated with a server-based desktop infrastructure,” said Michael Rose, associate research analyst, IDC.
“As this market continues to emerge, new technology must more adequately address user experience, and provide the ability to scale beyond a few hundred users. An effective desktop delivery solution must merge scalability, lifecycle management and superior user experience in order to be broadly applicable in the enterprise." |
