Citrix Systems

Citrix Pushes Embedding XenServer With Extended OEM Incentive Program

July 2, 2008 by Robin Wauters Leave a Comment

Citrix has extended its Citrix Advisor Rewards program today to pay channel partners on sales of Citrix XenServer software that ships as an embedded feature in servers from original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) like HP.

The program, originally introduced in 2004, pays Citrix Solution Advisors for designing and delivering solutions based on Citrix application delivery products, even if a different channel partner ultimately fulfills the order. Extending the program to include embedded versions of XenServer eliminates any potential channel conflict with OEM partners and ensures strong incentives across the board by compensating partners that influence embedded XenServer deals as well as those who fulfill them.

Citrix has announced several OEM agreements in recent months to embed XenServer in servers from systems vendors such as HP. As a result of today’s announcement, the Citrix Advisor Rewards program now pays channel partners on sales of these products, effectively eliminating potential channel conflict and focusing the extensive expertise of Citrix Solution Advisors on delivering the best possible solutions to customers.

“Customers want to implement virtualization with reduced risk, and HP understands that the channel is essential to meeting those requirements,” said Scott Farrand, vice president, Industry Standard Server Software, HP. “Citrix’s new channel program enables partners to offer a comprehensive virtualization solution that integrates the power of HP ProLiant servers with the rich functionality of the Citrix XenServer HP Select Edition from a single, reliable source.”

INetU Powers Virtualized Dedicated Hosting With Citrix XenServer

June 16, 2008 by Robin Wauters Leave a Comment

Managed web hosting company INetU recently announced it has selected, after extensive research and testing, Citrix Systems’ XenServer for the launch of its new virtualization offering. INetU will be managing virtual servers for clients running Microsoft Windows and Red Hat Linux.

Dev Chanchani, President and CEO of INetU noted,

”We selected Citrix XenServer for a variety of factors. Some of those factors included strong Industry support from Microsoft and HP, along with impressive benchmarks and appealing management features. We feel strongly about the benefits virtualization brings within a managed hosting environment. Our support of virtualized environments allows our clients and prospects to start taking advantages of virtualization. For example, clients can quickly deploy additional servers to increase scalability or quickly migrate their virtualized servers to newer hardware without the hassle of reconfiguring a new server setting by setting.”

[Source: TheHostingNews]

Microsoft Officially Launches Server Virtualization Validation Program

June 11, 2008 by Robin Wauters 3 Comments

Microsoft‘s Server Virtualization Validation Program, which was first announced in November 2007, has become operational yesterday, with the patricipation of Citrix, Sun, Novell and Virtual Iron.

The Server Virtualization Validation Program (SVVP) is open to any vendor who delivers a virtualization machine solution that hosts Windows Server 2008, Windows 2000 Server Service Pack 4 and Windows Server 2003 Service Pack 2 and subsequent service packs. The virtualization solution can either be hypervisor-based or a hosted solution.

The costs associated with joining the program include membership in TSAnet at Mission Critical level, so that the vendor and Microsoft can share support information, incremental costs, if any, to perform the validation tests, and a nominal expense (currently $250) to qualify each ‘configuration’ that is submitted for validation.

Russ Naples Leaves Citrix To Head Product Development At Vizioncore

May 28, 2008 by Robin Wauters Leave a Comment

After spending 13 years in increasingly important product development roles at Citrix, beginning as a director in testing and rising to VP of product development for the company, Russ Naples has joined Vizioncore as Senior VP of product development reporting directly to Vizioncore president and chief operating officer Chris Akerberg.

“We are at a pivotal point for taking products that have been highly successful in our initial phase as a company to the next level in meeting customer needs,” said Akerberg. “A seasoned engineer with the kind of product development experience that Russ brings to the table is exactly what we need to deliver more solutions better and faster to customers, and I am delighted to have Russ as part of the leadership team.”

Before Citrix, Naples served as project lead in General Electric’s Systems Integration, Test and Quality Department and has experience teaching management science courses at the university level. Naples holds a Master’s in Business Administration from Chapman University in addition to a Bachelor’s Degree in Mechanical Engineering from the Rochester Institute of Technology, and has served on several university advisory boards related to engineering and computer science.

[Source: VMBlog]

Which Deals Will HP Be Announcing Soon?

March 7, 2008 by Robin Wauters 2 Comments

Reuters is reporting Hewlett-Packard is set to announce a series of deals this month expanding the server virtualization software it sells with its servers, quoting HP Vice President Mark Linesch.

HP is already working with VMware, Citrix and Microsoft on customizing their software and Hewlett-Packard’s computer servers so they work together better out of the box, Linesch said, but declined to specify which companies the deal announcements would apply to.

We’re following Reuters’ perspective on this and think the most likely is Citrix Systems, which reportedly claimed earlier that close partnerships with HP and Dell would be announced in the course of 2008. Citrix has said it would get a payment for each HP server shipped with a basic package and a larger license fee for each upgrade sold.

What do you think the announcements will be?

Microsoft Betting Big on Virtualization; Acquires Calista Technologies. Citrix Up Next?

January 21, 2008 by Robin Wauters 2 Comments

Microsoft plans to announce today what it calls a companywide strategy to accelerate broad adoption of virtualization by its customers. As part of the its new approach, the Redmond-based software giant unveiled a suite of services aimed at reducing the number of servers businesses need to use, separating applications from operating systems, reducing costs and lowering carbon emissions.

Microsoft announced that it competed acquisition of Calista Technologies , a California-based startup that makes computer graphics for virtualized computers, and an expanded partnership with Citrix Systems, a VMware competitor based in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. Microsoft and Citrix will jointly market services that virtualize computers, operating systems and applications.

Microsoft wouldn’t disclose how much it paid for Calista, but Roger Kay, President of technology research firm Endpoint Technologies Associates, speculates that the price tag was likely south of $100 million. He also says Microsoft may be interested in acquiring Citrix. “Citrix, on its own, has a small market share,” Kay says. “VMware was cleaning its clock.” A Microsoft-Citrix combination could present formidable competition to VMware, he suggests. Buying Citrix, however, would be a significant deal: The company has a market cap of $6.4 billion.

[Source: Forbes ]