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News and insights from the vibrant world of virtualization and cloud computing
In an interview with the Australian ITNews website, Dennis Rose, VP of Citrix Pacific, touted desktop virtualization as the next big thing alongside server virtualization. Short of news, the interview did have an interesting ending. Apparently, AVP for Citrix ANZ Rob Willis hinted at Citrix XenDesktop – iPhone compatibility when the most hyped phone in history hits the Australian market in a couple of months, during his keynote of the Citrix Application Conference.
IGEL Technology announced the broadest range of thin client models supporting the important Citrix XenDesktop virtualization standard. With all of its 22 (!) models now supporting Citrix XenDesktop, IGEL claims its unique digital services approach allows organizations to offer the best user experience combined with robust desktop resilience and powerful remote management.
The IGEL Technology range includes traditional desktop designs, PC upgrade cards, 17” and 19” LCD integrated units, wireless tablets and quad screen units. The variety of choice allows organizations of all types to deploy the Citrix XenDesktop virtualization solution to almost any part of the business, including office workers, mobile users, space constrained point-of-sale areas and multi-screen environments such as dealing rooms.
The flexibility of the IGEL approach allows organizations to pick and choose the best digital services to deliver a true PC experience, including web browser, Java, SAP GUI, PDF, terminal emulation and VoIP. This also provides desktop resilience if the virtual PC connection should be lost, for example, users can access email via the local web client or SAP via the native SAP GUI in this event.
“The arguments for virtualizing PCs are becoming overwhelming,” said Dirk Dördelmann, technical director, IGEL Technology. “Applications can now be migrated to the data center without compatibility issues. The access device choice is so broad that organizations can place them almost anywhere, and the process of deployment is no more complex than plugging in a telephone. IGEL offers the end user a thin client experience that is just like a PC but without the hassles, and we are excited to now offer this capability in conjunction with our long-term partner Citrix.”
“It’s like getting a fresh new PC every day.” That’s how Citrix is touting its long awaited VDI solution, dubbed XenDesktop version 2.0, probably just because it’s what all the cool kids name their solutions nowadays.
XenDesktop 2.0 was unveiled at Citrix Synergy 2008, with the company also revealing some previously unannounced details about the complete XenDesktop product line, including the release of a new Express Edition offering free desktop virtualization for up to 10 users, and new Enterprise and Platinum Editions which integrate application virtualization via the new XenApp for Virtual Desktops feature.
These are the five editions in detail for the XenDesktop product line:
XenDesktop is available now and can be downloaded today. Suggested retail pricing is per concurrent user as follows:
Citrix also unveiled a new Desktop Appliance Partner Program aimed at establishing trusted standards for desktop appliances, a new class of device that is purpose-built to deliver a superior user experience for virtual desktop delivery.
HP today introduced the new HP 2533t Mobile Thin Client, which it claims combines “the best of HP’s industry-leading thin client and business notebook technologies to enhance data security and improve both ease of use and reliability”.
The company also plans to expand its Remote Graphics Software technology. HP RGS supports a remote, yet collaborative work model that helps overcome the distance barriers that can impede global organizations and delivers to remote client environments rich, local desktop-like user experiences. With HP RGS, professionals can work together, from any physical location with Internet access, and make decisions in real-time with more secure access to multimedia content including flash animations, video, hardware accelerated 2D and 3D applications.
The HP 2533t provides enhanced access to virtual computing solutions, such as blade PCs or a virtual desktop infrastructure, and increased protection of corporate data and software applications by storing files on a secure, centralized server. No data resides on the actual mobile thin client, so companies should be assured that data is not compromised in the event the client is lost or stolen.
In addition, HP announced its full portfolio of Citrix-Ready thin clients and blade client products is now available with Citrix XenDesktop, as well as being certified by VMware for compatibility with its VMware Virtual Desktop Infrastructure.
“Today’s news is the latest example of HP’s building momentum in the client virtualization market,” said Roberto Moctezuma, vice president and general manager, Desktop Solutions Organization, HP. “We’re offering businesses a one-stop shop to meet their virtualization needs with the most comprehensive portfolio of virtual client solutions, ease of management and the highest levels of IT security.”
HP thin clients are now certified for the Citrix XenDesktop appliance program across the line, with the HP Compaq t5730 Thin Client delivering the “Desktop Appliance Plus” experience and verified Citrix-Ready for Citrix Password Manager, Citrix XenApp (Citrix Presentation Server 4.0 & 4.5), Citrix XenDesktop and an embedded Desktop Receiver.
“With the availability of XenDesktop, Citrix uniquely delivers virtual desktops that dramatically reduce the cost of ownership for IT, while providing a superior user experience for knowledge workers,” said Raj Dhingra, vice president and general manager, Desktop Delivery Group, Citrix Systems. “We are excited to be demonstrating the results of our collaboration at Synergy 2008. The Citrix and HP relationship enables enterprises to quickly implement and manage a best-of-breed client virtualization solution from the data center to the desktop.”
Today’s expansion of the HP virtualization portfolio also extends the recently introduced ProLiant iVirtualization joint venture with Citrix, VMware and Microsoft, which uses customers’ existing server management tools to integrate virtualization technology directly into a broad range of HP ProLiant and BladeSystem platforms.
KVM sponsor Qumranet launched (PDF) its long awaited desktop virtualization solution yesterday, just weeks before Citrix launches XenDesktop. Solid ICE (Independent Computing Environment) is a hosted desktop virtualization product that promises desktop-like performance with support for multiple monitors, bi-directional audio and video, streaming video and USB support.
From the press release:
By centrally hosting desktops in KVM on servers in the corporate data center, Solid ICE (Independent Computing Environment) gives IT administrators greater control over desktop image management, provisioning management, policy enforcement and security. Solid ICE also offers IT managers easier access to remote desktops to provide maintenance and support, as well as instant, inherent disaster recovery. In addition, businesses deploying a green IT strategy can achieve a savings of up to two thirds on electric power with Solid ICE.
The company said it prices the product by concurrent virtual machines, $200 per concurrent virtual machine which includes one monitor support and one SPICE display. Qumranet also offers a 30-day trial on its web site, although it seems to have messed up the spelling for the product name a bit 🙂
[Source: ZDNet Blogs]
IGEL Technology, the German company which bills itself as the world’s third largest thin client vendor, today announced the broadest range of thin client models supporting the Citrix XenDesktop virtualization standard. With all of its 22 models now supporting Citrix XenDesktop, IGEL’s digital services approach allows organizations “to offer the best user experience combined with robust desktop resilience and powerful remote management”.
The IGEL Technology range includes traditional desktop designs, PC upgrade cards, 17? and 19? LCD integrated units, wireless tablets and quad screen units.
“The arguments for virtualizing PCs are becoming overwhelming,” said Dirk Dördelmann, technical director, IGEL Technology. “Applications can now be migrated to the data center without compatibility issues. The access device choice is so broad that organizations can place them almost anywhere, and the process of deployment is no more complex than plugging in a telephone. IGEL offers the end user a thin client experience that is just like a PC but without the hassles, and we are excited to now offer this capability in conjunction with our long-term partner Citrix.”
IGEL Technology’s range of Citrix XenDesktop compatible thin clients will be on display at the upcoming Citrix Synergy event in Houston, Texas from May 20-23, 2008; and the Citrix iForum08 event in Edinburgh, Scotland, from June 9-11, 2008.
[Source: Pressemeldungen.at]