VDI is not stupid. Recently, Eric S. Perkins on his blog proclaimed that VDI is Stupid. Well, actually, the way our competitors have been treating VDI is problematic; which might have led to Eric's assertion that VDI is stupid. So, I want to take this opportunity to go over some of his concerns.

One important point on VDI - VDI is not merely another server workload and must not be treated as such. This is perhaps why many of our competitors' VDI implementations have failed and have also created significant costs for their customers. Furthermore, VDI is not for every user in the enterprise - it is best suited for certain environments.

Desktop virtualization, on the other hand, is a more comprehensive solution that encompasses VDI. By separating the three core components of the desktop - OS, apps, and user profile - into three different layers, desktops are managed centrally and dynamically assembled for users regardless of the location and device the users are logging in from. The separation of the three core layers provide tremendous flexibility for IT to manage users desktops.

Citrix has been in the desktop virtualization space for a long time (admittedly we never talked about it as desktop virtualization) and have various forms of it available to our customers. Beyond VDI, Citrix FlexCast allows IT to delivery desktops to all users desktops in different scenarios:

• For task workers sharing a similar set of applications, the most secure, cost-effective approach is Hosted Shared Desktops.
• For office workers who need more personalized desktops, Hosted VM-based VDI Desktops is often the best approach. By running each user's desktop in a dedicated virtual machine, this option combines the benefits of central management with full user personalization.
• For technical workers and power users who run professional graphics applications such as CAD/CAM, GIS; Hosted Blade PC Desktops ensures dedicated processing power for each user.
• Local Streamed Desktops leverage the local processing power of rich clients, while centralizing single-image management of the desktop. This is a quick and cost-effective way for anyone to get started with desktop virtualization by leveraging existing PC resources while keeping datacenter overhead to a minimum.
• Virtual Apps to Installed Desktops offer many of the ROI and management benefits of a fully virtualized desktop with minimal setup costs. Although virtual apps run on the local device, they managed centrally.

Regardless of what type of virtual desktop you pick for your users, user experience is the most important aspect of desktop virtualization. Based on Citrix's 20 years experience working with the end users, we are very sensitive to how users interact with their work environment. So when we created XenDesktop, a huge focus is placed on making the user experience much better than a local PC - with our HDX technology.

With regards to VDI being just another propaganda or niche solution. Gartner estimates by 2013, the desktop virtualization market will be at $65billion. And we are seeing this explosive growth at Citrix. There are real business issues our customers are addressing with desktop virtualization. You can see all these real world testimonials on our website.

With the release last month of HDX 3D for Professional Graphics as a feature of XenDesktop, Citrix now offers two alternatives for delivering high-end 3D graphics from hosted applications. Let's compare these two solutions.

HDX 3D Pro Graphics on XenDesktop

Our premier solution for 3D professional graphics is based on hosted Windows desktops and works with either the XenDesktop 3 or XenDesktop 4 Desktop Delivery Controller. HDX 3D Pro Graphics features our most advanced technologies for data compression, making XenDesktop the best solution on the market for delivering 3D graphics to remote workers. For top level performance, we offer GPU-based compression, leveraging NVIDIA graphics processors with 96 or more CUDA cores. The compression level is automatically adjusted based on bandwidth. Just below that is CPU-based JPEG XR compression (no special GPU required). JPEG XR (the 'XR' stands for 'Extended Range'), formerly known as HD Photo, is an ISO/IEC standard for high dynamic range image encoding. These compression options are supported by the HDX 3D online plug-in for Windows, a special version of the ICA client. With advanced compression and other clever innovations, HDX 3D Pro Graphics delivers a good experience even at 2 Mbps and 200 ms roundtrip latency. And, of course, it delivers a high definition "like local" experience on high bandwidth, low latency connections.

Application compatibility is excellent with HDX 3D Pro Graphics because the applications run on a standard Windows XP operating system (and Windows 7 support is in development). It doesn't matter whether the applications use DirectX/Direct3D or OpenGL or whatever. HDX 3D supports True Color, important when a very large number of colors, shades, and hues need to be displayed, as with high quality photographic images or complex graphics. Customers are already using HDX 3D to work with models with more than a million parts, and 64-bit OS support is coming soon, which will enable huge amounts of memory to be addressed.

These comments from our customers sum it up best:
• So far this is the only product to have anywhere near acceptable performance
• Everyone is loving it
• 50 to 75% better than our existing solution
• In pure Swedish, it is "sh$@#ing good"!
• At 1.5 Mbps it is still very usable
• We have been extremely impressed

HDX 3D on XenApp for Windows Server 2008

For many organizations, HDX 3D on XenApp provides a great solution for delivering professional graphics, since Windows Server 2008 now enables a graphics card to be used for 3D rendering on Terminal Services / Remote Desktop Services. While hardware acceleration is limited to DirectX/Direct3D-based applications, that may be all you need depending on the specific applications your end users require. OpenGL based applications are CPU-rendered but they perform much faster on 64-bit Windows than on 32-bit so you may find that to be adequate. Of course, if you really need hardware acceleration for your OpenGL applications, go with HDX 3D Pro Graphics on XenDesktop.

Compression options with HDX 3D on XenApp are not quite as extensive as on XenDesktop but are generally sufficient for intracontinental WAN access. The highest level of compression is obtained by selecting Heavyweight JPEG, a special variant of JPEG that uses arithmetic encoding instead of the normal Huffman encoding. It gives a further reduction in bandwidth of around 10 to 20% without changing the pixel quality at all (compared to standard JPEG), at the cost of higher CPU consumption. With Progressive Display, users get a responsive experience even over WAN/Internet connections because images are delivered with lossier compression while being moved and quickly resolve to full resolution when motion stops.

A single graphics card in the server can support multiple concurrent users, depending on their usage characteristics. I spoke with a customer using an entry-level NVIDIA FX 370 GPU and they support four concurrent users on an HP 360 G5 server with a dual-core Xeon processor and 4 GB of memory running 32-bit Windows Server. They estimate that they will be able to support 12 to 16 simultaneous users on a dual quad-core server with 64-bit Windows Server and 32 GB of memory. Again, it depends on the application and the work profile of the users. A more powerful GPU, like the NVIDIA FX 5600 or 5800, will help with scalability, too.

HDX 3D on XenApp supports lossless compression (important in Healthcare), but color depth with DirectX hardware acceleration is currently limited to 16-bit High Color. True Color support (16 million colors) is offered with CPU-based rendering, and True Color with GPU hardware acceleration is planned for the near future, making HDX 3D on XenApp a great option for delivering PACS applications over hospital campus networks.

A Look Ahead

How will these technologies evolve in the future? 64-bit Windows XP and Windows 7 support is planned for HDX 3D Pro Graphics on XenDesktop, and True Color support is coming soon for HDX 3D on XenApp. Windows Server 2008 R2 is likely to bring some benefits, too. And as the graphics and hypervisor vendors introduce GPU virtualization, we expect to leverage that on both XenApp and XenDesktop; some exciting progress in this area is already happening in the lab. Expanding the VM Hosted Apps feature of XenApp to encompass 3D graphics apps would be a natural step.

Tell Us about Your Experience with HDX 3D

If you're using either of the HDX 3D technologies described above, I'm sure other customers would like to hear your story. Please tell us about the 3D applications you deliver, your data center and network, and how your users are benefiting.

Derek Thorslund
Citrix Product Strategist, HDX

There has been a lively discussion going on in the VDI related Blogosphere kicked off here by Dan Feller and Brian Madden here. This issue of whether or not to allow "User Installed apps "exemplifies the dichotomy that IT Pros struggle with architecting a system that meets the business challenges of security, cost, and compliance plus at the same time satisfying the needs of knowledge workers with high demands and expectations.

As VDI expands from task oriented deployments to broader general purpose PC replacement scenarios this issue is likely to gain more attention. Most companies don't condone user installed apps but many do allow users to have administrator rights to their work PC and may look the other way regarding what an individual installs on their own. When it comes time to virtualize everything for VDI however now they need to pay attention. But how big an issues it ?

Dan indicates from an IT best practice standpoint it is better to develop an effective workflow that speeds and automates the IT approval, packaging, and delivery of new apps that individuals need to be productive. Will knowledge workers accept this solution ? As the commenter's indicate, this works for some but not all situations. Brian Madden proposed another alternative, just give the power users a second VM for unique/personal apps. Keep the corporate VM pristine under IT control and let users have their own separate sandbox if warranted. This may be a bit of a brute force solution but would work If the costs are justified. I like it because I do it myself now, although I use lab VM's as a sandbox vs IT delivered VM's. The commenter's however also found issues with this solution due to costs plus compliance issues about what SW/data gets installed into those user VM's. Some offered up BYOC as a solution if users really needed their own environment. There are many 3rd parties looking to enable User Installed apps as well, however even if the technical challenges are solved will IT support/endorse/allow this? Let me put forth another option/proposal, sometimes when I'm on a system thats not mine or a thin client I connect to my home PC via GoToMyPC and keep it running as long as I need it. This gives me access to apps that are not provided by IT, I have all the freedom to install what ever I want and IT doesn't need to deal with infrastructure costs or compliance issues. Yes this assumes that the power user has their own powered on PC and GoToMyPC does not currently have all of the features I might want for this solution, but you get the idea.

Let us know what you situations you face, is it a problem and do you see a solution for it? If you have another idea or comments on the above, please share it.

It's been a very hectic week and a bit since Citrix announced XenDesktop 4. As owner of the Trade-up to XenDesktop 4 program for XenApp customers, I have been fielding lots of questions from partners, analysts, customers and Citrites as the word has been spreading rapidly. I thought it would be a good idea to follow up with a blog post series that captures many of the questions and answers.

Before I get into the first question, let me do a quick refresher on the program. First, the program is designed to make it very easy and attractive for any XenApp customer to trade-up to XenDesktop 4. Any customer, who is current on Subscription Advantage (SA) that Trades-up all their licenses to XenDesktop 4 at once, gets 2 XenDesktop 4 user or device licenses for every 1 XenApp concurrent license. The pricing is such that they save 80% off the purchase of new XenDesktop 4 licenses. If a customer doesn't want to trade up all their licenses at once, they can trade-up a portion of them and receive 1 XenDesktop 4 user or device license for every 1 XenApp CCU. Pricing is set such that the customer saves up to 70% off the purchase of new XenDesktop 4 licenses. In both cases, customers can use their existing SA renewal budget to fund the bulk of the Trade-up. This program is similar to the Upgrade to XenApp Platinum that we introduced to coincide with the launch of Platinum in Q1 of 2007 and was very well received by our customers. In fact approximately 70% of the upgrades to Platinum happened at SA renewal time.

If a customer has expired SA, no problem. They can Trade-up any Enterprise or Platinum licenses going back to MetaFrame XP. Pricing is set such that the customer saves up to 50% off the purchase of new XenDesktop 4 licenses.

In all cases, customers get another year of Subscription Advantage and when they renew, they do so at the lower XenDesktop 4 rate.

One of the first things that comes up is - "who should consider the Trade-up?" Before I answer, consider the following two key points. XenDesktop 4 contains all the functionality of XenApp (including the latest goodies introduces in XenApp 5 Feature Pack 2 like VM Hosted Apps, HDX enhancements for Flash and Power and Capacity Management) as well as all the latest XenDesktop 4 features (such as FlexCast Delivery Technologies). Customers who Trade-up and implement XenDesktop 4 can leverage all their XenApp experience to deliver apps the way they always have and full virtual desktops as well. What is even cooler is point two. If you Trade-up your licenses now, you don't have to implement XenDesktop 4 until you're ready. Your current XenApp implementation will run on your new XenDesktop 4 licenses. You can update your infrastructure when you're ready. One last little pitch. XenDesktop 4 works with any existing storage management and server virtualization infrastructure (including VMware).

All that said really any customer who has a concurrency ratio of 2:1 or less or multiple users per device should consider the Trade-up. If your organization is thinking about desktop virtualization now or in the future, you should consider the Trade-up. If you're about to embark on a desktop refresh with Win 7 and are looking at ways to reduce desktop management costs, consider the Trade-up.

Let's look at an example of a customer who has 1,000 licenses of XA Platinum at a 2:1 concurrency ratio and is considering Trade-up (Please note that prices here are SRP. No volume discounting has been applied). Of course, first thing they would do is go to the Trade-up calculator to check out the dynamics. If the customer Trades-up 100% of their licenses, they'd get the 2-for-1 and would have 2,000 XenDesktop 4 user or device licenses. To fund the Trade-up, they'd take their $50,000 of budgeted SA renewal and add $45,000. Now they have the ability to deliver full virtual desktops as well as applications. The renewal rate of SA the following year would be based on the $35/user or device and would be $70,000. Not bad considering they have more than twice the functionality they had before and double the number of licensed users or devices. Plus, the licensing flexibility gives the customer to provide access unlimited virtual devices per user or unlimited users per virtual device depending on whether they choose a per user or per device model.

We worked hard to make it easy for our customers to add desktop virtualization to their working XenApp implementations, to minimize risk and to reward them for their loyalty.

Probably enough for the first post. More to come.

Bill Hartwick, Sr. Director of Product Marketing for XenApp

Now that XenDesktop 4 includes numerous ways to deliver virtual desktops, (Greater description of the FlexCast technology), we need to take a look at how those applications are integrated into:

1. Hosted/Shared desktops
2. Hosted VM-based desktops (VDI)
3. Hosted Blade PC desktops
4. Local Streamed desktops
5. Virtual Apps to Installed desktops
6. Local VM-based desktops

(BTW, this also aligns with a CIO magazine article on Desktop Virtualization's 5 most important flavors) 

And this is a question that Cole M sent into Ask the Architect.  As always, the short answer is "It Depends", but I try to do a little better than that in the latest Ask the Architect Video. 

Daniel - Lead Architect

Follow me on Twitter: @djfeller

Follow the latest in desktop virtualization

Send Desktop Virtualization questions to: AskTheArchitect@Citrix.com

    Three years ago, one of our premier customers came to us and asked us to build a platform that would allow them to deliver 3D applications remotely. There were a few products in the market at that time, both software and hardware based, that could support remote access for 3D graphics. But all of them required at least 5Mbps and latencies below 75 milliseconds. The customer's requirement was for us to build a solution that provided a usable experience with 2Mbps of bandwidth and tolerate up to 150ms round trip latency.    Thus began our journey to create the best 3D virtualization platform. The project has had many names over the years:  Pictor, Apollo and Prism. We have invested hundreds of man-years of effort and filed multiple patents. Today I am proud to say that we have accomplished what we set out to do three years ago. We have created XenDesktop 4 - a breakthrough desktop virtualization platform for 3D graphics.

    3D graphical applications, like CATIA, Pro/ENGINEER, Autodesk, etc. are used daily by CAD/CAM designers in the manufacturing sector. Research scientists use 3D graphical applications for oil exploration in Oil and Natural Gas companies. These are computationally challenging applications that need high end GPUs (graphical processing units) manufactured by companies like nVIDIA and AMD. These applications often require the most advanced workstations - fastest possible CPU and GPU and the largest amount of memory.

    3D applications are difficult to virtualize because performance is key in these applications. The CPU-GPU interaction has been designed to optimally deliver the highest number of frames per second (fps). Any software that is inserted in the middle can reduce the fps delivered to the user and cause a poor user experience. For example, for some complex models with hundreds of thousands of rendering triangles the workstation may create 2-3 frames per second. If the virtualization platform reduces the display rate to 1-2 fps, the difference is perceptible, and the end user will not want to use the application.

    In XenDesktop 4, we have extended the latency tolerance optimizations already presented in our HDX technology and added a few new compression algorithms, including some that use the GPU itself to do compression. The result is a 3D virtualization platform that meets the market requirements and delivers the best possible user experience. On the LAN, our solution can perform even better than locally installed applications, because server side GPUs can be more powerful than desktop GPUs. On the WAN there is no other solution that can deliver a usable experience at 2Mbps with 150 ms round trip latency.

    You will see this technology platform bear fruit in other areas that affect larger numbers of users. The new Microsoft OS - Windows 7  - leverages the GPU to deliver cool 3D graphical user interfaces. Our experience with high-end 3D graphics will help us effectively solve these problems for millions of users as they migrate to Windows 7. Stay tuned.

Did Brian Maddenmake a valid point about VDI and desktop virtualization that most people missed?  

Brian discussed a VDI€‰challenge, user-installed applications, which was in response to a desktop virtualization postI recently wrote about the same topic. Brian's premise was that each user needs to be able to install their own applications and should be allocated 2 virtual desktops:

1. First one locked down by IT
2. Second one is open where users would have full control

When I first read this I thought, well yes that would work but talk about a nightmare situation.  Many of the comments posted were extremely funny and I encourage you to read them (especially the one that said "Steve Ballmer must be smiling"). But seriously, if you think about what Brian is saying, it does have validity, if done correctly.

Sure there are tools/solutions that can allow users to install their own applications but we should not open the flood-gates and allow users to install whatever they desire. Not only are you looking at a management nightmare, but you are also looking at security risks, legal risks, and productivity risks.  What I can see happening is an environment that is suited to what the user needs. Something like the following...

1. Each user gets their IT-delivered desktop that includes all known corporate applications.  These applications are delivered into the desktop either through installation, streaming or hosting.  Users will inevitably try to install apps/plugins/tools into the corporate-delivered desktop.  The app will work until the user reboots (assuming shared image mode).  Once rebooted, the app is gone and the cycle starts again.  If the application is a new business requirement, there must be an IT process in place where users can request a new application. IT must have SLA's in place that allows them to assess the validity of the request, profile the application and deliver it to the virtual desktop in a timely manner (a few days to a week). Until the application is ready for delivery by IT, the user can continue to install or request a second virtual desktop (step 2 below).
2. Each user has the "ability" to self-service a second virtual desktop that can be used as a "playground".  Many power users have a need to install, test, evaluate different tools to make their jobs easier. Most users only need these applications for a few days or weeks, at least until a project is complete. Other users only need the application until IT is able to properly deliver the application into their corporate-delivered desktop.   This is where a second virtual desktop, i.e. a self-service desktop, could be requested. This is something like Brian recommended, 2 desktops. But the second desktop is only used if it is needed and requested through a self-service process. Of course because IT does not know what users will do to this desktop, proper security precautions must be taken into account.  With this option, users would have the ability to:
   1. Select the OS
   2. Select the life of the desktop (days, weeks or months)
   3. In the background, workflows are initiated that creates a new desktop, assign it to the user, and allow changes to be stored within the writable, user image.  When the timeframe expires, the desktop is deleted from existence.  

This option solves many of the challenges users experience in a virtual desktop world.  How to install temporary applications. How to use a new business application until IT is able to assess and deliver it properly.  

The point is that we must understand the users and their needs.  Most users can get along perfectly well with the applications delivered from IT.  But a sizeable portion of the user group needs autonomy, freedom, experimentation... A Playground. The one size desktop does not fit all.  Some user's might have two different desktops, others only 1.  We need to change the way we think about delivering desktops to users.  And in order to meet user expectations, we need systems (technical and process oriented) in place that can accommodate the users in a timely manner.

• Twitter: @djfeller
• Ask the Architect - Next-Generation site
• Questions - Then Ask The Architect
• See me talk about designing your XenDesktop solution on Citrix Live

Daniel - Lead Architect - Worldwide Consulting Solutions

Looking for a clear way to get up to speed on Citrix desktop virtualization? Check out the Learning Path for Desktop Virtualization - a guide to help you determine the training you need, based on your key virtual desktop learning objectives. This learning path includes the hypervisor, provisioning/delivering desktops and delivering apps on-demand, as well as advanced virtualization solution training. Learn more

The Citrix XenDesktop 4 announcement has already generated plenty of positive buzz about the product and its exciting new capabilities. If you're ready to learn more and delve deeper into the technology, check out free training course CXD-100-1W: Citrix XenDesktop 4 Technology Overview.

In less than an hour, you'll learn about key product features, editions, strengths, and how XenDesktop 4 addresses traditional desktop management challenges. Also covered are the key aspects of FlexCast delivery, architectural diagrams and the steps to move to desktop virtualization.

Visit www.citrix.com/xdtraining to get started on this free training today! For more XenDesktop learning, including the learning path for desktop virtualization, click here.

Now that XenDesktop 4 is a few days old and people are starting to digest the many new capabilities of the product, I thought I'd spend a little time what exactly "FlexCast™ delivery technology" means.

I find that it helps me to think of FlexCast more as a strategy for delivering desktops, than as a specific technology. It's about thinking of all your virtual desktop and application delivery methods as a toolbox that enable you to directly address the different performance, security, personalization and mobility requirements of all your users. This approach is dramatically different from the way most other vendors are looking at desktop virtualization. They try to force fit a single desktop virtualization approach to all use cases, even when it doesn't make sense. FlexCast is revolutionary in comparison, but the idea is quite commonplace if you think of some analogies.

For example, instead of talking about how to run an IT service, let's say I'm running a different kind of service - a restaurant. A hundred people come to my restaurant one night, and they walk in with the expectation that they can order what they like to suit their tastes and hunger. But instead of taking their orders, I don't even offer a menu, and I serve everyone a plateful of chicken, green beans with almonds and potatoes. For the lighter eaters, this is way too much food, and for the folks that skipped lunch, they are woefully underfed. Then there are those that have strict dietary requirements, like a nut allergy, and they can't eat any of it because almonds touched the plate! You might please a few patrons, but you've wasted your inventory by giving too much food to some, the wrong food to others, and not enough to the remainder. And at the end of the night, none of them want to come back ever again.
Of course, this would never happen in the real world, but for some reason this one-size-fits-all approach is how other technology vendors have treated desktop virtualization. XenDesktop 4 with FlexCast is your extensive menu of options for giving users what they want and what they need.

That said, I'll give a quick drill down on each of the FlexCast delivery models and describe them each as plainly as I can. The names we chose to assign each model might be a little different than the current lingo - but this was necessary to be more precise, because no one has ever really talked about them all in the same context before:

• Hosted shared desktops. If you are a XenApp customers today, you think of these as "published desktops," and we estimate that you are using this delivery model for over 10 million users today. The problem with that name is that the term "published" can describe nearly every delivery model! Not very helpful. Hosted shared desktops are built on the Microsoft Terminal Services (or now Remote Desktop Services) platform, where users share effectively one configuration of a Windows Server desktops via independent sessions. In this model, there's a lot of IT control over the configuration, and personalization is minimized or disallowed. This model is attractive not only for the standardization it enables, but also the maturity of the technology, its massive scalability and low TCO - up to 500 users could share a single server. These traits are what make it ideal for factory workers, retail clerks, bank tellers, nurses' stations and the like.
• Hosted VM-based desktops. You know these as VDI or hosted virtual desktops. Each user's desktop runs in its own virtual machine, enabling multiple users to share a single physical server while running their environments in isolation from each other. This affords each user more potential personalization, a familiar Windows desktop environment, and compatibility with applications designed to run on a desktop OS. Scalability is good, with about 50 production desktops per server, and getting better all the time - but still not of the scale of hosted shared desktops.
• Hosted Blade PC desktops. In reality, these could be blade or rack workstations, or simply PCs relocated in the datacenter. In this model, you have one user per hosted blade PC, so clearly massive scalability isn't your goal. Going back to the restaurant analogy, this is what you pull out of the kitchen when the local football team's offensive line comes in to eat . Workers with heavier computational requirements, like engineers, scientists, researchers, etc. would get these.
• Local Streamed desktops. This model is truly one of the hidden gems of desktop virtualization, often overlooked but very useful and cost-effective. You may have heard this type of model referred to as "network boot " or diskless PC. Let's say you have an environment with lots of standardized PCs that you've just purchased in the past couple years. Perhaps they are attached to some specialized peripherals that are particularly "chatty" with the desktop OS. Desktop streaming enables you to leverage the CPU and RAM of that PC and give a truly local experience, but also centralize the management of those desktops. A "provisioning server" in the datacenter streams the OS bits needed to run the desktop to local memory. A single server has enough horsepower to serve a few hundred users, so the scalability is somewhere between hosted shared and hosted VM-based desktops. The re-use of existing PCs also contributes to the cost-effectiveness of this model. You need fairly standard PCs and a LAN connection, but this works great for all those users that work from the office primarily anyway.
• Virtual apps to installed desktops. For current XenApp customers, this is what most of you are doing today. You are either hosting or streaming apps to rich clients with locally installed OSes. You get the benefits of reducing overall desktop management costs by simplifying application management - the more apps you virtualize, the lower your costs. This model is often the simplest, most "traditional" way to start with desktop virtualization. Virtual apps can be used both online and offline for mobile workers. Only issue is that you still have to deal with the OS at the endpoint, and this is something many IT shops are looking to desktop virtualization to solve.
• Local VM-based desktops. This model is enabled by a client hypervisor, which, to be clear, isn't quite here yet, although Citrix has publicly discussed and demonstrated XenClient. This model means that virtual machines live on the endpoint, and virtual desktops are delivered into those VMs. A robust solution incorporates encryption, security policies, and synchronization for OS, apps and user data with the data center. This client hypervisor would enable a centrally managed, virtual desktop to be taken offline, so it's ideal for the fast-growing laptop using population. This isn't part of XenDesktop 4 today, but it is definitely a significant part of our overall FlexCast delivery technology strategy.

So there you have it - a quick overview of FlexCast delivery technology in all its flavors. It's a powerful concept, and a technologically involved one. The real takeaway is that, for Citrix, despite involving many technologies, it is indeed ONE comprehensive strategy, designed to meet many requirements.

Learn more about Citrix XenDesktop 4

• Official Press Release - http://citrix.com/xd4/pressrelease
• XenDesktop 4 Virtual Launch Event - http://citrix.com/citrixlive
• XenDesktop 4 Web Site - http://citrix.com/xd4
• XenDesktop 4 Executive Video - http://citrix.com/xd4/video
• XenDesktop Developer Network - http://community.citrix.com/cdn/xd
• XenDesktop 4 Blogs- http://citrix.com/xd4/blogs
• XenDesktop Product Page - http://citrix.com/xendesktop/

Follow XenDesktop on http://twitter.com/xendesktop

The virtual desktop revolution is here! XenDesktop 4 further widens Citrix's competitive lead with FlexCast™ technology to deliver the best Windows desktop for everyone in the organization, from task worker to power user. And XenDesktop 4 is an HDX-focused release that provides the best "high definition" user experience in the desktop virtualization market, with better reliability and higher availability than a traditional PC.

From the more than 70 new features in this release, allow me to introduce you to some key new capabilities of XenDesktop 4:

• HDX MediaStream for Flash (client-side rendering). While server-side rendering remains Citrix's foundational approach for delivering multimedia content of all sorts, HDX MediaStream for Flash provides an outstanding optimization for Windows online plug-in (client) users on low latency network connections. Leveraging the user device for direct content fetching and rendering, it delivers a high definition user experience and improves server scalability and network bandwidth efficiency by an order of magnitude. This technology supports Flash animations, videos (including HD), and IE-based Flex apps, even video conferencing applications. Citrix competitors do not offer a client-side rendering option for Flash.
• HDX MediaStream enhanced delivery of server-rendered video. New dynamic frame rate adjustment works in conjunction with bandwidth estimation to optimize video and graphics delivery over WAN and Internet connections. Where bandwidth is plentiful, full frame rate (30 fps) server-rendered video delivery is now available by modifying a registry key [new default is about 24 fps]. When compared to competitors' server-side rendering, XenDesktop 4 uses significantly less bandwidth to deliver equivalent quality.
• Enhancements to HDX Adaptive Orchestration. SmartRendering has been enhanced with more intelligence to dynamically select between server-side and client-side video rendering. SmartRendering now considers not only user device type and codec availability but also the real-time bandwidth and latency of the network connection.
• FlexCast™ desktop delivery technology. Different types of workers across the enterprise need different types of desktops. Some require simplicity and standardization, while others need performance and personalization. With FlexCast™ delivery technology, IT can deliver the best desktop for every user, every time. XenDesktop 4 is much more than just a VDI solution. For task workers where personalization is not needed or desired, XenDesktop 4 supports Hosted Shared Desktops, providing a locked down, streamlined and standardized environment with the lowest cost per user. For design engineers and other power users, HDX 3D for Professional Graphics delivers GPU-enabled desktops hosted on blade or rack workstations.
• Expanded USB support, including webcams. HDX Plug-n-Play now supports isochronous USB remoting, enabling LAN-connected users to plug in a webcam and enjoy HDX RealTime video conferencing with popular applications such as Microsoft Office Communicator and Skype. This release also supports specialized keyboards (in particular, the Bloomberg keyboard) and dictation devices such as the Philips SpeechMike.
• Media Foundation support for HDX MediaStream client-side rendering. Media Foundation (MF) is Microsoft's new framework for digital media, used by Windows Media Player for certain media types on Windows Vista and Windows 7. With XenDesktop 4, multimedia rendering through Media Foundation can, depending on network latency and packet loss, be offloaded from the XenDesktop VDA server onto the user's Windows or Linux device, greatly improving server scalability. Media Foundation support extends our HDX MediaStream competitive advantage to the latest Windows platforms.
• New audio codec technology. With the new "Optimized for speech" codec, HDX RealTime delivers clear audio quality to softphone and voice chat users with very modest bandwidth consumption (less than 20 Kbps). HDX MediaStream server-rendered video and music playback benefits from the new "High definition" codec which provides CD-like sound quality. These enhancements leverage version 11.2 of the Citrix online plug-in for Windows.
• HDX Plug-n-Play flexible multi-monitor support. Application compatibility with multi-monitor configurations has been improved and users now have greater control via the Desktop Viewer toolbar. Supported multi-monitor configurations include special arrangements such as U, L, T, reverse L and inverse T. Screens can be of different sizes, resolutions and orientations.
• Expanded OS support, including Windows 7. The XenDesktop 4 VDA platform introduces support for Windows 7 (non-Aero) 32-bit and 64-bit, Windows Vista 64-bit and Windows XP 64-bit. With XenDesktop 4, migrating to Windows 7 is as fast and simple as configuring a single master image and assigning users. In addition, the new Citrix online plug-in 11.2 and Web Interface 5.2 releases both support user devices running Windows 7. Smartcard support has been added for Windows 7 and Windows Vista, for Windows online plug-in users.
• HDX IntelliCache with Citrix Branch Repeater provides tokenized compression and data de-duplication, dramatically reducing bandwidth requirements and improving performance for users at branch office locations. XenDesktop 4 Platinum Edition has been tested with Branch Repeater 5.5. Our measurements indicate a 25 times reduction in bandwidth when using HDX IntelliCache with HDX MediaStream to deliver videos to branch offices.
• Single sign-on and password control are now included with XenDesktop 4 Platinum Edition, powered by Citrix Password Manager 4.6 SP1, increasing application security while providing users with fast, automated logon to Web, Windows and host-based applications.  
• Service level monitoring and reporting. XenDesktop 4 Platinum Edition offers enhanced EdgeSight technology to monitor, alert, troubleshoot, and report on the Citrix XenDesktop infrastructure. Administrators can quickly determine where a problem may exist and take action to deliver higher service levels. New summary reports now make it easier than ever to manage a XenDesktop implementation.
• New EasyCall™ features. With EasyCall call forwarding, users can make and receive voice calls when they're out of the office, using the office telephone system. EasyCall reduces telephone expenses while providing users the convenience of click-to-call dialing right from their virtual desktop. A new portal, accessible from browsers and iPhones, empowers users to add EasyCall conferences to their calendar and manage call forwarding to multiple telephone numbers.
• Active Directory multi-forest support enables virtual desktops to be delivered to users located in different Active Directory forests from that in which the XenDesktop infrastructure servers are registered.
• Site Failover provides a disaster recovery, high availability solution in conjunction with Citrix NetScaler™. Web Interface now supports configuration of a list of disaster recovery farms. When none of the farms in the normal farm list can be reached, Web Interface will automatically try the farms in the disaster recovery list.
• Site Roaming enables a user to travel to a site served by a different data center, logon at a Citrix Ready thin client, and connect to his or her own virtual desktop even though it is not hosted at that site. Users can always access their own virtual desktops and data, regardless of where they connect from.
• RDP support. XenDesktop 4 enables users on a locked-down device where they cannot install the Citrix Receiver or online plug-in to access their virtual desktop using RDP. This capability also simplifies moving up to XenDesktop from other desktop virtualization solutions.
• Extended SDK. The Citrix WFAPI SDK is a collection of APIs allowing software developers and system administrators to access specific features of XenDesktop. It has been extended to add several new functions requested by the development community.

No doubt about it, with XenDesktop 4 the desktop virtualization revolution has begun! Find out more at www.citrix.com/xendesktop4.

Derek Thorslund
Citrix Product Strategist, HDX

Learn more about Citrix XenDesktop 4

• Official Press Release - http://citrix.com/xd4/pressrelease
• XenDesktop 4 Virtual Launch Event - http://citrix.com/citrixlive
• XenDesktop 4 Web Site - http://citrix.com/xd4
• XenDesktop 4 Executive Video - http://citrix.com/xd4/video
• XenDesktop Developer Network - http://community.citrix.com/cdn/xd
• XenDesktop 4 Blogs- http://citrix.com/xd4/blogs
• XenDesktop Product Page - http://citrix.com/xendesktop/

Follow XenDesktop on http://twitter.com/xendesktop

Time to rethink your desktops

Months of planning, hours/weeks of discussions with customers, listening to the community and years of R&D effort leads to something big - and that right now is XenDesktop 4. Something that unlocks the potential of desktop virtualization that the world has been waiting for. With the new FlexCast delivery and enhanced HDX - now it is easy for anyone to look at desktop virtualization and start building plans to put their traditional desktop computing to rest for ever. Harry lists out why he would consider the change now and Raj talks about how this revolution will play out. Traditional desktop computing has clearly had its day - so long - hope to never see you again!

Looking at the responses within the community and several conversations with customers and partners have me convinced that XenDesktop 4 hits the mark. It offers exactly what customers need to serve different types of users with high def. user experience using one solution.

The only question I get is how do they get to it in the best possible way? What's the right license path to take? Every time I hear this question I think that the most important part of the job is done - getting the right product built for the customers that serves their needs and helps them solve their problems!

Three ways to get to XenDesktop 4

Now - let me walk through some scenarios that you may be faced with - it will help you decide how to pick the right path towards the bright future of desktop virtualization in your organization.

Scenario #1 - Not a Citrix customer today, but evaluating XenDesktop for virtual desktops

This is the most straight forward one. If you are considering desktop virtualization, XenDesktop 4 makes it simple. With FlexCast delivery - you have any type of virtual desktop solution you need, all with HDX user experience. You use it with Hyper-V, XenServer, ESX or vSphere - we will leave it up to you - I am sure you will pick the one that is most cost effective to you! Case closed!

Scenario #2 - Existing XenDesktop 2/3 customers, looking to XenDesktop 4

All XenDesktop customers get entitlements to XenDesktop 4 for no additional charge, as long as you are current on your soft assurance (which you likely will be because we offer 1 full year of SA with the product purchase). Most of you are already using the product based on 1:1 concurrency since virtual desktop means getting a license per user in most cases - Brian summarizes this quite well. So, this means more value for all of you at no additional cost. For example, if you are using XenDesktop 2 or 3 Advanced Edition - you get free entitlement to XenDesktop 4 Enterprise. All of the FlexCast delivery and full power of on-demand apps by XenApp at no additional charge. Wham! Similarly, Platinum Edition customers get the full capabilities of XenApp Platinum as part of XenDesktop 4 Platinum. In few cases I understand that there may be a concurrency delta from 1:1; adding new user based licenses of XenDesktop 4 with all additional capabilities as you expand to a larger number of users can be quite easy to justify with the new pricing and value of XenDesktop 4. Finally, if you are in an industry that has high concurrency ratios - stay tuned - we are working on offering you the right options to address your requirements.

Scenario #3 - All existing XenApp customers

Existing XenApp customers have three options now:

Interested in expanding to desktop virtualization now or in the near future for your XenApp users?

If you are interested in desktop virtualization, you should take advantage of the new Trade-up to XenDesktop 4 Program. This program is unbelievable value for anyone considering desktop virtualization. Here is how it works - you can trade-up all your XenApp licenses that you own for up to 2x the number of XenDesktop 4 licenses. Here is how you calculate savings. This might be enough for you to get your desktop virtualization going. You don't even have to start implementing virtual desktops day 1 - adopt it when you are ready and leverage the power of app virtualization as you get all the capabilities of XenApp with XenDesktop. Don't miss the opportunity - this program is only valid for a limited time.

Interested in XenDesktop 4 for new users that do not use XenApp today?

As part of the Trade-up program that I described, we also offer the flexibility to trade-up selective XenApp licenses and convert them to XenDesktop licenses. This program gives you the ability to use any XenApp licenses that you have own but do not use on a regular basis to deliver apps to your users. In fact, they may not even be current on Software Assurance. This program gives you the ability to leverage your existing investmet with Citrix - both license costs as well as your skill-sets and adopt XenDesktop 4 with lower risk and cost. Again, I encourage you to look at the Trade-up calculator.

Not interested in desktop virtualization?

If you are using XenApp to deliver apps with high concurrency requiements, keep using XenApp the way you are. Citrix is committed on XenApp product roadmap and support. We recently delivered powerful new capabilities in XenApp 5 Feature Pack 2. And, you will continue to see similar innovations in XenApp going forward.

Bottom line

This value with XenDesktop 4 is hard to beat, and time is now to look at desktop virtualization as you adopt your plans for windows 7 migration.

For all XenApp customers, look at the Trade-up program. If it doesn't work for you, no worries - XenApp is still the #1 strategic product with the biggest R&D and you will continue to see some solid product roadmap and support from Citrix.

For XenDesktop customers, most of you will have a solid upgrade with more value at no additional cost. I encourage you to look at the licensing differences as you go through the upgrade to XenDesktop 4.

For new customers, the choice is now easy. If you were thinking of how you can get one solution to serve all your users overtime. The solution is now here - Citrix XenDesktop 4

To learn more and uncover all the secrets, join our live event - Secrets, Lies & VDI

DIAL 'R' FOR REVOLUTION WITH XENDESKTOP 4

When I joined Citrix as general manager of the XenDesktop team in January 2008, I had a core conviction that when we would look back in 3-4 years time, we would have fundamentally transformed how enterprise users work with their desktops - for the better!

In June 2008, we launched XenDesktop 2 and transformed the desktop from a device to an on-demand service. Today, on October 6, 2009 we have taken a bold leap towards fulfilling our vision. A virtual desktop revolution is here - with the introduction of XenDesktop 4.

A virtual desktop - for everyone.

WHAT BEGAN IN 2008, ACCELERATED IN 2009
During the course of the last 18 months, my team and I have literally logged hundreds of thousands of air miles meeting hundreds of customers and partners worldwide. While many industry observers were skeptical about the hype, I always calibrate my impressions by studying and understanding what customers are doing. And I was certainly impressed with what I found:

• Customer interest was high worldwide - in North America, Europe and Pacific
• Key drivers were business agility, better security, anywhere access and yes - cost savings and green computing
• Adoption was across multiple verticals - education, healthcare, technology, manufacturing, government agencies, retail and financial services
• Primary use cases were for knowledge workers - whether remote, offshore or in the office
• Confirmation that user experience was very critical to the adoption of virtual desktops. In fact, the #1 reason why XenDesktop won over other alternatives was user experience - there were several reasons, but user experience was always #1
  In 2009, despite the tough economic headwinds, I saw our momentum accelerate:
• Early pilots were turning into production
• Many customers were coming back in 6-9 months to expand their deployments
• Larger initial purchases indicating deeper deployments
• Several customers kicking off strategic adoption of virtual desktops - broadly across thousands of users

WHAT'S AHEAD WITH VIRTUAL DESKTOPS
25 years ago, PCs fundamentally changed computing. They radically improved personal productivity and communication. PCs changed the way we work. However, that's not enough anymore.
Traditional PCs were designed for a different world. Today, people need to work in entirely new ways, powered by the connectivity of the internet, an explosion of new devices and the limitless promise of the web. A traditional PC - locked to an office, laptop or network is too confining.
In the world ahead, the virtual desktop will revolutionize computing all over again.
It will revolutionize how we work and play. It will enable a new virtual workstyle to unlock our efficiency and increase our speed to stay ahead - in a world that's flat, small and always changing.

Here is the promise the virtual desktop brings:

• Un-tethered from any office or location
• Un-tethered from any device: netbook, smartphone, thin client, BYOPC or Mac
• Access on any network
• Simple and complete access to enterprise computing on demand
• Self-service and provisioning of enterprise apps, just like picking songs from an iTunes store
• A high definition user experience.

With this virtual desktop, on-boarding new employees goes from days to minutes. New branches can be opened in a fraction of the time. Employee adds, moves and changes due to expanding businesses or M&A become quick, easy and save money. A graphics engineer in San Francisco can securely collaborate on a 3D graphics model with his colleague in Taipei.

This virtual desktop is here with XenDesktop 4 - for every user.

XENDESKTOP 4 FLEXCAST TECHNOLOGY: A GIANT DIAL FOR IT
As mentioned earlier, I have seen our momentum accelerate in 2009. However, I have also had customer meetings where people have been prone to take a wait and see approach.

Having worked in emerging technology markets before, I have found that when faced with a new type of solution many times people will fall into an "All or nothing" trap.
The solution must meet all use cases and all requirements or we will not deploy it.
This is what I would call an "on/off switch" approach. All or nothing.

I would suggest that you think of desktop virtualization as a "dial" rather than an "on/off switch".
Pick the use cases that are the most compelling for business agility, security and/or cost savings and start with them first. Then expand to additional use cases. Nothing succeeds more like success.

With XenDesktop 4 and FlexCast technology, we are providing a dial for IT. Pick the type of user: task worker, knowledge worker, advanced user or mobile worker. And then optimize the desktop with the appropriate desktop delivery that suites the user. You can control whether you want to deliver a hosted shared desktop, a hosted VM-based desktop, a blade PC based desktop, a local streamed desktop, virtual apps on physical laptop or desktop or a local virtual desktop. The right virtual desktop for every user.

So, perhaps VDI alone may have made you think of desktop virtualization as an "on/off switch". All or nothing.

We just gave you a giant dial with FlexCast delivery technology - the ultimate in flexibility for a complete desktop virtualization solution. You can start now with virtual desktops that best meet your needs and deliver an ROI.

Dial "R" for revolution. Let the revolution begin!

Raj Dhingra
General Manager, XenDesktop

Summary of announcement

Today Citrix announced XenDesktop 4 - a complete desktop virtualization solution to address the needs of all users across an enterprise. XenDesktop 4 includes on-demand apps by XenApp as well as FlexCast delivery technology offering different methods to deliver desktops tailored to meet the performance, security and flexibility requirements of each user. In the future we will also see XenClient to further extend our desktop virtualization strategy to include local VM-based desktops. XenDesktop 4 will be available under a new simpler per user license model more in line to support desktop deployments. XenApp will continue to be available standalone with today's CCU model. We are also providing incentives to move to a XenDesktop license. Since XenApp application virtualization is a critical component of our desktop virtualization strategy we will continue to invest in it with additional capabilities on the horizon as early as the first half of 2010. 

Wham! There you have it, finally a single product option.  Something that I have wanted for a long time to address a far broader range of use cases and truly enable desktop virtualization that goes beyond a simplistic one dimensional VDI view of the world.

So what are those use cases and drivers?

I've written in a past blog the time is now! about why I feel WIndows 7 is a long awaited stimulus to drive the next desktop refresh. In addition, the analyst data I have seen strongly indicates that 2010 will be the year of the PC refresh after years of skipped upgrades. This I believe will lead to many more people seeking to understand how desktop virtualization fits into to their strategic plans to ensure that they make the right investments in 2010 for their IT infrastructure as the economy begins to recover.

When I talk about drivers for desktop and application virtualization to customers from CIO to hardcore techie, I generally find that everything fits into three buckets. Here are some common perspectives that I have shared that resonate with our real world customers who are implementing at scale today.

Business Perspective

• Simplify business continuity and build it into the core architecture.
• Enable quicker and easier office moves and enable mobility from any connection from a broad device set.
• Invest in M & A and global expansion.
• Enforce stronger data standards and security through centralization.
• Drive increased consistency, more efficient staff based on location.
• Enable outsourcing.

User Experience Perspective

• Ensure consistency of user experience across any network. WAN and bandwidth matter.
• Improves performance when latencies are managed down by moving apps closer to the desktop.
• Enable telecommuting and access from any device/connection.
• Recover faster from faults to increase productivity.
• Introduce new productivity models like BYOPC.

Technology Perspective

• Leverage power and cooling efficiencies in the data center to reduce costs.
• Consolidate data centers and extend reach of existing data centers.
• Build greener user buildings in metropolitan areas and reduce carbon foot print.
• Reduce complexity in workplace and datacenter management OpEx by reducing the # of instances to manage.
• Ensure reliability of simple clients to reduce helpdesk calls and end user break fix visits.
• Reduce management costs and risk for infrequently connected devices such as laptops.

Once people start to understand the potential from their respective points of view, it usually boils down to desktop virtualization is a way to drive costs down over time and increase productivity very quickly.

To solve for the above use cases with the current distributed computing model is very difficult. Primarily this is because at scale distributed computing is complex to manage with a lot of overhead and many moving parts. This then leads to many points of control to make a change - flexibility is next to impossible. All this adds up to slow time to value for anything that needs to get done quickly, and hence the model is not very agile.

When it comes down to picking the right technology option to enable a new desktop model, the predictability and performance over a diverse network infrastructure become key considerations. Many customers realize that to reduce support complexity and achieve service delivery consistency it is better to use a technology that addresses the majority of your use cases.  If you truly understand the above use cases, it becomes obvious that to truly leverage your investment, WAN and smart utilization of bandwidth is a must. I'd argue it is the lowest common denominator, and  it takes more than a protocol to deliver the best possible user experience. For example, working in the office you may be on a LAN or MAN depending on the location of your data center, but when you travel or go home network latency and bandwidth matter. If you have to switch display protocols with varying bandwidth requirements from site to site then the complexity of supporting this when a user calls just erodes the cost benefits. In addition, some customers simply reject the idea of implementing solutions that lock them into proprietary client hardware solutions, or hypervisors as they lose price leverage. Many customers have told me that they want technologies that let them choose what type of client device to run on and hypervisor choice. That could be a Thinclient or simply a repurposed commodity PC, but with a mature protocol that is proven to run over diverse networks and uses bandwidth intelligently. Similarly these customers understand that hypervisor diversity is inevitable and so want to invest in management layers that support this coming trend.

Today Citrix has a range of HDX technologies to address a plethora of user experience use cases. We also run our solutions on multiple hypervisors and on physical hardware. This is why we are winning large XenDesktop customers including a 100,000 seat deal that we recently closed.

Is XenDesktop needed since XenApp also enables desktop and application delivery?

Not having XenDesktop 4 resulted in an artificial TS vs. VDI debate thanks to Citrix that has just continued to brew. Yes it's true, XenApp can host desktops and apps on a server operating system, so this leads to the logical question why do I need XenDesktop? In a blog last week on Brian Madden's site this sentiment was highlighted once again. I believe this is now a moot debate. With XenDesktop 4, it really does not matter which model you choose.  What's more important to understand is that you choose the right model to address your business need that fits the right economics and time to market for you.

Despite my pre-XenDesktop implementation experience and choices due to technology availability, I've always wanted and believed in a move towards a desktop OS. Why? It was largely driven by:

• It's a desktop.  It makes the most sense to deliver it with a desktop OS and avoid any issues or optimizations that may come up in the future that I may not have been aware of.
• App compatibility is not a problem on a single session desktop OS. Yes you can use 1-1 XenApp, but for reason 1 I still prefer a desktop OS.
• 3rd party vendor support is not an issue on a desktop operating system.
• Consistent service delivery of running a desktop OS across all use cases. This includes users being familiar with their Laptop OS - corporate or personal.
• Reason 3 above makes it easier for in house developers to adopt.

Now that said, I've lived through large scale XenApp desktop and application deployments and seen that the app compatibility issue is marginal after 20 years of Citrix pioneering the Server Based Computing model. Most vendors support their software on multi user operating systems like Window 2003 and 2008 and XenApp 5 Feature Pack 2 now addresses those edge cases by enabling VM hosted applications delivered from a desktop OS.

However there is a twist. In my opinion this is the advent of Windows 2008 R2 - only available as a x64 operating system. This presents several additional considerations.

First, how fast is the world going to move all their desktop applications to a x64 operating system and have the hardware on the backend to host x64 desktops and apps? Note I did not say application compatibility, because based on my experience most x32 applications run just fine on a x64 Windows operating system. There is some repackaging and testing to be done, and there are of course exceptions like apps with 16 bit installers etc. but in general I have not seen compelling evidence to suggest that this will not work for the vast majority of apps.

Second, Windows 2008 R2 and Windows 7 share the same code base. At the technical level their kernels are the same version. Thank you Microsoft for finally pulling this off! This will vastly improve application compatibility. At a very high level of assurance I can be confident that applications re-packaged for Windows 7 will run just fine on Windows 2008 R2. Now customers can choose what is most comfortable based on their requirements (well they will once we release XenApp for x64 which is slated for beta towards the end of 2009) because it really does not matter - their investment moving to either operating system is well protected from an application compatibility perspective.

Finally, for users on XP or Vista, I don't know of anybody new who at this point will adopt desktop virtualization by migrating to Windows 2003 given the effort to get all your applications re-certified and then do it again when Windows 2003 will reach end of life in a few years. It's just not worth it. Windows 2008 x32 is certainly an option, but again to ease the application migration effort it seems more prudent to me to get your applications ready for Windows 7 and Windows 2008 R2 to future proof yourself and have application portability between the operating systems.

Now I fully expect many people reading this to say, but I want to do X with operating system Y for reason Z. That's ok, and clearly as I elude to above, given the world is so diverse it's foolish to assume a single prescription and proclaim this is how you do it. As I illustrate below, XenDesktop 4 let's you choose the best model for solving real world business problems. I like to think of it as a sliding scale that is a pragmatic realization by Citrix that customers want many ways to skin a cat. I believe this flexibility will enable our products to be more easily consumed now that every use case can be addressed irrespective of your OS choice, application compatibility concerns or x32 vs x64 belief system - all with the most predictable user experience powered by HDX.

Key considerations and takeaways

Virtualization is already forcing a datacenter re-architecture. I would argue that those who do not believe virtualization is a force driving consolidation in the data center that has past the hype and inertia stage are in the minority. As this shift happens it is very important to design your virtual infrastructure and organization to handle desktop scale and service levels. I've blogged about this in the past desktop virtualization is not server virtualization. And I can't begin to emphasize enough how important this point is. It's a mistake to think desktop virtualization is a simple extension of your existing server virtual infrastructure.

The forces of globalization, offshoring, teleworking, mobility, and green are causing more users to be mobile. Forces such as consolidation, data security, business continuity, and green are driving us towards centralization. Business are becoming more complex and diverse, and the distributed computing model will only get more expensive to manage and is not designed to handle the needs of an agile organization that requires a lot of flexibility.

As a result, XenDesktop 4 is a landmark release in our history. It brings together the best technologies and reaffirms our commitment to enable customers to deliver IT as a service with desktop and application virtualization. XenDesktop 4 demonstrates how at Citrix we understand that desktop virtualization is so much more than just VDI. This is at the very heart of where we have come from as an organization over the last 20 years. It's in our DNA how to deliver user experience over diverse infrastructure, and this is just the beginning. We continue to innovate and expand our reach through diverse devices, HDX, new delivery models such as Dazzle, continued investment in application delivery and so much more to come. It's an incredibly exciting time for us at Citrix, now that we've stepped up to heal the broken hearts of TS vs. VDI and enable a new tomorrow that represents pragmatic choice.

The launch of Windows 7 fills me with dread and excitement. The dread comes from coordinating Citrix Global Platinum sponsorship of this launch with North America Roadshows, Virtual Live Events, TechEd EMEA and local launch events. The excitement comes from the promise of Windows 7 after the relative disappointment of Vista (I must stress the word "relative"), as the performance of Windows 7 is definitely promising to live up to the hype.  

So, why would Microsoft invite Citrix to be a Global Launch Partner for an operating system launch?

Normally when you want a new OS, you just go on the web, buy a new PC, and use the CD to install the OS or, if you are like me and technologically incompetent, you get your IT Department to install it. However, the technology landscape has shifted. Now there is an alternative way to get your instant Windows 7 desktop with Citrix and Microsoft Desktop Virtualization, which delivers Windows desktops as an on-demand service to any user, on any device, anywhere.

The combination of Citrix and Microsoft gives customers the fastest way to deliver Windows 7 realizing benefits of increased efficiency and simplified IT Management. In addition Citrix HDX Technology offers up to 10X better Flash multimedia performance compared to alternative solutions, delivering a user experience that is indistinguishable from a local PC.

7 Ways to get up to speed on Citrix and Microsoft Desktop Virtualization for Windows 7

1. Check out the Citrix Desktop Virtualization Live, "Secrets, Lies and VDI" event on the 20^th October - register here

2. Attend the "Harness The Power of Virtualization" events with guest speakers from Citrix, Microsoft, Intel and HP - register here

3. Microsoft New Efficiency Virtual Live Event

4. North America Windows 7 Roadshows in 65 Cities for Technical Decision Makers and IT Professionals

5. Microsoft Tech EMEA

6. Check out your local events

7. Check out Win7 Community Central to see how the Citrix Partner Ecosystem helps deliver Windows 7 - Click here

 
Actually, 201,745 to be exact. That's the number of downloads we've had for the Citrix Receiver for iPhone since we launched on March 30th. That's the day Citrix started down the path of re-defining Mobility not as a singular device but as a strategy. I'm so excited to be at the center of it all. Around here, most folks call me Pete so please don't hold back. I'm the Product Manager for Mobility... one of a handful of folks here at Citrix that is driving our mobile strategy.

I remember back to late December in 2008 when my Director reached out to me and asked if I would take the lead on the Citrix Receiver for the iPhone. Like many of you my first response was "... why would someone run a session on a screen that's 320x480?" I accepted for the sake of the challenge and intrigue. Then I bought myself an iPhone. The light bulbs went off immediately and I saw the possibilities unfold before me. Then Blackberry Storm and Google Android devices started gaining headway and I was hooked. The development from the Engineers at Citrix Labs enabled me to see this was much bigger than the iPhone and "an app for that...". We needed a strategy and the technology that could let customers use these powerful devices to access virtual applications and virtual desktops. With the right software and peripherals, these "tech toys" could be more powerful than a full-featured PC when accessing applications and desktops hosted on ample servers in the data center.

Since then, we've adopted a fast prototyping and engineering model that utilizes short and multiple iterations. This allowed us to speed up delivery of Receiver for iPhone. Now, over 200,000 downloads later, we begin to see the fruit of our labor. Using this same successful model established just over a year ago we are realizing the benefits again with the Receiver for Windows Mobile devices which will be released this week. The end goal is to release Receivers for mobile devices that exhibit much of the same usability features and functionality as the Receiver for iPhone. In the coming months I look forward towards introducing new Citrix Receiver platforms. Stay tuned to my blog and that of Vinny Sosa for more information as the strategy unfolds. Here's to 200,000 and beyond!

Follow me on Twitter @PeteYaguno

Follow XenApp on | | |

Are you planning to attend Intel Developer Forum 2009 next week? If so, you will see Citrix in every corner of the event!

Stop by the Citrix booth (#501) next week at San Francisco's Moscone Center to see demos of our Citrix Delivery Center solutions. We will also showcase demos of Citrix XenClient, our joint collaboration with Intel to develop a local desktop virtualization platform.

In addition, Citrix will be featured in the Intel Virtualization Pavilion and Intel vPro Zone Communities. Within the Communities we'll showcase XenClient and also how Citrix XenServer leverages the benefits of Intel Xeon processors for Citrix XenApp and Citrix XenDesktop workloads. And as if that weren't enough, we will also have a demo of SR-IOV with Citrix XenServer at Intel's booth.

Citrix will also be featured within several breakout sessions at the event. Stop by the session "Hosted, Streamed, and Local Bare Metal Desktop Virtualization with Citrix XenDesktop and Citrix XenClient" on September 22^nd from 3-3:50pm to hear Peter Blum introduce our desktop virtualization vision and discuss Citrix XenClient.

Also, Simon Crosby is participating in a cloud virtualization panel discussion alongside other industry-leading companies. This session is scheduled for September 22^nd from 5-5:50pm.

In short...or maybe not that short...if you plan on attending the event, you'll have a lot of opportunities to meet with Citrix and learn how Citrix is working with Intel.

We look forward to seeing you there and we guarantee you won't be able to miss us! Learn more about Intel Developer Forum or register to attend here.

By now, you've probably been hearing or reading a lot about Citrix's relationship with Intel...or at least we're hoping that's the case!

Most of the recent news has been focused on our joint collaboration in the development of Citrix XenClient. XenClient is one of the most exciting projects in Citrix's history and we can't wait to see how the project changes the definition of desktop virtualization. With that said, there are optimization activities currently underway with our Citrix Deliver Center products, such as Citrix XenServer and Citrix XenDesktop that are worth talking about too!

Intel and Citrix have a long history of working together to deliver end-to-end solutions for the enterprise. From how Citrix XenServer works with Intel Xeon processors to how Citrix XenApp and Citrix XenDesktop work alongside Intel vPro technology to our joint development of Citrix XenClient, there is a great story in this partnership.

At Citrix Synergy 2009, Tom James, Business Development Manager, Digital Office Platform Division from Intel presented how solutions and technologies from Intel work with Citrix Delivery Center. For those of you who weren't able to attend Synergy or those who could but didn't have a chance to check out this session, it's available here for your viewing pleasure.

In this webinar you will learn:

• About recent server consolidation testing conducted in the Citrix Lab with Citrix XenApp, Citrix XenServer and Intel Xeon 5500 Series processors
• About the upcoming local desktop virtualization platform - XenClient - Citrix is developing in conjunction with Intel and how we see it changing the client landscape moving forward
• About the other collaboration areas from a technical perspective and how they add customer value
  

Check out the webinar!

The question of VDI use cases, customer awareness, and Desktop Virtualization has been a hot topic lately at Citrix. Harry Labana's blog post did a great job describing the differences in Desktop Virtualization and Server Virtualization. In addition to the positive reviews a few commenter's have also brought up some scenarios we have been considering but have not made available to date. Specifically we have been discussing ways to make HDX more pervasive and useful to IT Pro's and users. HDX has significant benefits and we want the broader industry to try it out and get a taste of XenDesktop.

Many in the community may recall a Citrix project called PortICA which led to a component of XenDesktop providing a direct ICA connection from a Client OS ( XP or Vista ) to any endpoint with the ICA client. Outside of Citrix developers & testers ( and a few others ) who find this very useful, we have not opened up this stand alone capability to the world. If we did make this available, meaning an MSI including the enhanced HDX features that could be installed inside a client OS which could connect directly ( no broker ) to any device with the Citrix Receiver and proper network configuration. The question is what would you use it for ? Would this lead to increased XenDesktop adoption? Some of the XenDesktop product and demo scenarios we have considered or heard are listed below. Please let us know your vote and help describe some new use cases as well.

( Note that this is simply a survey and does not imply what plans we may or may not have )

Also check out Brian Madden's post on the topic and additional commenters views.

http://twitter.com/chrisfleck

In case you have not been following some of the recent news on VDI and desktop virtualization, here is a recap.

Two contradictory stories

It all started about 2 weeks ago when Citrix and VMware shared the status of VDI business. There were two contradictory stories - Citrix announced some large purchases and implementations for Citrix XenDesktop and VMware announced that larger projects are being pushed out to 2010.

VDI is doomed for failure

Then came some reports on how VDI projects have recently failed. I like calling these not so successful VDI projects as 'first generation' architectures that are destined for failure. As the author notes that these projects start 'innocently' - with the goal of putting a desktop on top of the existing server virtualization platofrm. In other words 'We have done server virtualization - we can now do the same for the desktop'. Unfortunately, that is where the problem starts. Recently, Brian Madden published a story highlighting the problem. Two weeks ago, I heard customers sharing their frustrations and concerns about why desktop virtualization is different from server virtualization.

The Truth

I spoke with our CTO, Harry Labana, and Harry walked me through the top 5 reasons why in his experience VDI projects will fail if they are done with a presumption that desktop virtualization is similar to server virtualization.

The fact is that implementing Desktop virtualization or VDI is mre like implementing any other server based computing technology, such as Terminal Services. The VDI infrastructure that may be resident in the data center; however, it goes beyond the data center to the network, the end points and the user. So, unless the implementations are planned with network, device and end users in mind they are destined to fail. Good design, on the other hand, will lead to successful implementations. But that means doing the right due-diligence of products up front - including network, end points and end users. Or else you will fall into the similar trap as others are falling into.

Follow me on Twitter