Ever got frustrated with how long it takes to email a large report or presentation after incorporating your manager's feedback? Or found yourself in a plane wishing the email downloaded faster when the flight attendant asks you to turn off your 3G-equipped laptop? Or wished for a solution that could deliver email 50 times faster?

Did you know our WAN optimization solution, Citrix Branch Repeater, delivers superior user experience and application performance not only for branch office users but also for remote and teleworkers?

No one feels the need for speed more than a remote user or a teleworker with a low-bandwidth or a high- latency network connection. These users typically use an SSL VPN, such as Citrix Access Gateway, to connect to their corporate network and access email, intranet portals, other applications and data. When your IT augments secure remote access (Access Gateway) infrastructure with Branch Repeater, you can benefit from both secure and accelerated remote access.

Well, now we have two reports that demonstrate ways to use Branch Repeater to augment your Access Gateway infrastructure and the resulting benefits of accelerating secure remote access.

You can download the Turbocharge Access Gateway Performance Report - CTX121034 from the Citrix Knowledge Center. The report explores the benefits of using Access Gateway and Repeater plug-ins for Citrix Receiver together:
• 50x faster Microsoft Outlook and Exchange (MAPI) workflows
• 50x faster Microsoft SharePoint (HTTP) workflows
• 30x faster Windows File Shares (CIFS) workflows

I think you will want to try out the benefits of turbocharged remote access. Check out the Turbocharge Access Gateway Deployment Guide and Reference Architecture - CTX121035 if you want to conduct a POC (proof of concept) or a demo to convince your IT or other decision makers. You will be your end-users hero for providing them with an accelerated yet secure remote access.

VM hosted apps will be a new way of virtualizing applications that will be available in the next Feature Pack for XenApp. Harry Labana blogged about it yesterday. Bring yourself up to speed and then register for the TechTalk scheduled for September 23rd.

You can also stay updated on XenApp 5 Feature Pack 2 by tuning in to our twitter account (@xenappjunkie) and by keeping an eye on our blog feed. This month, you can expect a XenApp Expert Series video with one of the developers on the project (Modesto Tabares). Stacy Scott, one of our resident experts has also let me know that she'll be entering the blog foray on this topic so stay tuned for her (WARNING: She's super sharp so be prepared for some serious stuff). I'll be announcing everything on our blog feed and on Twitter.

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You may have seen an earlier blog post on application virtualization with VM hosted apps from Harry Labana, CTO of XenApp (@harrylabana) titled "Seamless applications beyond Terminal Services, does it help?". You probably have some questions on this technology as well. Well, let me be the first to give you a bit more background on this feature. Your comments and feedback are always appreciated.

Why VM hosted apps for application virtualization?

Today, you use XenApp to deliver virtual applications in 2 ways - hosted or offline. With offline delivery, you use application streaming technology to place the app in an isolated container running on the users PC. With hosted delivery, you stream or install an application onto XenApp servers and users connect to these servers to access the application via a highly optimized protocol (e.g. Citrix ICA powered by HDX technology). Each user gets their own memory space but they all share the same instance of the operating system - that being Windows Server 2003 or Windows Server 2008. Now, with VM hosted delivery, you stream or install an application into an image or virtual machine and users connect to their own instance of the virtual machine in order to access the application (pooled VM's are the best way to do this). Applications virtualized with VM hosted apps are run in a dedicated environment for each user with dedicated memory AND their own instance of the operating system such as Windows XP, Vista or Windows 7.

Why is this important? Well, as the folks who invented application virtualization and who have been doing it the longest, we've learned throughout the years that not every application can run in a server-hosted or Terminal Services environment. There are some apps that users needed to take offline with them and others that simply wouldn't run well in a multi-user environment for a number of reasons. This is why we added application streaming technology to XenApp a few years ago. Still, there were some applications that customers wanted to host in the data center but which didn't run well in Terminal Services. An example could be a custom application that had proprietary data in it and putting the app on the desktop would put the data at risk. Another example could be an application that is unsupported by the ISV in a Terminal Services environment. And yet another example might be a health care application that is certified to run on the desktop and putting it in a multi-user environment would lead to a breach of HIPAA compliance. Whatever the reason, VM hosted applications provides another alternative.

Application management with VM hosted apps

With VM hosted apps, you'll create a virtual machine or desktop image (vDisk) into which you install the given application and any helper apps needed. This image can be running Windows XP, Vista or Win7. There are some configuration steps you need to go through to set up the image properly but they are minor (e.g. placing a shortcut to the app in a special folder, installing a software agent, etc.). Once the image is created, you'll use our management tools to publish the application. Basically, what you are doing is publishing a desktop pool, assigning it the icon of the application you want to make available, giving it a friendly name, and defining the users and conditions that the application will run in. You can configure the application to run as a VM, on a blade PC or even a PC running in the datacenter. The only reason I see for running it on a blade or a PC is for applications that require a GPU or have specific hardware requirements that can't be virtualized at this time. You'll get better ROI if you can virtualize.

One thing to note is that this is being done in an independent console snap-in for this release so you'll want to use the MMC to bring everything together. In addition, the control mechanism for VM hosted apps requires and independent farm. Not to worry though... this is all hidden from the user because it all comes together via XenApp Web and XenApp Services or what our old-timers know as Web Interface and PNAgent sites. You simply add the VM hosted apps farm to your Web Interface or PNAgent site and when a user logs in to Citrix Receiver or to Web Interface they'll see all of their apps in a single list - VM hosted, server hosted or streamed. When users open an application, it will appear in seamless mode with no components of the remote desktop showing - just like other server-hosted applications delivered with XenApp. In this release, users can access a single published application within a virtual machine instance but we are investigating ways to improve on the flexibility here for future releases.

From a licensing perspective, the plan is to make this feature available to XenApp Enterprise or Platinum customers. On the Microsoft side, you'll need a Microsoft VECD license to stay in compliance with hosting Windows virtual desktops. It's important to note that VM hosted apps DOES NOT allow you to run a full virtualized desktop session such as what you would have with XenDesktop. It wasn't built for such a purpose and it doesn't work technically. You can, however, leverage the same infrastructure for VM hosted apps to deliver virtual desktops if you purchase XenDesktop licenses and you can use same VH hosted apps console to manage the delivery of those desktops to users. One of the best things about this is that if you choose to extend your XenApp deployment with VM hosted apps you're essentially putting yourself in the position to easily adopt Essentials for Xen and Hyper-V as well as XenDesktop in the future.

If you're trying to figure out if VM hosted apps is for you, it'll become pretty obvious very quickly that there is a decision tree involved here that has variables associated with it like application compatibility, criticality, overall cost and ROI among the many. We'll reveal the elements of this decision tree in future posts but one thing your should certainly take away is that server hosting (XenApp on Terminal Services) is still your best bet for the lowest cost application delivery. In fact, you'll probably find yourself using this is a stop-gap for some of your apps that you'll need to deliver quickly to give you some time to do proper validation and testing for hosting on XenApp servers. In any case, stay tuned for more information on this topic as I'm sure it will be sought after.

Availability of VM hosted apps

We're planning to release the VM hosted apps feature in the next Feature Pack for XenApp which is planned for Q3 2009. In the meantime, you can learn more about it by staying tuned to our twitter account (@xenappjunkie) and by keeping an eye on our blog feed. This month, you can expect a XenApp Expert Series video with one of the developers on the project (Modesto Tabares) and Cris Lau will be doing a TechTalk scheduled for September 23rd so reserve your seat today. Stacy Scott, one of our resident experts has also let me know that she'll be entering the blog foray on this topic so stay tuned for her (WARNING: She's super sharp so be prepared for some serious stuff). I'll be announcing everything on our blog feed and on Twitter.

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UPDATED July 31, 2009 - Clarified that pooled VM's are supported, separate farms are used not separate IMA database, consoles come together via MMC.

Take this quick survey to tell us more about the solutions your organization uses to optimize your WAN. 

Last year we introduced Branch Repeater with Windows Server -- the industry's first branch-in-a-box. Branch Repeater with Windows Server natively integrates Citrix ICA acceleration, application acceleration and WAN optimization technologies with essential file, print, network and authentication services. Branch Repeater with Windows Server allows you to eliminate dedicated branch office servers and consolidate these services onto an integrated appliance.

The initial version of Branch Repeater with Windows Servers was built on Windows Server 2003R2 -- still the most commonly deployed server OS in branch offices. However, this year Windows Server 2008 adoption will eclipse Windows Server 2003. The release of Branch Repeater 5.5 adds Windows Server 2008 as a new platform choice for Branch Repeater with Windows Server appliances (the 2003R2 version is still available and customers who buy this version will be able to upgrade to 2008 in the future if they have a maintenance agreement).

Just like the 2003R2 version, Branch Repeater with Windows Server 2008 is fully and natively integrated with the Windows Server OS. This means there is a single OS running in the branch office, greatly simplifying remote support and maintenance. Using the provided management pack for Microsoft System Center Operations Manager, you can easily and cost-effectively manage all your remote appliances using existing server management tools.

In terms of supported services, Branch Repeater with Windows Server 2008 includes the same core services and the 2003R2 version - file, print, AD, DHCP, DNS, WINS, & DFS. In addition, I want to highlight a new feature available in Windows Server 2008 called Read-Only Domain Controller (RODC).

In the past many people had concerns about running a full DC in a branch office – and for good reason! RODC eliminates these issues by implementing a read-only AD DS database and unidirectional replication. Any changes or corruption that a malicious user might make at branch locations cannot replicate from the RODC to the rest of the forest.

Small and Medium businesses.  The SMB!  Why are they so important to the market we are in?  Because there are over 50 million of them worldwide.  Who services them and how much money is there to be made in this space?  Some say that the SMB will be the key to recovery from this worldwide recession.

SMBs are not so different from larger enterprises.  They have employees, products, and even computers and software applications.  Just like larger enterprises they have a top line (Revenue) and a bottom line (Profit).  They also have operations costs that come between their top and bottom lines.  Which is where they spend money on things like Information Technology. 

Most SMBs go through plateaus in their growth where they make major decisions about their operations and IT is no exception.  When a company reaches about 99 employees they begin to be faced with a major decision... What am I going to do about all of these information technology issues I have today? This ranges from Customer Relationship Management (CRM) to Communications (Email and VoIP) to plain old vanilla business productivity applications (Microsoft Office).  The problems begin to occur at this growth period because there are enough software application versions and data repository issues that day-to-day operations could be at risk with any and all disruption caused by IT.  And so, for the most part IT becomes a necessary evil that requires additional outlay of cash to keep it under control. 

But now there are products that come through the "Ether" and don't require an entire staff of IT professionals to run them.  So when the guy who has to cut the check each month is looking at decreasing profits because he keeps paying for applications to be loaded (and they don't seem to work together because of a lack of version control or service packs missing or O/S problems) it shouldn't surprise anybody that he is looking for alternatives.  He keeps hearing about this thing called "Cloud Computing" but can't quite get his head around how "The Cloud" is going to help him with his bottom line. 

Enter the Citrix Service Provider...  These companies are supplying services to the SMB so that they don't have to worry about application version control and O/S service packs and additional IT staff.  It's really kind of funny because I was on the phone with one of our large enterprise customers this week and he told me "what these Citrix Service Providers are doing is exactly how I run my IT group".  In other words, the Citrix Service Provider is kind of like a co-op for the SMB so that they can get the same economy of scale that a large enterprise gets, only without the encumbrance of a full fledged IT staff.

There is a company in Manchester, U.K. that provides just these types of services... IT Farm.  They've got a nifty 90 second demo of just how easy it is to offload all of your IT issues and let someone else deal with it...  Just sign up and overnight you've got instant access to all of the applications you want without the worries of having to do-it-yourself.  And they are firm believers that Citrix is the only company on the planet that has the technology to fit their business model.  Dr. James Huntington, the Managing Director at IT Farm had this to say about it... "IT Farm has enjoyed a long lasting relationship with Citrix.  With the advent of the newly developed Citrix Service Provider program, we now have the ability to rapidly expand our base and provide our customers with the best technology on the market for the delivery of applications and desktops."  With over a hundred SMBs serviced with their offering, thousands of desktops are no longer a problem for the guy who writes the check.

Would you believe that up to twenty percent of the 50 Million SMBs worldwide are at this stage of growth and trying to find companies who will offload their IT... that's about 10 Million by my count.  So if you're one of those companies who want to get in the game and become "the Cloud" for the millions of subscribers looking for an alternative, what's stopping you?  We have the technology if you've got the desire!

I received an inquiry recently; can Application Streaming be used to virtualize server infrastructure apps, like Apache, SQL server and a variety of others?  I've heard the inquiry before, but have so far ignored it.  I write this post to find out if I'm somehow missing the point because as the Citrix Architect of delivering applications virtualized, I don't see any point in isolating these applications.

My response: Sure, use Provision Server.  Don't like that one, use XenServer.

Let me put it differently.  COULD you "App Streaming" style isolate the execution of a server side infrastructure application? SURE.

Should you?   In my view, no.  Why do it?

The entire PURPOSE of the server is running that application, so why isolate the application execution.  Well, it isn't really an application, the entire purpose of the machine is redirected to serving this single purpose. 

Could I STREAM the application bits in just time time for execution?  Sure. Would I ever do that?  No. I would go out of my way to make sure the execution bits were in place before runtime.  That leaves isolation. 

What about application updates

RADE provides for hot updates of applications as users run them.  In the case of server side, I could profile the application in one place, prove it works, then reboot the production servers to have then bring in the new version of the application.  This sounds like a perfect use of Provisioning Server. 

Maybe I could get the new version of the app onto the server by closing the app and relaunching it; no reboot needed.  The result is the same result, the web/database server still has to go down to come back up.

Notice this is the App Streaming architect saying "Don't run these apps with my stuff".

Okay - IT people, tell me what I'm missing.

Joe Nord

Citrix Systems

Product Architect - Application Streaming

Within this one page you'll have all information on the Citrix and Intel relationship available at your fingertips...or mouse click so to speak.  

Interested in learning about Citrix's latest activities with Intel? We know your time is valuable and that's why we've consolidated all related news, blogs, articles, videos, etc... into the feeds section of this page. We've also created an area that highlights all related forum threads and postings. Look for answers to your burning questions, participate in an existing discussion, or post a new thread. Epitomizing the true nature of community... this page is here for you!  

Did you know that Citrix and Intel are working together to jointly develop a bare-metal Type-1 client hypervisor? Learn about and stay up to date on our joint collaboration of Citrix XenClient. View demos, read blogs and let us know what you think about this upcoming solution.

But it doesn't stop there! Get information and results on our joint product validation, benchmarking and scalability tests. You can even let us know how you're working with Citrix and Intel solutions together in our Community Verified area.

You're only one click away from all things Citrix and Intel. Stop by the Citrix Community page for Intel and check back often! And don't forget to follow us on Twitter!

To finish off with another Damone line, "isn't this great?"

XenApp Expert Series - Informational, News, Interviews (2009) The show where we interview the experts to get you the latest research and technology news on XenApp application virtualization. Host Vinny Sosa (@vinnysosa) interviews Citrix Engineer and Graphics Guru Juan Rivera (@juancitrix) on the HDX MediaStream for Flash and graphics remoting. How it works, why is it important and general technical musings are prevalent in this information packed episode. Episode 4, Season 1.

View this Episode and Subscribe to the XenApp Expert Series

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XenApp Expert Series - Informational, News, Interviews (2009) The show where we interview the experts to get you the latest research and technology news on XenApp application virtualization. Host Vinny Sosa (@vinnysosa) interviews Citrix Engineer and Graphics Guru Juan Rivera (@juancitrix) on the HDX MediaStream for Flash and graphics remoting. How it works, why is it important and general technical musings are prevalent in this information packed episode. Episode 4, Season 1.

Listen to this episode

• Listen to archived episodes:
  • Episode 3: An Overview of HDX with Derek Thorslund
  • Episode 2: Profile Management with David Wagner
  • Episode 1: Power Management with Sridhar Mullapudi

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Learn more about Citrix HDX

Earlier this week, we launched version 1.0.2 of the Citrix Receiver for iPhone. Citrix Access Gateway expands support for Receiver to connect to Access Gateway Enterprise Edition (versions 8.1.57 / 9.0.69 / 9.1.95) in addition to the Access Gateway Standard Edition that was already available. With this release, Access Gateway further enhances mobility by offering secure mobile access on iPhone for the Enterprise Edition.

Citrix Receiver is our lightweight software client that makes accessing virtual applications and desktops on any device simple and easy. It brings together multiple application delivery clients in one single client - all updated automatically, while greatly simplifying client distribution and updates for the IT administrators.

If you are an iPhone user, you will find this latest release very useful. The app is now available to the general public via AppStore on your iPhone or iPod Touch. More importantly, as a corporate user, you will find Doc Finder a 'must-have' for your iPhone. Part of Citrix Receiver, Doc Finder provides fast, one-click access to important documents stored on the corporate network. You can even join a webinar from anywhere - straight from your iPhone. Since these documents are stored in the datacenter and delivered over a secure encrypted link, data and applications always remain completely secure.

Best,

Sai

http://twitter.com/SaiAllavarpu

Over the next few weeks I will be blogging about some of the cool new features in Branch Repeater 5.5.

First up -- Exchange (MAPI) acceleration.

Everyone knows that Microsoft Exchange is the dominant enterprise email server commanding over 65% of the market. Most end users connect to their company's Exchange Server using a version of Microsoft Outlook installed on their desktop. MAPI (or Messaging Application Programming Interface) is the application layer protocol that Outlook email clients use to communicate with an Exchange Server.

As businesses have centralized their Exchange Servers in the datacenter, MAPI has become a top protocol operating over the WAN. By its nature MAPI is a "chatty" protocol which means it performs poorly in WAN environments. Branch Repeater 5.5 now automatically detects MAPI connections and responds by pipelining multiple MAPI messages together for transport across the WAN. By eliminating protocol chattiness, Branch Repeater makes Outlook/Exchange significantly faster over high latency connections.  

Large email attachments are another cause of poor email performance. Branch Repeater addresses this issue by automatically compressing and de-duplicating email attachments.

The results are nothing short of stunning. In many cases you will see performance improvements of 10, 20 or even 50x.

Beyond accelerating the end-user experience, this feature also has a dramatic impact on reducing network bandwidth consumption. Imagine a user in a branch office emailing a 10MB attachment to ten other people in that office. Without Branch Repeater, the entire 10MB file must be transmitted to the Exchange Server and then transmitted back to the branch office ten times - once for each recipient. With Branch Repeater, the attachment is only transmitted across the WAN once.

Branch Repeater's Exchange (MAPI) acceleration is not just for branch offices. The Repeater Plug-in for Citrix Receiver brings this functionality to individual remote users working from home or on the road. Now you don't have to wait forever to download that large attachment while working in your hotel room.

Earlier I said that most users connect to their company's Exchange server using a locally installed version of Outlook. That makes sense since many users need offline access to their email. But wait a minute... XenApp also provides offline access to applications with application streaming. And guess what? A streamed version of Outlook talks MAPI too. So whether you have locally installed Outlook clients or are streaming Outlook with XenApp -- you need to try out Branch Repeater 5.5 in your network.

Long before Neo said "whoa" ... civilizations throughout history have relied heavily on the wisdom and information provided by oracles.

In The Matrix, the Oracle says "if you can't find the answer, then I'm afraid there may be no tomorrow for any of us." Well, maybe that's a bit extreme in this case... but with the amount of information available within the Citrix Community page for Oracle, I don't think we'll have to worry about finding out.

Not only will this site provide a variety of information and wisdom on the Citrix and Oracle relationship, but you will also have to opportunity to contribute and become an "oracle" yourself. You can even view Oracle apps working on the iPhone with Citrix Receiver. Consider this page a library of resources for all things Citrix and Oracle...or a "shrine of information" so to speak.

From this page you'll have access to news, blogs, community discussions, and Tweets from the Citrix and Oracle communities as well as third-party sites. This information is aggregated into a single area within the page and provides all related information in a simple-to-use format. You can also follow us on Twitter for up-to-the-minute information.

Got questions? Related discussion forums are also consolidated within this page. Review existing discussion postings and threads to find answers to commonly asked questions. You can even join in the discussion and post new threads. Got knowledge? Become a contributor! The true nature of community is to share information. Remember, it takes a village...or a community in this instance.

We also want to know if and how you're using Oracle in your Citrix environments. Let us know in the Community Verified area. It's easy to use and takes only minutes of your time. Simply identify the Oracle application and Citrix product and you're done!

According to Ralph Waldo Emerson, "each man is a hero and an oracle to somebody." So be a hero within the community and become an oracle for the Citrix & Oracle relationship! Participate in the Citrix Community page for Oracle.

Last week at internal Citrix Sales Engineer gathering, I was presenting stuff on Application Streaming, where I noted that Application Streaming cannot isolate 16-bit DOS applications.  Immediate response from the SEs, yes it does - I have it in production and it works.  ... Things that make you go hum.  

I went home and tested it.  Answer: The SEs are completely right.

Why?  Our file system driver is kernel mode and "sees all".  Same for the code that looks after processes coming and going.  There would be a problem with registry filtering and this would be a show stopper, except there is no registry for DOS apps.   So, I've been telling people for years that this is a product limitation, when it really isn't.

Here's a picture of Turbo Pascal, 1987 vintage, running under Citrix Application streaming.  Also note that I saved Hello.pas to the C:\Turbo directory, which shows up in per-user layer of isolation.

Enjoy.
 

I am glad to share with you all the news about our Citrix Branch Repeater 5.5. Building on our momentum with XenApp optimization (via the ICA acceleration feature) released earlier this year, we announced today the availability of our newest Citrix Branch Repeater 5.5. Among the many benefits this release delivers, check out the following key highlights:

•  Microsoft Exchange (MAPI) optimization accelerates Exchange email for branch and mobile users by up to 50X while reducing bandwidth consumption. You also get these benefits if you are streaming Microsoft Outlook with XenApp or Microsoft App-V because streamed Outlook application behaves just like a native application from a network perspective - a streamed Outlook will talk MAPI to the Exchange server in the datacenter.  Here is a sneak peek of email acceleration benefits from an upcoming performance whitepaper (available soon): 
   
  
  
   
• Branch Repeater with Windows Server 2008  enables consolidation of essential branch services with Microsoft's most advanced server operating system - Windows Server 2008. Customers now have a choice of deploying Branch Repeater appliances built on either Windows Server 2003 or Windows Server 2008. As before, we continue to offer the non-Windows version of Branch Repeater as well.

• • Of the many powerful capabilities in the Windows Server 2008 operating system, the Read-Only Domain Controller (RODC) feature is one I would like to highlight.  RODC allows you to securely deploy Domain Controller in a branch office for faster Windows authentication and login times. This also helps improve the security posture of IT infrastructure in branch offices.
• With the availability of Repeater Plug-in for Citrix Receiver Branch Repeater now provides WAN acceleration benefits for the already easy-to-use Receiver software client. Receiver provides a consistent and intuitive user experience, and simplifies client distribution and updates. For instance, if you want a single client that provides secure access, SSL VPN client and WAN optimization benefits, then Citrix Receiver is a great way to simplify the client distribution and improve the user experience. This now truly provides simple, fast and secure access to applications from anywhere, whether you are working remotely or in a branch office. I encourage you to try it out and share your experiences with us. 
  

Stay tuned for a series of blog posts that explore some of the features in detail.

I encourage you to check out the newest Branch Repeater 5.5 and share your experiences with me at sai.allavarpu@citrix.com.

Sai

If you need to get back on the rails with Citrix XenApp and more importantly if you are a Service Provider just getting started with XenApp then boy do we have an event you won't want to miss.  Two of our best field readiness managers, Jo Harder and Craig Marinella will be leading a webinar on the 22nd of July to cover the following topics.

XenApp Premium Overview -
Designing and Implementing XenApp - App Delivery and Management
Designing and Implementing EdgeSight - Your built in reporting tool
Information Resources and References

Don't miss this great opportunity to learn about implementing the technology used around the world with 230,000 customers and servicing over a million users for application delivery.

Just click on the links below to get access to this invaluable session from Citrix... the new kid on the block for Windows based SaaS.

EMEA - XenApp Premium Overview

Americas - XenApp Premium Overview

APAC - XenApp Premium Overview

...and if you missed the Business Overview Webinar for CSPs you can take a look at the recorded session link below...

CSP Business Overview Webinar

That's why we've worked together to develop the Citrix Community page for SAP, a dedicated, one-stop shop for all things Citrix & SAP! So while we'll never say there is "too much" information on the Citrix and SAP relationship, we will say having a single place to access all information on the relationship is "wonderful".

On this page we've consolidated all related blogs, news, videos, etc... from Citrix, SAP and third-party sites in our feeds section to save you time on staying up to date on the Citrix and SAP happenings. You can even follow us on Twitter!

There's even a discussion forum dedicated to SAP-related discussions. Look for the answers to your questions within existing threads or post a new question in our discussion forum. Do you have technical questions about an SAP implementation? Do you want to learn more about the validation and performance results of SAP NetWeaver with Citrix XenApp and Citrix NetScaler? Do you want to learn more about Citrix's relationship with SAP? If you said yes, then this is the site for you!

Visit this page to learn the latest and greatest information about our relationship including press announcements, product validations, joint activities and resources...and don't forget to participate in our Community Verified initiative! Let us know how you're working with SAP in your Citrix environment from the convenient console located within the page.

So...why don't you come up and see us some time? And oh yeah...don't forget to participate in the discussion! Stop by the Citrix Community page for SAP today!

Ok, rather than bore you with copious platitudes about why and how HP is one of our most important partners, let's get right to Introducing the NEW Citrix and HP Community site and the cool resources available here and now. To quote my esteemed colleague "there's a Community for that!". 

Like all of the partner communities on the Citrix community portal, you will receive real-time feeds on all things HP and Citrix, get a glimpse at he most requested documents, latest hot-fixes & patches and participate in our forums.  I thought I would take a minute and highlight some new items to welcome you to the page.

First we need to mention the recent validation of Citrix XenServerwith HP Virtual Connect Flex-10. See the links in the highlights section. Virtualizing network infrastructure will soon become the next holy grail in our industry (previously discussed here) and HP and Citrix XenServer are delivering today!

Are you perhaps wondering if that new HP software you are considering is being used by others within Citrix environments? Find out now in the Community Verified portlet, and yes, you can share what HP and Citrix solutions you are using with the community via this portlet. Contribute and enrich the Citrix and HP community- share your experiences.  

Ok - now it is your turn. After you have explored the feeds, forums, knowledge and technical resources, on the Citrix and HP Community tell us what is missing, or new content sources you would like to see here ... We will be evolving this site based on your input! Brent. 

Gmail, Google Calendar, Google Docs, Google Talk, Grand Central, Google Voice, Goog-411, Adroid, Chrome, Chrome O/S, Google Earth, Google Maps, Street View, Google Maps Mobile, Google Maps GPS, Adroid Phone, Android Applications... free downloads, free service, free open source.  All of it free?  Free, free, free! 

2004 - $100 per share, 2005 - $200 per share... $300 per share, 2006 - $400 per share, 2007 - $500 per share... $600 per share... $700 per share, 2008 - $470 -> $262 per share (poor Google), 2009 - $400 per share.  Wanna buy some... too expensive.... too too expensive.

Google, no more beta... nope.  No more beta!  What?  Why not?  "We realize this puzzles some people".  Whatayamean?  "More than 1.75 million companies around the world run their business on Google apps... We've focused our efforts on reaching our high bar for taking products out of beta, and all the applications in the Apps suite have met that mark." 

Still free?  "We have much more in store, and IT managers can read more about how to make the switch to Apps..."  No I said, is it free?  "Ever since we launched Google Apps suite for business two years ago, it's had a service level agreement, 24/7 support, and met or exceeded all the other standards of non-beta software."  Oh, then I guess it isn't free anymore is it? 

What's that your saying?  I can't hear you.  Can you come down off that pile of money?  What?  You say this is what a $130 billion market cap looks like? 

Hey, are you trying to take over the telecommunications market?  You launched that 411 service that's taking all of the money away from the phone company, right? "We launched 1-800-GOOG-411."  Yeah but doesn't it use someone else's network?  "It's a free service that let's you search for businesses by voice".  Yeah but aren't you using their network and it costs them money but you don't have to pay anything? "[You] get connected to those businesses for free".  Aren't you also using your mapping technology to build awareness in that market so that you can take it over some day?  "...just say map it and you'll get a text message with the details of your search plus a link to a map of your results right on your mobile phone."  Oh I see.  You don't won't to talk about it.  Well O.K. then.

You launched Chrome to take over the browser business right? "It's been an exciting nine months since we launched the Chrome browser. Already over 30 million people use it regularly."  Didn't someone get in big trouble for doing that a few years ago? "We designed Google Chrome for people who live on the web...".  Yeah but aren't you using your search engine optimization algorithms as an unfair advantage? "...searching for information, checking email, catching up on the news, shopping or just staying in touch with friends."  Yeah but now you're trying to turn it into an Operating System aren't you? "...the Operating System that browsers run on were designed in an era where there was no web."  Isn't that kind of arrogant?  I mean, there are still a lot of people using great applications on the existing operating systems aren't they? "Because we're already talking to partners about the project, and we'll soon be working with the open source community, we wanted to share our vision now so that everyone understands what we are trying to do."

So let me get this right.  You're sitting on a pile of cash... about $18 billion.  Up until now you've given away all of your products for free.  But now all of your software is being officially released. You've got your own operating system and applications for mobile phones, your own operating system and applications for computers and netbooks, your own search engine, mapping routines and advertising analytics engine like no one else's in the world.  You own the largest data center in the world and you've got your hands in everything from mobile phones to web browsers and now a new operating system?

Isn't there other ways to evolve the existing Information Technology world based on existing proven technology?  Isn't there a way to allow businesses to utilize their existing infrastructure by delivering applications to any device? Aren't there other players in the space that have been offering up solutions that are now being defined as Cloud Computing?

Can you say Microsoft and Citrix Systems?

Twitter

I'm sure you are all familiar with the iPhone commercials and the ubiquitous "there is an app for that" phrase that has seemingly become the catch phrase of this decade. Previous catch phrases include --but not limited to -- The 70s-"Heeeey" , The 80s-"Where's the Beef?" The 90s-"Doh!".

All kidding aside, "there's an app for it" reflects the current state of consumerization and customization that is becoming commonplace in today's on-line experience. It is no longer acceptable to have generic applications and content. We all know what we need/want for our apps and we need them now!

Citrix Community Updates

In that same spirit, today I have the pleasure of sharing some of the upgrades we have made to the Citrix community sites. Need a community for discussing Citrix and Microsoft products, "there's a community for that", need a community for the latest and greatest on Citrix and Oracle, "there's a community for that", need a community for finding cool communities "there's a community for that" , need a community where you can geek out (both online and local), "there are 2 communities for that" (gotta spice it up a bit , the first is here and the second is here)... well, I think you get the idea. You should check out the Citrix Community home page and in particular the new partner community module.

My team and I are continually looking for ways to connect with the Citrix community of customers, partners, Citrites and anyone interested in the latest in virtualization of applications, desktops and servers. We are continually soliciting feedback and update the site based on direct comments and industry trends.

Now it's your turn....

Let us know what types of communities you need and (you guessed it) "there will be a community for that", we are open to all types of ideas... here's a few to get the ball rolling (and maybe a peek at the future )... How about a Citrix and Windows 7 community? Or a Citrix and Desktop Virtualization community? Or (heaven forbid!) a Citrix and VMware community?

Also, let us know what type of content you are looking for in your communities. Check out the partner communities or even XenServerCentral for our real time multi-media feeds. Let us know how we can make them better for you...

Now I need to get back to my favorite iPhone App (an oldie but a goodie) ....

john