There is a lot of discussion in the industry about IT's resistance to supporting the iPhone. This is largely due to security concerns and application availability. As readers of this blog know, Citrix app delivery goes a long way to address these concerns. More and more we are now hearing from IT Pro's that want the iPhone to improve their own productivity, this shows up on our blogs as well as some recent impromptu reviews from the floor at MacWorld.

Since there was not many new exciting iPhone demo's at the MacWorld Keynote, we decided to release some of our own. Check out Cut & Paste from a real PowerPoint doc to Word. It works with Citrix ! Let us know what you think of the file navigation application as well.

Nothing to announce regarding release date ... but we are making good progress...
In the mean time chat with the developers over in the iPhone project site at
Http://community.citrix.com/iphone

Prediction #1: The iPhone goes Enterprise

- The iPhone will gain rapid adoption in the Enterprise driven by user demands including executives, road warriors, and knowledge workers asking for access to the apps they need ( including windows apps ) from anywhere. IT will increasingly support the effort based on new improved security capabilities and productivity gains ( including for themselves ).

..	Choose
I am in IT and we will support the iPhone in 2009 ! ( I need the Citrix Receiver now... )
Blackberry reigns in the Enterprise, no change for '09 ...

..	Choose
We already are saving significant $$ by enabling safe access from home PC's
We are planning to allow controlled access ( via Citrix ) from home PC's in 2009
Status quo, corporate laptop access or none at all.

Prediction #3: Virtual Desktops grow beyond a niche

- Improvements in user experience capabilities of VDI solutions combined with the reduced support cost model will drive increased adoption of VDI beyond the initial niche deployments.

..	Choose
We are moving from VDI pilots and special use cases to broader deployment
VDI is not ready for the masses, we will wait and see

Prediction #4: IaaS Cloud Providers are no longer just for web startups

- The recent Windows offering by Amazon will validate the IaaS ( Infrastructure as a Service ) model as a viable platform for companies small and large looking to add test and targeted production capacity without capital and facility costs.

..	Choose
We have started to use Cloud VM's or Storage for test and plan broader use in '09
What is IaaS ? No way are we putting anything in the cloud...
Not sure, need to try it first

Prediction #5: Netbooks drive Servers, Clouds and Linux clients

- The rapid adoption of Netbooks based on low cost and light weight convenience will increase the desire to run server hosted apps ( Web and Windows ). A significant number of the new mini laptops will be used for occasional use vs a primary PC which makes maintaining local apps and synchronizing data problematic. This in turn will help break the traditional model of running Windows apps installed on PCs and laptops.

..	Choose
We are getting more and more requests for access from Netbooks, all they need is Citrix and a browser.
Netbooks are just toys for kids ...  ( small & big )

Agree / disagree ? what are your predictions ? 

Also seen at Sys-Con Cloud Computing Computing Journal

As we have announced here on the Citrix Blog ( still no Press Release though ...  ) we are actively developing a Citrix Receiver for the iPhone that will bring the world of millions of Windows apps and developers to the iPhone. As part of our testing and demonstrations we are looking for examples of compelling applications that will not run natively on the iPhone, however if the app was hosted on XenApp and delivered to the iPhone it would provide a great visual example of the power of Citrix and the iPhone.

Some things that come to mind are;

• Web sites that require flash
• Medical Apps
• Web apps that need IE
• Cut & Paste ( within Citrix sessions )
• ?

We have received great feedback and use case descriptions on the original post ( keep that coming ) now we are looking for specific apps or new ideas that would really open eyes to the possibilities.

Thanks !

Since the dawn of time (in Personal Computer time at least) there has been a clear separation, or should that be chasm?, between PC users and Apple users.  The differences are not only philosophical there are practical differences.

Each of the O/S's has it its own quirks and usability paradigms.  The classic example has always been the mouse.  Apple users have always been happy with a single button, while PC users have always wanted more buttons...

The iPhone has introduced yet another paradigm, with its all touch screen design.

The Citrix Receiver for iPhone is being created to allow access to windows applications, through an Apple device which uses this new user experience.  As the designers and builders of this software we need to "Bridge the gap" between all three interaction methods.

I have to say this has led to some "vigorous" debates on the various suggestions to build this bridge.  Currently we have a few gestures and we think we can do almost everything a windows user would want to do.

However, I see scope for improvement.  I would like to hear you ideas on how a Windows user would like to interact, how a Mac user would like to interact and even how a Linux user would like to interact.

Now I don't want to start an OS war.

What I am looking for are real suggestions and ideas.

To kick things off:-

Question 1
Does the Citrix Receiver for iPhone need to have "extra" keyboard keys?  For example would Alt, Ctrl, Tab, Delete etc be useful?

Question 2
If these keys are useful, what keys are needed?

I look forward to your responses.

Colin Warren
Lead Strategic Services Analyst
Advanced Products, Sydney

One of the exciting parts of being able to work on this project is the fresh and innovative approach we are taking to get the software in your hands as soon as we can so we can shape future releases.  It's fair to say that the Braeburn team is working schedules like never before and using a much more agile approach to the project's release.
We are aiming to be very transparent (through the use of this site) so that you know what's going on with current and future releases of the project.

The way we are approaching the initial release is that we will be getting our version one on to the AppStore as soon as we can so we can get feedback from all of you... our plan is that it will have the core technology which will allow you to manage and make connections to the Citrix Delivery Center and as I mentioned, we are working on a very aggressive schedule and we will be having many regular updates to the project available on the AppStore as we add additional feature after feature.

But it's not all about features that you have grown to expect from other the other App Receivers available to connect to Citrix infrastructure, we also have a few tricks up our sleeve that we think you'll love on your iPhone... let's just say we are thinking differently about ways to access and interact with your information whilst going mobile with the iPhone.

Each release will also incorporate suggestions from you guys as well (and of course the odd bug fix as well!), so please - make sure you contribute to the forums on this site (they will be up and running really soon).

Adam

As pointed out by Adam on his previous post, this site is the gateway for the community to get to know Project Braeburn's team as well as interact with us.

The site is now live and you can access it by clicking on the following link:

http://community.citrix.com/iphone

Happy Holidays.

best,
Gus

Hi and welcome to the Citrix Receiver for iPhone community site,

First let me introduce myself, my name is Adam Jaques and I'm one of the Managers at Citrix who is responsible for the release of the Citrix Receiver for iPhone (known as project Braeburn).  If you haven't seen it already, I'm the guy doing the iPhone demo earlier on in the year of one of our very very very early prototypes!

The group that I work for within Citrix is called Advanced Products, we are a worldwide group that typically looks at future technologies that Citrix will develop or utilise within our product set.  In fact, earlier this year we caught up with Brian Madden whilst he was in Australia, he wrote about us on his site.

Project Braeburn is certainly a global effort with development taking place out of our offices in Sydney, Australia (can anyone guess why it's called Project Braeburn?), but also being contributed to by engineers and architects in the UK and USA. We are all really excited to be working on this project on such a great platform.

You'll be hearing much more from me over the coming months leading up to the first release of project Braeburn, but I wanted to take this opportunity to welcome you to the site and encourage you to check back here regularly to get the scoop on how the project is progressing.  This site will also give you a great opportunity... to interact directly with the team that is actually producing the project.

This site will allow you to:

-         Meet the team and find out what were thinking of for the evolution of what's sure to be a very cool piece of software.

-         Learn about how Citrix intends to release Project Braeburn onto the Apple AppStore.

-         Ask questions of the team through the forums.

-         Report any issues you have with the client when it is released and let us help you out.

-         Add any feature suggestions or point out anything we've missed so that we can get right on it! 

So once again, welcome! And I look forward to you being a regular visitor. 

Adam

Lately main stream media picked up on the fact that we're building an ICA client for the iPhone. Several stories emerged, many pointing back to Al's blog as well as our most popular blog post ever by Chris Fleck.

Some have questioned if we were really working on a client or just some vaporware.

I can safely tell you that what you've heard is true, we're building an ICA client for the iPhone, but that's not all. We're not just building an ICA client for another mobile platform, we're redefining the mobile experience for Citrix users, we're building a Citrix Receiver for the iPhone.

iPhone is remarkable for its design and simplicity and we do not intend to change that, in fact, we find ourselves inspired by all its novelties.

Our goal in delivering a Citrix Receiver to an iPhone is to ensure a completely seamless transition from personal to enterprise, all in one device. Virtually millions business critical application run today on Citrix XenApp, and soon enough all of them will be at your fingertips in an iPhone near you.

We are following the very same guidelines every other native iPhone app follows, and to ensure that, we have teamed up with our friends at Apple to deliver nothing but the smoothest experience to our users.

The Citrix Receiver for iPhone will not only look and feel native to this platform but it will leverage many of the software and hardware advancements incorporated into this ingenious device. Expect a rich combination of multi-touch gestures, great usage of the iPhone's accelerometer and many more.

Our timeline can not yet be disclosed, however I can share with you that the first edition of the Citrix Receiver will be released to the App Store within the first half of 2009. In the meantime, we are building an iPhone community site within CDN, allowing us to contribute and share information with the industry as well as a mainline of communication between our development team and the community; this new site will be available soon, stay tuned.

The Project name is Braeburn (Project Braeburn), I'm the Product Architect, Al Grandville - Product Manager, and a highly skilled team of our finest Mac developers; we form the squad in charge of getting the Citrix Receiver released into the wild. On the new iPhone community site you will be able to chat, ask questions and exchange ideas with all of us.

Stay tuned, iPhone magic is coming soon!

best,
Gus

XenApp and XenDesktop provide the means for users to access their Apps and Desktops from a wide variety of platforms and devices. At Citrix our vision is to create a world where anyone can work and play from anywhere. Mobility is not new to Citrix. There are XenApp clients available today for Windows Mobile and Symbian devices, but small form factor devices have had their challenges. Slow, unreliable wireless networks, small screens and awkward user input models have relegated hand held access to small and highly specialized market segments. But that's all about to change.

The latest generation of hand held devices with their large, high definition screens and the availability of high-speed wireless networks are changing the game in a big way! A hand held device such as an iphone connected to XenApp via a high-speed 3G network yields a remarkably usable experience.

While serious content creation might have to wait for an external keyboard and monitor, consuming content like reviewing a spreadsheet or a patients records and simple tasks like approving an expense report are quite frictionless. And because you're accessing your content via XenApp and XenDesktop your access is fast and reliable and you never need to worry about your valuable data being compromised if you misplace or loose your phone.

I've been fielding quite a few inquiries lately about our strategy and plans for the iPhone. I thought it was time to let everyone know where we are and where we're going. The guys on our Mac development team in Chalfont, UK have just recently finished porting the core XenApp engine over to the iPhone platform. This was a great deal of work and the guys have done a brilliant job.

As you can see, pretty cool, but we still have quite a bit of work to do. During the next stage of the project we will be crafting a user experience that provides a natural, transparent and effortless user interface in keeping with the high standards set by our friends at Apple.

It's tough to say at this stage when we would have something that we could share with you but I promise if you watch this space we will provide regular updates on our progress and schedules as they reveal themselves.

Its the continuous and enthusiastic feedback we have collected from you all that has helped get this project off the ground. If you haven't done so already please check out Chris Fleck's iPhone blog and cast your vote.

Al-

 A few of us were having a brainstorm session recently regarding the ICA client, mobility and device support, inevitably the discussion led to the topic of competing priorities, limited resources, and business cases. Al Granville ( sometimes affectionately referred to as the " suit " in the blogosphere ) is the Product Manager for the ICA client and has the enviable position of driving what features and functions get included ( and which ones don't ). Nowadays you can't talk about mobility without the topic of support for the iPhone and where that fits versus all the other priorities. If you also want Citrix iPhone support please place your vote and tell us your use case here. Typically this analysis means doing a market analysis, talking to customers and developing a business case comparing all the alternatives and determining the ROI. During this discussion however, Al made the profound statement that maybe in this situation the business case simply needs to say  ...   it's the iPhone.. Stupid !  

This brings up a really interesting point that IT also seems to be dealing with lately, that is what is the value of new and "cool " and do you spend resources to enable these technologies. It could be the iPhone or it could be Web 2.0 collaboration tools or desktop video conferencing, whatever. Sometimes it's straight forward to put an ROI and business case together, however quantifying the value of "cool" is subjective at best. Apple as the best example has done a superb job proving that elegant design, user experience, and "cool " is a profitable business model. This certainly has proven to be the case in the consumer world, but it's also evident that this is impacting the business IT world as well, at least from the perspective of user expectations. I am interested to know if this phenomena is also impacting IT's decision process for implementing new projects.  

What criteria does your IT organization use for evaluating new projects ?	Choose
Business requirements, ROI, and compliance only
The above plus,  Executive mandates
The above plus,  User productivity and desires ( like iPhone support )
The above plus,  Does the new IT technology provide a competitive advantage

       Update **

Running Windows applications on the iPhone may not be a high priority for Steve Jobs, but for many IT users and providers the desire seems to be increasing. The recent SDK and upcoming release of the Apple 3G iPhone has increased the interest in Citrix enabling iPhone access to XenApp hosted Windows applications. We are always encouraging expanded access to XenApp from any suitable device and the iPhone appears to be a very good candidate. The great screen and touch features would provide usable viewing of apps even though they were designed for bigger screens. Plus the improved email and networking capability of the device can now make it a real contender for business use. The iPhone could be even be the " Nirvana Phone " if a new docking station was offered to provide video access to a full sized monitor plus a standard keyboard.

So the question is one of priority and market demand, where does this fit on the list of nice to have vs. must have now, and does the solution need to come from Citrix or could it be partner provided such as the Rove Mobile client for BlackBerry. We encourage your opinions and feedback.

Do you need a Citrix client for the iPhone ?	Choose
I want it for myself
I need it for my company users ( and myself )
Cool, but my company is not likely to enable it

What is the primary iPhone use case at your company ?	Choose
EMR - Patient records, view and update.
CRM - Customer records, view and update.
ERP - Process workflows, approvals, etc.
Documents - Find, view, edit, forward.
Specific line of business app

** Update 11/1/08

Yes, we are listening, and yes we are going to ship a Citrix Receiver for the iPhone ! Mark Templeton demonstrated our latest internal build at our Summit event last week and our partners gave us the same enthusiastic response as we are seeing here on the Blogs. Right now the ship schedule is first half of '09 , but keep those votes and use cases coming and help us increase the priority further ! 

*** Update 3/30/09

Check the App Store !

Follow me at  http://twitter.com/chrisfleck