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Two weeks ago, we introduced XenDesktop 4, an exciting new product line that I personally believe will make virtual desktops a mainstream reality for the first time ever.
The initial response to XenDesktop 4 has been overwhelmingly positive. Over the past two weeks, I've had countless conversations with customers, prospects and partners. In the course of these discussions, three themes in particular seem to have struck a real chord:
- Customers of all sizes like the fact that XenDesktop 4 with FlexCast goes well beyond VDI-only products, giving them the flexibility to deliver any type of virtual desktop to any user - from one, centralized solution.
- Including XenApp as a built-in feature makes virtual desktops far more cost effective and gives customers one seamless solution for desktop and application delivery.
- Many customers have commented on the long list of enhancements to our HDX™ technology and can't get wait to get their hands on it to try out, plus test the 90% bandwidth savings in comparison to other solutions.
Amidst all the positive responses, however, it also became clear that we missed a few important things on the licensing and packaging front in our initial announcement. Feedback from numerous surveys and 1:1 conversations found that some customers needed additional flexibility to license virtual desktops based on devices, rather than users. Other customers new to desktop virtualization told us they needed a simple "VDI-only" solution with more flexible licensing to make the transition easier as they ramp up. Finally, we heard from a number of K-12 and university customers who needed a simpler, more cost-effective program customized for the unique needs of the eductional market.
So what do we think about these suggestions? The short answer is "we agree". Your feedback has been invaluable in helping us make sure XenDesktop 4 enables the broadest set of virtual destkop scenarios possible. As a result, we've decided to make three important new enhancements to XenDesktop 4:
- NEW device-based licensing option.
- NEW VDI Edition available in both user/device and CCU licensing
- NEW Campus-wide Licensing Program for customers in the education industry
Flexible licensing based on user or device
Customers in some industries have scenarios where multiple users share the same device. These situations include retail kiosks, warehouses, branch banks, labs, and the like. To help with these situations, we've decided to enhance XenDesktop 4 licensing to offer more flexibility by adding a new device license option - available at the exact same price as the user-based license. This means that users can access their XenDesktop from an unlimited number of devices with the user-based license option, and devices powered by XenDesktop can be used by an unlimited number of users with the device-based license option. As a result, your XenDesktop 4 product license can now be assigned to either a user or a device. Please also note that our user licensing doesn't require you to manage a bunch of named users or specific device lists. We've tried to make it as simple, easy and flexible as possible.
A killer "VDI-only" solution for people getting started with virtual desktops available in user, device or CCU licensing
While most customers were overwhelmingly positive about the power of FlexCast to deliver any type of virtual desktop to any type of user or device, we found many customers were still just testing the waters with VM-based "virtual desktop infrastructure" projects, commonly referred to as VDI. These customers wanted a flexible, VDI-only solution they that could trial in a wide variety of VDI use-cases. Because many were just getting started, they also needed flexible licensing that made it easy to ramp up as they got more familiar with the technology.
In response, we're creating the new XenDesktop 4, VDI Edition available for $95 per user/device, or $195 per concurrent user (CCU). XenDesktop 4, VDI Edition gives customers the ability to deliver best-in-class VDI-based desktops with a true HDX experience, and scale them up with our built-in provisioning services, profile management, and StorageLink™ technology. As with all the XenDesktop editions, the new VDI edition lets customers use any hypervisor, including XenServer or Hyper-V (both of which ship with all XenDesktop editions) as well as VMware ESX or vSphere. I'm confident customers who compare the alternatives will conclude that XenDesktop 4, VDI Edition is hands down the best VDI product on the market, at a far better price than any other competing solution.
Desktop Virtualization in Education is ready to go Campus-Wide
K-12 and university customers told us that they love XenDesktop 4 and want to use its desktop and app virtualization capabilities across a broad diversity of students, faculty, labs, and administrative facilities. They also want the flexibility to deliver either the full Windows desktop, or just some applications to a wide variety of use cases, including enabling access from smart phones, etc.
To address this customer requirement, we're adding the Citrix Campus-wide Licensing Program. This program, available starting November 16th, will offer extremely compelling prices to accredited educational institutions in K-12 and university campuses who adopt XenDesktop 4 for campus-wide use.
Putting it all together
Citrix XenDesktop™ 4, VDI Edition - Best-in-class VDI-only solution available at $95 per user or device, or $195 per CCU
Citrix XenDesktop™ 4, Enterprise Edition - Enterprise-class desktop virtualization solution available at $225 per user or device
Citrix XenDesktop™ 4, Platinum Edition - Best-value comprehensive desktop virtualization solution available at $350 per user or device
Remember, the user-based licenses are available not for per named users but the users as they login to their virtual desktops. You do not have to manage the user lists yourself.
Thanks for making XenDesktop 4 even better
Thanks to all of you who provided all the great feedback over the past couple of weeks. Your input was invaluable in helping us understand the additional use cases we missed the first time around. In short, your input helped make XenDesktop 4 even better, and for that, we are grateful.
As we approach the General Availability date for XenDesktop 4, I'm more excited than ever about the impact this product is going to have on customers of all sizes, across every industry sector. The best part of my job is watching the reaction of customers when they see XenDesktop in action. Even more fun is talking to end users who have discovered the power and flexibility of virtual desktops and would never go back to a traditional installed desktop. That's the power of desktop virtualization. And, XenDesktop 4 makes it real for even a broader set of use cases now!
Comments (15)
Oct 20
Nick Holmquist says:
Sumit, Can you clarify: Remember, the user-based licenses are available not fo...Sumit,
Can you clarify:
Remember, the user-based licenses are available not for per named users but the users as they login to their virtual desktops. You do not have to manage the user lists yourself.
Is this based on those who 'could access' the environment? So if I have 1000 users in an AD group each of those have to be licensed? How often can I swap users in/out? Are you going to add mechanisms in to keep track of this and alert you if your AD group runs over your # of licenses? Yes that can be scripted but it would be nice if it was built in.
In the end these are positive changes though I would still have liked to see a CCU option on the Enterprise/Platinum levels but I guess you can't get everything you wish for. Citrix listened to the customers and I think that is positive for the company and brand.
Oct 20
Anonymous says:
Sumit Can a customer have a set of user licenses and device license sets for th...Sumit
Can a customer have a set of user licenses and device license sets for their different use case needs? Also in the device license model, is this for only corprate devices or do they also have to cover SOHO and contractor numbers which will fluctuate?
Oct 20
Anonymous says:
Will you offer a new Trade-Up Option? We have 1000 XenApp LICs and 1200 Users. ...Will you offer a new Trade-Up Option?
We have 1000 XenApp LICs and 1200 Users. If we trade-up all LICs, we would have enough named LICs, but 800 more than we need. The next SA renewal day wouldn't be nice. And if i choose to only trade up 999 LICs, it will not be enough. 95.000$ to have way to much licsenses is not what i could make my CIO to pay.
Updating our XD3 LICs (SA active) to XD4 is also everything else than a hot deal. 100 per named user LICs for 100 CCU...
Oct 20
Simon Bramfitt says:
I can confirm that you will be able to upgrade all you licenses to XD4 and then ...I can confirm that you will be able to upgrade all you licenses to XD4 and then decide how many you wish to retain and 'throw away' any excess so that you can avoid paying SA one licenses you don't need.
Regards
Simon
Oct 20
Anonymous says:
This is a really good change Citrix. Yes there are still some gotchas for some p...This is a really good change Citrix. Yes there are still some gotchas for some people but for the most part this is right on the money. Thanks for listening to the community. Refreshing.....
Oct 20
Anonymous says:
This is great, but it doesn't fix the Microsoft back-end problem. VECD is still ...This is great, but it doesn't fix the Microsoft back-end problem. VECD is still a device-based license and doesn't make sense when Citrix are pushing the user option. VDI will never "take off" while Microsoft makes it impossible to figure out how to do it in the data center.
Oct 20
Anonymous says:
This is good news. Most people will get what they need and thanks Citrix for lis...This is good news. Most people will get what they need and thanks Citrix for listening.
Oct 20
Simon Bramfitt says:
Sumit I'm sure these change will go a long way to addressing the concerns raise...Sumit
I'm sure these change will go a long way to addressing the concerns raised in the last few days, there's only one thing that appears to be missing. Coustomers looking for a desktop provision solution can today buy PVS but going forwards will o ly be able to get this capability through XD4 Enterprise or Platinum. This means that Citrix has priced itself out of the desktop provisioning market. Unless change is planned with the launch of XenClient you will have owed off a significant point of entry to customer adoption of Citrix based VDI solutions.
Regards
Simon
Oct 20
Robert Morris says:
There seems (and appropriately so) to be a firestorm of confusion in the market ...There seems (and appropriately so) to be a firestorm of confusion in the market right now, not only on lisc, but also on what parts do what, when, and how. To help with this matter, we have worked with the Carolinas Citrix team, to bring together multiple mfgs and create a good ol' fashion technical briefing. We will have Microsfot present to not only discuss lisc issues discussed above on VECD and the new RDS (replacing TS CAL), but will have a live demo environmnet to show off the technologies. Assuming this goes well in the Carolinas, we plan on bringing it to other cities. Drop me an email at rmorris@agsi.us if you have an interest on it coming to your city. You can check out the event details, and register at: http://www.advantec.us/events-dtv.htm
-Robert Morris
rmorris@agsi.us
Oct 20
Jarian Gibson says:
Great news. I like the new licensing options. With the new features in XenDesk...Great news. I like the new licensing options. With the new features in XenDesktop 4 and now these new licensing changes - XenDesktop 4 will be a great product.
Oct 20
Anonymous says:
The lack of of a separate licensing option for Provisioning Services for Desktop...The lack of of a separate licensing option for Provisioning Services for Desktops (or a lower entry point in XenDesktop to obtain it) is a real concern for those of us using it to manage physical images. The XenDesktop Platinum licensing cost is just too steep for our needs.
Oct 21
Anonymous says:
What happened to the Citrix XenDesktop Standard Edition? It was $75 per co...What happened to the Citrix XenDesktop Standard Edition? It was $75 per concurrent user and did not include other components such as Provisioning Services. The new VDI edition looks very similar to the old XenDesktop Advanced edition including the price. Are you discontinuing Citrix XenDesktop Standard Edition? If so this is disappointing because this was a great option for remote developers.
Oct 21
Anonymous says:
good press bad press, wow what the heck are you guys up to. I started usin...good press bad press, wow what the heck are you guys up to. I started using this technology with WinView and it has been concurrent from day one. Quit screwing around and make up your minds already. This is only slightly better and what happened to the $75 option.
Oct 23
Anonymous says:
Couldn't agree more with the other comments about Provisioning Server for Deskto...Couldn't agree more with the other comments about Provisioning Server for Desktops, the withdrawal of which seems to be hidden away in a PND only 6 weeks before end-of-sale. I find that completely unacceptable; we've got a big campaign ready to roll out and have invested a lot in it.
New licencing model still very poor for other educational customers (unless licences can be revoked from users/devices on demand unlike TS CALs 90-day garbage collection).
And on a wider-note, I wish Citrix would stop saying "any device" on one hand followed by "HDX". Citrix has never been truly about access from any device; the client is closed-source and even then isn't maintained equally on all platforms. If you access on anything but a 'blessed' platform (which is honestly only win32) you get a diminished experience and certainly none of the headline HDX features.
Nov 18
Sid Herron says:
Like Nick, I'm a bit confused by the distinction between "per user" and "per nam...Like Nick, I'm a bit confused by the distinction between "per user" and "per named user." The XD4 PND says, "...a user license is required for every unique user ID entitled to access a XenDesktop 4 environment." (emphasis added) How is this, in practice, different from a named user?
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