The new free Citrix XenServer will be posted in late March, and Citrix Essentials will be available in early April.  But... why wait?

You can complete a request form and download XenServer 5 and a license key that will enable all of the features of the new free XenServer plus a few of the features (including high availability and advanced StorageLink support for NetApp and Dell EqualLogic) of Citrix Essentials.  When the new bits are posted, there will also be an updater that will allow you to quickly transform your installation into the new free XenServer, or (with an appropriate edition key) the host-based capabilities of Citrix Essentials.

If you're already running Express Edition or Standard Edition, all you need is the license key on that download page.

Once the new free XenServer is available, if you're a user of Express Edition, upgrade and install the centralized multi-server management, resource pools, and XenMotion that now comes for free.  If you're a Standard Edition user, you can continue with the new free XenServer, or step up to Enterprise Edition and pay for Enterprise at your next Subscription Advantage or annual license renewal.

Either way, you'll get a powerful enterprise-class cloud-proven virtualization platform -- for free.

Get it now -- because, well, who wants to wait till tomorrow?

(Today seems to be "Stealing Titles from Authors" day for me -- thanks to Carrie Fisher for a line from POSTCARDS FROM THE EDGE.)