Ovum: Citrix XenApp 5 to benefit IT managers

Citrix Systems recently announced its XenApp platform allowing resellers to sell a product based on operational benefits.

The XenApp platform delivers applications to physical and virtual desktops, reducing business costs for support and infrastructure provision.

In an interview with CRN, Ovum’s research director, Public Sector, Steve Hodgkinson said XenApp 5 will be picked up by IT organisations because its products can be administered and delivered to an office computing platform – rather than by user demand.

Previously called Citrix Presentation Server – the application supports Windows Server 2008 while still running Windows Server 2003.

Citrix claims the product has an improved performance, lower operating costs and Web 2.0 user interface features.

“The product won’t be driven by consumers. It will be the heavy duty end of IT that will want this suite of products,” said Hodgkinson.

“IT managers will want to look at the platform, pilot it and then look at it again. They will need to be comfortable with the product and then roll it out to the organisation.

"XenApp 5 isn’t a viral product like software-as-a-service or other Web applications.”

Hodgkinson claims the opportunity for channel partners, with the XenApp platform, is giving IT managers’ operational benefits.

“A suck it and see approach isn’t going to work because IT managers won’t buy the product based on promises. The benefits of XenApp 5 will have to be shown in a live testing environment,” he said.

IT departments and IT directors often face challenges because of a perceived inflexibility when it comes to the desktop environment, claimed Hodgkinson.

“XenApp 5 can give end-users the PC lockdown they need to ensure a secure network environment,” he said.

“It can also give IT directors the ability to be more flexible on the desktop –in a virtual environment because they can create separate spaces with different security passes.”