Citrix

Citrix Systems, Inc. (Citrix) designs, develops and markets technology solutions that enable information technology (IT) services to be delivered through its virtual computing infrastructure on demand, independent of location, device or network. Its products and services include desktop solutions, which include XenDesktop, XenApp, and online services, which include GoToMeeting, GoToTraining, GoToAssist and GoToMyPC, and Datacenter and Cloud Solutions, which include CitrixXenServer and Citrix Essentials for XenServer and Hyper-V. 

Citrix XenDesktop

Citrix XenDesktop is an integrated desktop virtualization system that gives customers the flexibility to deliver the desktop as a service. XenDesktop is available in a range of packages designed for viral adoption and several market segments. The Express Edition of XenDesktop is offered as a free download from its Website. The XenDesktop VDI Edition is designed for virtual desktop projects that only require the hosted virtual machine method of desktop delivery. The Enterprise and Platinum Editions of XenDesktop include all the virtual desktop delivery models in one integrated package, and also include Citrix XenApp for delivering on-demand applications into virtual or physical desktops. All versions of XenDesktop include Citrix HDX technologies, when using multimedia, real-time collaboration, universal serial bus (USB) devices, and 3 dimensional (3D) graphics content.

HDX leverages the Citrix ICA protocol and adds Adaptive Orchestration. Each edition comes with user profile management and provisioning services to stream a single desktop image, on-demand, to multiple servers in the datacenter. All editions feature licensing for both Citrix XenServer and Microsoft Hyper-V virtualization infrastructure.

Citrix XenApp

Citrix XenApp is an application virtualization solution that allows enterprise applications to be centralized and delivered as an on-demand service. XenApp delivers applications in two ways: hosted – by running application business logic on a central server using its HDX technologies to transmit the application’s user experience to the endpoint device, and streamed, by running the application locally. The XenApp server runs on Microsoft Windows Server 2008 R2 and Windows Server 2003 x64 Edition to Windows Server 2003.

Citrix offers XenApp as a standalone product in different editions. The Platinum Edition includes the features and adds capabilities for application performance monitoring, secure sockets layers/virtual private network (SSL/VPN), SmartAccess control and single sign-on application security. The capabilities of XenApp are available in XenDesktop Enterprise and Platinum Editions to provide a desktop virtualization system.

Datacenter and Cloud Solutions

Citrix XenServ is an enterprise-class platform for managing server virtualization in the datacenter as a flexible aggregated pool of computing and storage resources. XenServer is offered free of charge to any user for unlimited production deployment. Citrix Essentials for XenServer and Hyper-V was announced in February 2009, and adds a set of advanced management and automation capabilities to the Citrix and Microsoft server virtualization platforms. This solution adds the capabilities to existing virtualization management systems, which include lab automation, availability, provisioning, workflow orchestration and seamless integration with storage systems.

Application Networking Products

Application Networking Products include Citrix NetScaler, Citrix Access Gateway and Citrix Repeater. Citrix NetScaler is an all-in-one Web application delivery controller that makes applications run by application accelerator methods, such as hypertext transfer protocol (HTTP) compression and caching, ensuring application availability through advanced L4-7 load balancer and content switching methods, application security with an integrated application firewall and offloading servers for server consolidation.

Citrix Access Gateway is an SSL/VPN that delivers applications with policy-based SmartAccess control. Users have secure access to the applications and data. Organizations can extend access to datacenter resources from outside the office, while maintaining unprecedented control through SmartAccess policies.

Citrix Repeater solutions provide application delivery to branch office users in the enterprise branch by delivering local area network-like application performance over the area network (WAN). Appliance products in the Citrix Repeater family of solutions, including Citrix Branch Repeater (formerly WANScaler) and Citrix Branch Repeater with Windows Server accelerate applications to datacenters and mobile workers. The AutoOptimizer Engine, which serves as the cornerstone of the Citrix Repeater architecture, offers deployment options. The Citrix Repeater client software accelerates application delivery to other remote users, including those in smaller branch offices, home offices and business travelers, while users in larger branch offices are supported with Citrix Repeater appliances.