Citrix unveils XenDesktop

Citrix , the application delivery infrastructure provider, has revealed its new XenDeskop virtualisation product, which it says will dramatically simplify desktop management and reduce the cost of traditional desktop computing by up to 40 per cent.

The XenDeskop - which will be co-marketed with Microsoft - will be a competitor to VMware, and will enable companies to virtualise Windows desktops in the datacentre and deliver them on-demand to office workers in any location.

Traditionally, IT departments employing desktop virtualisation have had to maintain complete desktop VMs (Virtual Machines) for each employee, containing their specific operating system and applications. With XenDesktop, the operating system and the applications are managed separately and are only combined at run-time. This enables IT departments to maintain a single master Windows desktop OS image for all users, which Citrix claims helps to reduces storage costs and dramatically simplify desktop lifecycle management for IT administrators.

"Virtualisation was recommended as a key enabler for business growth, a factor of the utmost importance to BT Media and Broadcast Service," said Richard May, senior IT infrastructure manager. "Citrix's virtual desktop delivery solution has given us a flexible architecture and allowed us to future proof our network - facilitating global reach to our widening customer base. The solution not only has unsurpassed scalability but has realised reduced energy use by 50 per cent in a single year."

"Citrix XenDesktop addresses the critical requirements for effective desktop delivery: lower TCO, better security, proven reliability and a stellar user experience," said Gordon Payne, senior vice-president and general manager, Delivery Systems Division, Citrix Systems. "This set of capabilities will enable enterprises around the world to more broadly adopt desktop virtualisation as a strategic alternative to traditional desktop deployment."

XenDesktop is currently available as a public beta and can be downloaded from the Citrix website. It will be generally available at Citrix Synergy 2008, beginning 20 May. Pricing will begin at $75 (£38) per concurrent user.

Xen entered the virtualisation market with the purchase of XenSouce in August 2007 for $500 million (£251 million).

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