Desktop Virtualization Journal on Ulitzer

Citrix started opening the kimono on XenDesktop 4 Monday claiming it's the complete answer to desktop virtualization and will revolutionize desktop computing for hundreds of millions of corporate users.

Judging from the pilots going into production and 40,000- to 125,000-seat deployments it's seen this year, Citrix figures that desktop virtualization's time to go mainstream is now but it says that first-generation VDI-only solutions - its own and others - can't replace most of the classic, old-fashioned desktops out there because they're built out of piece parts of server virtualization and work for only a niche-y few.

It compares them to the original SUV that was little more than a truck, pointing out that the SUV market didn't take off until Detroit crossed the beast with the comforts of a car.

XenDesktop 4, which will be available November 16, promises all the comforts of the full PC experience - such as Flash multimedia, 3D graphics and high-definition apps, webcams, VoIP - and Citrix claims that a new delivery technology in XenDesktop 4 called FlexCast offers all the widgetry needed for desktop virtualization, basically supporting every conceivable major desktop virtualization model in one simple, integrated, centrally managed lifecycle solution.

It claims that the FlexCast-endowed XenDesktop 4 can satisfy any kind of use case, physical or virtual, on any device - Macs and phones included -anywhere at any time, ticking off task workers, office workers, guests and mobile in online and offline situations ranging from the local VM-based desktop through virtual apps on a desktop, local streamed desktops, hosted blade PC desktops, hosted VM-based desktops and hosted shared desktops.

It says the mix can be changed at any time.

XenDesktop 4 includes all the capabilities of XenApp, which is where it gets the skill to deliver on-demand applications to physical or virtual desktops and it also includes Citrix' high-definition user experience HDX technology.

The widgetry's open architecture supports virtualization complements of Citrix' own Xen Server, Microsoft's Hyper-V and VMware's vSphere and ESX. Citrix says that makes XenDesktop 4 the only product to support every major server virtualization platform.

Citrix claims it can also show a solid return on investment - thanks to XenApp - and can cut user bandwidth costs by 90%.

The new XenDesktop includes a reported 70 new features that Citrix says polish its performance, security, power and capacity management, scalability and general readiness for large enterprise-wide deployments.

It claims improvements in user experience such as real-time collaboration.

The company figures it's priced XenDesktop for mainstream adoption. A standard package consisting of VDI-only plus HDX for small-scale installations will run $75 a user. The Enterprise kit at $225 a head will include on-demand applications, XenApp and FlexCast. The $350-a-seat Platinum solution includes added management and security features.

The per-user licensing aligns with Microsoft's Windows user licensing; each user can use his desktop on an unlimited number of connected or offline devices at no extra cost.

Citrix will be targeting its own XenApp base with a 2-for-1 trade-up offer, good until the end of next June, that's supposed to save them 80% on desktop virtualization. XenApp, which will continue to be sold standalone, is reportedly used by 200,000 people.

Figure a single server can support 500 users of a shared, server-based, standardized virtual desktop and one server can handle 60-70 personalized VDI desktops. Power users would get their own blade. XenDesktop can stream desktops to local user devices while managing the OS, applications and data centrally or deliver virtual applications as a service to a PC running a traditionally installed OS.

Dell is gonna be hawking the stuff, expecting Windows 7, which arrives later this month, to drive desktop virtualization.

XenDesktop 4 also supports third-party management solutions like Microsoft System Center.