Citrix Systems can claim perfect timing for releasing its first virtual desktop management application, says an industry analyst.
“They’re hitting this market right as the need for desktop virtualization is taking off,” Natalie Lambert, a senior analyst at Forrester Research who specializes in client management, said of the upcoming debut of Citrix Desktop Server 1.0.
Citrix said this week that the application, for managing desktops from the data centre, will be released this quarter.
Lambert noted the timing coincides with the recent release of Microsoft’s Windows Vista operating system that many companies will want to push out to client desktops. So far, however, there haven’t been huge deployments of the OS, which means Desktop Server 1.0 will come out at a moment when IT administrators will need it.
The application will also help administrators face increasing demands for cutting the management burden of IT and for increasing security on the desktop, she said.
Carlos Paz-Soldan, president of Citrix channel partner Tenet Computer Group of Toronto, said in an interview he wants to see more details about Desktop Server 1. 0 because his company often works with customers on ways to manage desktops.
“We will definitely take it seriously,” he said. “We want to look at it and compare where it fits within the offerings for customers.”
Competition for Desktop Server 1.0 includes VMware’s VDI and Microsoft’s Terminal Services, Lambert said.
However, she also noted that Desktop Server only helps manage PCs connected full-time to a network. It’s of no help to mobile laptop users.
Citrix already has a foothold in the virtual desktop space with its Presentation Server. Desktop Server lets administrators deliver Windows desktops as an on-demand service, the company said.
It supports all popular methods of installing desktop operating systems from servers including virtual machine environments, blades and Terminal Services while still allowing uses to have personal desktops.
It can also perform performance tuning by providing addition CPU allocation, memory or storage when needed.
A Citrix news release announcing the upcoming product, Desktop Server 1.0 included endorsements from VMware and Hewlett-Packard.
The release did not say when the application will be released, nor did it include pricing details.
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