What’s going on in the Desktop Receiver

What’s going on in the Desktop Receiver world – Synergy 2012

Sure – The whole world is crazy about tablets, smartphones, retinal displays, etc. – but there is great innovation happening at Citrix on the desktop front as well. In fact, it has been an interesting last 12 months, wherein as a product team we have witnessed certain areas of convergence between the mobile and desktop receivers. In certain others, we have intentionally let them take independent paths (FYI – our definition of desktops includes Windows PCs, Macs and Linux thin clients).

Let’s roll back a few years, when desktop receivers were introduced to serve as a container for the 7 or so clients that Citrix delivered to a user. Suddenly, the Citrix world went from 7 sys tray icons to one – Sweet!. But, those were simpler times! In the last few years, the IT world has gone for a spin: we have added new acronyms like BYOD to an already crowded IT alphabet soup, invented new words like ‘Consumerization’, and made IT managers nervous with concepts like self-service and app stores.

Guess what – Receivers (and specifically desktop receivers) have drastically evolved with these changing times. And a good place to learn about this evolution and participate in this dialogue is Synergy 2012. Specifically, I want to highlight your attention to the session around Desktop Receivers. During this session, my intent is to take you all on a journey, in which we discuss the following topics:

• Interesting innovations in the HDX front

• Going beyond desktop virtualization with Web/SaaS apps & Data

• Interesting developments and products in the Linux thin-client ecosystem

• A new streamlined approach to software delivery and updates

Let’s get the dialogue started – I look forward to hearing your comments on this blog and also seeing you at this session. Go ahead and register here for Synergy 2012, and get ready for a good time in San Francisco!

Remote Desktop vs Citrix for DaaS

As Desktop as a Service (DaaS) continues to grow, we have been getting more questions about how WorkPlace compares to other DaaS solutions that use Remote Desktop Protocol (RDP), sometimes called Terminal Services or Remote Desktop Services. While both technologies can connect you to a hosted desktop, there are many important differences that have real impact on your business.

Remote Desktop

Microsoft includes the Remote Desktop client on Windows operating systems and the Terminal Services server component is included on Windows Servers. This is an easy way for administrators to enable a remote desktop session to a computer. For many DaaS providers this is their first system for providing hosted desktops because it is relatively easy and inexpensive to implement.

To be fair, the very first version of WorkPlace used Remote Desktop and Terminal Services Gateway to provide remote access to our customers. We very quickly found the shortcomings of remote desktop.

Printing: To print from remote desktop, the print drivers that your client computer uses have to all be loaded up on the server and setup with the exact same name. As there are more and more types of printers and users involved in your organization, this grows as an issue requiring your staff to call the help desk whenever they have a new printer or use only very specific printer models increasing costs.

Performance: Remote desktop was designed to run on high-speed local networks that are even faster than today’s broadband networks. In a remote desktop session, specific tasks like scrolling through a web page or PDF document can feel very slow. Additionally these sessions don’t manage bandwidth well so if you have many users logging in from the same office, one person can use up most of the bandwidth slowing things down for everyone else.

Security: By default, terminal servers do not use encryption; all information is transmitted in what we call “plain text.” This means that any information intercepted on a wireless connection or in transit can be read by any computer listening. Microsoft has a solution with the use of Terminal Services Gateway, but some of the RDP clients (like those for MacOS) do not support this so you are stuck trading off between security and convenience. On a side note: I would not recommend any provider who does not use terminal services gateway as it also means your servers are more closely exposed to the Internet and vulnerable to virus and hacking attacks.

Citrix XenApp

Virsage uses Citrix XenApp software to provide secure remote connections to Mac’s, PC’s, iPads, iPhones, and Android systems. Citrix has been the leader in application and desktop publishing for over a decade, and they are the industry gold standard for DaaS hosting.

Citrix solves all of the issues of printing, security, and performance that are inherent to the Remote Desktop Protocol (RDP). Citrix clients are available for most every platform available today as well as a web login. The performance differences with audio streaming, scrolling, website flash redirection, and multi-monitor support have a huge impact on the usability of the system from the user’s perspective. Citrix is a key component in our ability to provide load-balanced, high-availability, scalable systems that are crucial to providing business-grade DaaS.

Will companies pay attention to new operating systems (i.e. Windows 8)?

Traditionally application compatibility has driven the Small and Medium Businesses (SMB) to choose a single operating system OS/hardware platform.  This homogeneous environment – regardless of whether it was Windows, Mac, or Linux - was easier to maintain, reduced costs and increased system availability.  As more applications are available via Software as a Service (SaaS) that run from a browser on any OS or are delivered by technologies such as Citrix XenApp to any device, companies are looking to flexibility as a main requirement for their IT infrastructure.  The OS and hardware become a user-specific preference that allows employees to choose the environment that they are most productive in at any given time – a thin client from the office, an iPad from a meeting or an Android smartphone from a lunch meeting.   This shift will move the emphasis from standardizing the OS/hardware as a focal point to enabling any OS/hardware.

Zen and the Art of Microsoft Software Licensing

Even accomplished technology professionals at times find Microsoft Licensing to be confusing, redundant, and expensive. Far too many companies are either paying too much or too little for their software licenses and the costs of non-compliance have real impacts on a business.

At issue is firstly the purchase of software products like the Microsoft Office suite of personal productivity applications or the Windows Operating System on each laptop and desktop. The ability to purchase new computers with this software pre-loaded helps to keep the bulk of the world compliant on licensing costs, but as computer equipment is replaced and software that was preloaded gets installed on other computers many companies begin to run afoul of the law. How should a company balance the different replacement cycles of software and hardware without violating licensing agreements or spending money needlessly? Subscription model software licensing is the solution.

Virsage WorkPlace takes advantage of Microsoft’s Service Provider Licensing Agreements (SPLAs) to be able to provide software like Microsoft Office, Windows Client Access Licenses, Windows Server, and Microsoft Exchange to WorkPlace customers in a per-use model. Our system ensures that companies are using legally purchased licenses for all of the software they are taking advantage of. Not only does compliance now become a non-issue, but customers only pay for the software that they actually use. The amount of software used by each company is measured and billed accordingly so firms are never stuck paying for software that they don’t use. Additionally, this subscription model assures that the latest versions of software are always included, so there are not new purchase costs every few years as new releases become available.

We think pay-per-use models just make sense. That’s why we provide our services in this fashion, and that’s why we take advantage of these models from companies like Microsoft.

Dine, Snack and Taste

Dine, Snack and Taste with Virsage WorkPlace

Mark Templeton (Citrix President and CEO) used a Dine, Snack and Taste analogy to compare eating habits to mobilization at Citrix Synergy this Spring in San Francisco. With the Thanksgiving weekend approaching, it seems the perfect time to share his insight. To increase productivity, employees need to be able to access information and collaborate with clients/colleagues, anywhere at anytime and on any device. For most employees this means the combination of a desktop/laptop, iPad or tablet and a smartphone. Let’s take a look at how these various devices correlate to the holiday culinary experience.

When sitting down to your Thanksgiving feast this year you will most likely be in a comfortable chair with multiple serving dishes surrounding you, sturdy dining utensils will allow you to consume mass quantities of turkey, stuffing, mash potatoes and pie. The same is true when working from your desktop or laptop. Chances are you will be working with high resolution HD monitors connected to fast processors and large hard drives that allow you to easily use and view a cornucopia of applications on your desktop. The large desktop landscape allows you to intuitively navigate applications and websites while Skyping with family and friends; a true feast of information processing for your dining pleasure.

Now imagine that you are at a holiday party. Trays of stuffed mushrooms, bowls of spinach dip and shrimp cocktail are all within grazing distance. The constant conversations and limited seating keep you on your feet as you make your way through the crowd. The result is you eating from a paper plate that is balanced on your glass of cider. While you are able to enjoy the taste and atmosphere of the food and company –the formalness and duration of experience is much different from the holiday dinner. This snacking experience is played out on the tablet and iPad devices where users get easy and quick access to information but quickly move on to the next task at hand.

After the big dinners and parties have come and gone, the leftovers have the refrigerator packed to the top. As you walk through the kitchen, a quick stop by the icebox lets you quickly satisfy your craving for that last bite of pumpkin pie that is sitting on the shelf. Smartphones enable the taste of sending and receiving important documents, collaborating with associates or checking important metrics from virtually any place you desire.

Virsage WorkPlace is built on Citrix technology and allows users to choose the amount of information they would like to consume and where/how they would like to dine. By enabling employees to choose the platform and location that works for them, organizations will benefit from increased productivity, overall job satisfaction and decreased costs. We at Virsage would like to extend Thanks to all of our business partners and customers and hope that you are all able to spend time with your family and friends.

Consumerization of IT - Bring Your Own Device (BYOD)

The consumerization of IT is a recent trend that represents a shift from businesses as the primary drivers of productivity technologies, toward individual consumers and their personal computers, tablets and smart phones as having a more significant impact on workplace productivity. Prominent IT industry research groups such as Gartner have reported that mobile web device sales will reach 461.5 million in 2011, surpassing PC shipments, and in 2012 sales will reach an astonishing 645 million devices sold. This trend represents a new challenge for businesses as they scramble to formulate an effective mobile device management strategy that can be agile enough to evolve with the rapidly changing landscape of web based productivity applications and devices as well as the associated risk threat that these new devices/applications pose to sensitive business information.

Until recently large enterprises have maintained close ties with computer hardware vendors due to the large volume of products and services needed to provide their employees the tools to maintain productivity. This traditional model of IT being controlled within the organization allowed companies to dictate what type of device and what applications were most beneficial for the organization from a cost and productivity standpoint. BYOD and consumerization has shifted the paradigm in the opposite direction. Most employees who have embraced the functionality of mobile devices are doing so because it allows them to be more productive than the traditional hardware that is provided through enterprise companies. However, most businesses recognize that although productivity increases with the adoption of multiple devices for each user, there are associated risks such as security and regulatory compliance demands. Therefore businesses must be ready to embrace a multiple device management strategy that will evolve in relation to the rising tide of personal web devices.

Virsage WorkPlace utilizes Citrix technologies to allow businesses to embrace a BYOD environment without compromising the security and support services that they have today.  In contrast most small and medium sized businesses will experience an increase in security and reliability by moving into a top tier data center from their existing server closet or room. BYOD in conjunction with WorkPlace allows existing IT staff to adopt a more proactive approach toward enhancing their user’s computing environment, versus being reactive and constantly responding to maintenance issues, software updates, user hardware issues and regulatory concerns.  

WorkPlace vs. Office 365 vs. Google Apps

Although there are some fundamental differences between Virsage WorkPlace, Google Apps and Microsoft Office 365, considering some basic similarities will provide a better overall understanding of these services and how they compare to each other.  All three of these offerings are “cloud based” or "web based" which simply means they are delivered as a service to the end user through an Internet connection. The actual data and software resides in a data center that is managed and maintained by the provider. Therefore all three services can be accessed remotely from practically any web based device. Like all cloud or web based services neither Google Apps, Office 365 nor WorkPlace requires an onsite server.Now that we have discussed the basic similarities, we can look at the differences among the three.

The primary difference between WorkPlace and the other services is the ability of WorkPlace to conform to your individual business’s specific IT needs. WorkPlace replaces the entire server infrastructure of businesses while Google Apps and Office 365 only address e-mail, document creation and file sharing.  Typically most businesses have specific line of business applications that their employees are familiar with (QuickBooks, Act!, or custom developed software). Virsage WorkPlace is compatible with virtually any application and allows them to be accessed from any PC, Mac, tablet or smartphone . The user enjoys the exact same interface that he/she did while running the application from their local server - without all of the management headaches and cost. Because of Google Apps and Office 365 narrow focus and lack of flexibility, companies are left to search for additional options to host their other applications while WorkPlace provides a single, turn-key solution.

Virsage has been a traditional IT service provider to small and medium sized businesses since 1999.  Our reputation is based on the support we provide to our clients. If someone has an issue, help is a phone call or email away to be quickly connected with a person who has intimate knowledge of their business infrastructure. If the problem cannot be addressed remotely, Virsage will coordinate a local technician to provide onsite support as well. Microsoft does provide phone and email support but only to enterprise clients and they do not provide onsite support. With Google Docs support is limited to web based communications, forums and email primarily and no onsite support.

While all three services share common “cloud” characteristics such as remote accessibility from any device, daily backups, no server requirement and enterprise level security, Virsage is the only option that provides a complete IT solution that works on any PC, Mac, iPad or Android. The ability to host any line of business application with the most recent version of Microsoft Office and no software limitations sets WorkPlace apart.  Virsage WorkPlace enables businesses to "Never Buy Another Server" and focus their capital and resources on higher priority projects.