new Citrix Ready™ Open Desktop Virtualization program
Citrix Makes Virtual Desktops Enterprise Ready by Verifying Over 10,000 Third-Party Products for XenDesktop 4

Citrix launched the new Citrix Ready™ Open Desktop Virtualization program to further accelerate large-scale enterprise virtual desktop deployments with Citrix® XenDesktop™. The Citrix Ready Open Desktop Virtualization program includes more than 10,000 products from over 200 vendors that have been validated as ready to deploy in production environments with the recently launched XenDesktop 4. The Open Desktop Virtualization program helps make virtual desktops a safe choice for enterprise-wide deployment by eliminating the guess work and ensuring customers that XenDesktop 4 has been tested to work with the software, hardware and services they already use in their IT environments today. Products that have been verified to work with XenDesktop 4 include thousands of applications, servers, storage systems, backup solutions, client devices, printers, desktop peripherals, security products, desktop management software and systems management solutions.

Launched on October 6, 2009, (see press release) and now available for download, XenDesktop 4, with its unique FlexCast™ delivery technology, is the first product in the industry to support every major desktop virtualization model in a single, integrated solution.  The FlexCast delivery technology provides the architecture that allows customers to choose from any of the hosted or local virtual desktop delivery models available in one, easy-to-use solution, without locking them into a single, proprietary vendor model. Built with an open architecture, XenDesktop gives customers the flexibility to run heterogeneous environments, lowering costs and maximizing their return on investment. It also makes it easy for customers to gradually add desktop virtualization capabilities at their own pace, simplifying desktop computing, increasing security and enhancing end-user productivity. With its market-leading HDX™ technology, XenDestkop 4 also helps ensure that every user has a rich, high-definition experience, regardless of where they are, or what type of device they are using.

“For enterprises to adopt a desktop virtualization platform effectively, they must be able to leverage the existing technologies and networks they have in place. The key being the ability to implement a solution that can address all users without being cost-prohibitive. Desktop virtualization solutions that can address all use cases while still easily integrating with ‘any’ server virtualization platform and the breadth of add-on technologies should have a lead in driving adoption,” said Steve White, program director, Software Alliances Leadership Council, IDC. Citrix continues to make great strides in developing these partnerships across the server, storage, networking, and other complementary technologies. This creates a strong ecosystem giving customers the confidence that a wide range of technologies will work with Citrix solutions.”

XenDesktop 4 and Citrix Ready Make Desktop Virtualization a Safe Choice
Mainstream adoption of desktop virtualization requires a solution that is built with an open architecture and leverages an ecosystem of partner products. This combination helps customers implement an end-to-end solution to enhance or replace their traditional desktop computing environments. XenDesktop 4 is the only desktop virtualization solution on the market with an open architecture that is designed, certified and tested to work with the wide variety of products customers already have in production, including all popular applications, servers, storage and backup systems, client devices, printers and desktop peripherals, security and desktop management software and systems management products. XenDesktop 4 supports every major server virtualization platform, including Microsoft Windows Server 2008 Hyper-V™, Microsoft Hyper-V Server 2008, Citrix XenServer™, VMware ESX™ and VMware vSphere. The XenDesktop open architecture further incorporates Citrix Ready and HDX Ready thin clients, Windows, Linux and Mac devices, as well as most major mobile device platforms.

Open Desktop Virtualization Program Ensures Interoperability with Over 10,000 Products
The Open Desktop Virtualization program leverages XenDesktop’s open architecture and verifies interoperability with over 10,000 products across the following categories:

Datacenter Systems

• Virtualization Infrastructure – Hypervisor-based virtualization platforms that host and manage desktops and applications that run in virtual machines. Includes Microsoft Hyper-V, VMware ESX, VMware vSphere and Citrix XenServer
• Servers and Blade Systems – Hardware platforms that power server-side virtual desktops and applications running in the datacenter. Includes Dell, HP, IBM, Fujitsu, Intel and AMD
• Storage and Backup Systems – Software and hardware storage products that drive increased performance, cost savings and reduced storage requirements for desktop images, user profiles and end-user data. Includes CA, Compellent, CommVault, DataCore, Dell EqualLogic, EMC, FalconStor, Fujitsu, HP StorageWorks, Hitachi, IBM, LSI, NetApp, NEC, Pillar Data Systems, RELDATA and Xiotech
• Applications – Enterprise, line-of-business and personal productivity applications that can be delivered more efficiently to end users through desktop and app virtualization. Includes Adobe, Apple, Autodesk, Google, Microsoft, Oracle, SAP and over 1,000 additional software vendors across a wide variety of industries

• PCs, Laptops, Netbooks, Thin Clients and Mobile Devices – Devices used by employees and other end users to access virtual desktops and applications. Includes Apple, Dell, HP, Lenovo, Fujitsu, Research in Motion (Blackberry), Sprint, 10Zig, Chip PC, Computer Lab, DevonIT, IGEL, ThinLaunch, VXL and Wyse
• Printers and Desktop Peripherals – Printing solutions and drivers for an extensive range of cameras, scanners, card readers, hard drives, keyboards, speakers and other popular desktop peripherals that have been certified to work in virtual desktop environments. Includes Canon, Dell, HP, Konica, Kyocera, Lexmark, Mita, Minolta, OKI, Samsung, Xerox, ThinPrint, TriCerat, UniPrint and over 7,000 other popular USB desktop devices and driver support software
• Unified Communications – Real-time voice, meeting and communication systems that enable users to collaborate seamlessly over multiple mediums. Includes Avaya, Microsoft, ShoreTel, Citrix GoToMeeting, Citrix Hi-Def Conferencing and Citrix EasyCall

• Client Systems Management – Unified management of physical endpoint devices to virtual environments providing a consistent cost-effective experience for the desktop administrator. Includes CA Desktop Management Suite for Windows, CA Unicenter, HP OpenView, Microsoft System Center, Novell and Wyse
• Profile Management – Software to ensure users’ personal settings are applied to the each user’s virtual desktop and applications. Includes AppSense, RES Software and TriCerat
• Security – Software and hardware products to ensure secure access, business continuity, data security and regulatory compliance for employees working in any type of virtual desktop environment. Includes Kaspersky Labs, McAfee, Novell, RES Software, RSA, Sophos, Trend Micro and Citrix Access Gateway
• Solution and Deployment Services – Services to ensure that all users have the best experience when moving to virtual desktops, both for premise based and cloud hosted environments. Includes Accenture, CSC, Dell, HP Services, Fujitsu and IBM Global Services

“Customers who implement a client virtualization strategy are looking for a solution that overcomes the current barriers of high cost and performance bottlenecks,” said Paul Miller, vice president, Marketing, Enterprise Storage, Servers and Networking, HP. “HP has a comprehensive portfolio of virtualization-ready solutions that span the desktop to the data center. Together with Citrix and our participation in the Citrix Ready Open Desktop Virtualization program, we ensure customers have successful virtual desktop deployments.”

“The Citrix Ready Open Desktop Virtualization program gives customers confidence that third-party products will be verified to work with XenDesktop 4 as they use desktop virtualization technologies to migrate to Windows 7,” said Dai Vu, director of virtualization solutions marketing, Server and Tools Business at Microsoft Corp. “As proof of the expanded partnership between Citrix and Microsoft, Hyper-V is distributed with XenDesktop 4 which utilizes Microsoft App-V and Citrix XenApp for hosted and streamed applications, respectively. Now customers enjoy the fastest, simplest way to deliver complete desktop virtualization while maximizing their existing technology investments.”

A white paper providing more specific information about the partner categories can be found at the Citrix Ready Open Desktop program page.

For customers new to desktop virtualization and looking to evaluate the interoperability of Open Desktop Virtualization program partner solutions with XenDesktop, they can download the free, easy-to-use XenDesktop Express edition. With XenDesktop Express, customers can set up a 10-user VDI environment and experience HDX technology.