A few thoughts on the iForum Keynote

These are the key things that I took away from the iForum keynote by : Mark Templeton at Edinburgh.

1. It’s started late!
2. 1 Million Citrix servers currently in operation, in 200,000 companies
3. Citrix NetScaler sits in front of many large scale web sites today, 75% of Internet users touch NetScaler every day
4. Citrix are pushing support for Apple products going forward
5. Nice slide – you are here, your apps are there, and your users are somewhere else
6. Business issues
   1. Globalization
   2. Offshoring
   3. tele-working
   4. Mobility
   5. Green
7. IT issues
   1. Consolidation
   2. Security
   3. Compliance
   4. Business continuity
   5. Green
8. Not just think different – DO different
9. Citrix takes inspiration from TV
   1. Simple, fast and on demand
   2. Device, network and application independence
   3. Content security and access control
   4. Dynamic capacity
   5. Predictable operating and capital costs
10. However I would make the point that even with all the above, there are still:
    1. PVR’s
    2. youtube
    3. DVD’s
    4. BBC iPlayer
    5. etc
11. Doesn’t change my view that one solution will not meet all requirements, and to be fair Citrix understand that in their model of Controllers, gateways, repeaters and receivers
12. Citrix are promoting a move from the DATA centre to a DELIVERY centre, not sure myself that much changes, data centres have always been delivery centric.
13. Citrix approach – follow the users and the applications —> the web is number 1 for new applications
    1. This means put lots of effort into application layer network services – Citrix NetScaler, 20,000 enterprise deployments so date.  5x (10x for MPX) performance improvement, with increased security and lower server load
14. Relationship with Microsoft stronger than ever
15. The end user experience, requires a lot of focus on the delivery network and associated services
    1. Single signon
    2. Security
    3. Appsharing and collaboration
    4. Integrated telephony
    5. performance monitoring
    6. …
16. Over 50% of employees are in branch office
    1. Citrix branch office repeater
       1. Application delivery staging, for virtualized streamed applications
       2. Windows branch services, file, print, DNS, AD
       3. WAN optimisation
       4. Ok – but where is Citrix provisioning server branch repeater services!
       5. This is a nice integrated appliance, but how does it compete with Cisco WAAS or Riverbed?
17. Citrix app receiver
    1. A universal software client, everything else is a plugin
       1. acceleration, security, virtualization, monitoring, web collaboration, technology, user support, third party extensibility
       2. This is a trend I am seeing everywhere, including Symantec/Altiris and VMware, Firefox
18. Citrix workflow studio
    1. Works within a single Citrix product, between Citrix products and because its Microsoft Windows Workflow Foundation it can orchestrate Citrix and third party products
19. Xen Desktop
    1. A Xen desktop with no applications – ie all apps delivered by XenApp uses half the resources of XenDesktop with apps.  ie twice the users per server.
    2. Upgrade from XenApp to add XenDesktop license for 95$ (enterprise or platinum?)
    3. Not clear what advantage XenDesktop gives over XenApp other than “personalization” also not clear what the real cost difference is.