Citrix XenDesktop 3 Adds Streamed Desktop Support

Citrix Systems has announced Citrix XenDesktop 3, the newest release of its desktop virtualisation solution. XenDesktop 3, a key component of the Citrix Delivery Centre product family, incorporates several of the company’s new Citrix HDX technologies, giving virtual desktop users a richer ‘high-definition’ experience with enhanced support for multimedia, audio and video.

XenDesktop 3 also improves scalability, hosting twice as many virtual desktops per server as previous versions. And with version 3, XenDesktop also delivers Microsoft Windows desktops from a common set of centrally managed images that can be run either in the data centre (hosted), or directly on a PC or thin client device (local). This new capability reduces desktop management costs by making efficient use of distributed processing power across both servers and end-point devices.

HDX Brings ‘High-Definition Experience’ to Hosted Virtual Desktops

Widespread adoption of desktop virtualisation requires the ability to deliver a personalised experience for hosted virtual desktops that is as good as an installed desktop on a local PC. To enhance this experience, XenDesktop 3 adds the new Citrix HDX MediaStream technology, which accelerates multimedia performance by sending compressed streams to endpoints and playing them locally. XenDesktop 3 also incorporates Citrix HDX Plug-and-Play technology for transparent support of MP3 players, digital cameras, smartphones, scanners and other local devices, as well as Citrix HDX Broadcast technology for reliable acceleration of virtual desktops and applications over any network, including high-latency and low-bandwidth environments.

Enhanced Profile Management and Smart Card Support

XenDesktop 3 offers fully integrated user profile management, making it easier for IT to provide a consistent, personalised experience for each unique user every time they log in. Version 3 also includes broad support for smart card security authentication systems, which are widely adopted throughout government, financial services and healthcare organisations.

“The release of XenDesktop 3 will accelerate virtual desktop adoption by driving down costs through centralised management and delivery. With HDX Technology, we are providing users a true high-definition experience for their desktops, addressing a critical requirement for broad user acceptance,” said Raj Dhingra, group vice president and general manager of the Desktop Delivery Group at Citrix.

Pricing and Availability

Citrix XenDesktop 3 will be generally available from authorised Citrix partners in February 2009, and from the Citrix website at http://www.citrix.com/xendesktop Suggested retail pricing begins at $75 per concurrent user.