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What are the benefits of using Citrix Xenapp or XenDesktop?

We are a company of 200 employees that is rapidly growing. I work in IT and want to sell to my boss the idea of implementing Citrix in our environment. I am in the initial stages of making a presentation and wanted to ask for experts opinion here. Best answer and opinion will be rewarded max points.

1. Why would I want to implement Citrix? What are the benefits for my employees?

2. What is the difference between XenApp and XenDesktop?

3. Any hardware required to setup the Farm? Can the environment be virtual using VMware ESXi? I heard of the netscaler appliance, but is that hardware required?

4. Is it suitable for a company of 200 employees? We currently run VPN, but how will Citrix XenApp or Xendesktop be more beneficial than VPN?

5. What are VDI's, and will those be needed?

Kent Dyer

Citrix - We used it back in 2007 when I was at mortgage company..

Benefits include:
You have standardized, common setup.
You publish Applications to a set of a few servers, not 100's of desktops
Updates: You update / configure / Change on a few servers not 100s of desktops
You have more control as an admin

Some of the challenges include:
Wow16 (yes, there is one).. We had an old DOS forms-based app that had to used an old wow16 platform
HP LaserJet4 Plus PCL5.. We had to stick with the even if you have a new fancy one
Clearing profiles - sometimes this would be cumbersome
AD issues, we setup users to Roaming Profiles and took them off.. It works fine, but can be a bit of a hassle
Cost - Citrix is pretty expensive, but the benefits are very nice
Hardware - Yes, you will need servers to host Citrix on
Citrix does have it's own LoadBalancer

This is just a rambling of thngs that I can think of.

Sajid Shaik M

1) initially citrix compress the data while it transmit to end user
2) it'll encrypt the data for security .. while reaching to client.
3) the performance is faster
4) centralized management : you can manage application publishing from centralizes one server ... all clients can access on access base..
5) printers support universal printing so no need to worry about the printing...
6) users can access applications over the internet when publish the server over internet...
7) security is there..

and many more features...

5itface

ASKER

So what I am getting from this is that using Citrix (Either Xenapp or Xendesktop), my users can remotely access published web apps from wherever they may be. Is that a true statement? So the benefit of using Xenapp is that my users would not have to download anything, and simply type in a URL to get to there virtual desktop correct? Is that where it is beneficial?

Sajid Shaik M

some what...

users can access published apps either Web, Either Ctrix client ....

yes about the application users no need to install any app just log on to web client or citrix client thats it ...

this is the biggest advantage ... you just install single application on server and can publish thousand of users... if u need the change any application level just u have to make change on server only it'll effect to all clients...

ASKER CERTIFIED SOLUTION

Rahul Patil

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