Citrix embraces Apple with iPhone virtualization, app store

Citrix is bringing virtual desktops and applications to the iPhone and has revamped its server virtualization platform with new features that make it more competitive against VMware.

A lightweight software client called Citrix Receiver lets IT deliver desktops and applications to any device, whether it be a desktop, laptop or iPhone. Available as a free add-on to the Citrix XenApp application delivery platform, Receiver acts like the satellite or cable TV receiver used in broadcast media services, the company says.

Continuing the Apple theme, Citrix announced Dazzle, another XenApp add-on which mimics the iTunes application store by providing a self-service interface letting corporate users choose and install new business applications on-demand. Dazzle will be available in the second half of this year.
"Dazzle gives corporate employees 24x7 self-service access to a broad array of applications, desktops and content, allowing them to choose exactly what they need, when they need it," Citrix says. "If you've used DirecTV or Apple iTunes, you already know how to use Dazzle."

The announcements are among several product updates to be unveiled by Citrix this week at its annual Synergy show in Las Vegas.  

Citrix also released Version 5.5 of the XenServer hypervisor and Essentials, a software platform that manages both XenServer and Microsoft's Hyper-V. The upgrades, including native support for integration with Windows Active Directory, bring Citrix closer to VMware in functionality, says Burton Group analyst Chris Wolf.

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