Citrix Access Essentials enriches remote access possibilities for small businesses with newest release

Citrix Systems, the global leader in access infrastructure solutions, announced at Cebit 2006 today, the availability of a new version of its breakthrough secure remote access product for small to mid-sized business (SMB), Citrix Access Essentials 1.5.

The latest version creates new possibilities for organisations with five to 75 users to interact with their central billing, scheduling, customer relationship management and similar line-of-business applications whether they are at home, at a remote office, at a hotel or travelling with a mobile PC. The new version also streamlines configuration setup for more elaborate customer environments. In all, the release Citrix Access Essentials 1.5 makes it even more attractive for employees to "go into work" over the Internet using just a Web browser.

Business managers and owners in small organisations cite several problems that prevent them from working effectively when out of the office. Poor response times over slow lines, security threats from public networks and incorrectly configured equipment at the remote end are just some of the impediments they face when trying to access business-critical applications remotely. Rudimentary remote access tools force them into difficult work/life choices such as spending long hours at the office, commuting to the office during the weekend and long delays in responding to customers and suppliers. Access Essentials can help them remove these obstacles to increased productivity.

Access Essentials builds on the Microsoft Windows Server 2003 platform to deliver a central, secure and convenient access point for internal and external users of Windows-based applications, files and intranet sites, including those hosted on SharePoint services. Licences for Access Essentials include Windows Terminal Services Client Access Licences (TS CALs), thus streamlining licence procurement and saving small businesses time and money.

"The latest release of Citrix Access Essentials is a great example of how Citrix is working closely with Microsoft to help bring the benefits of our latest server technologies to SMB customers in a packaged solution," says Manoj Bhoola, server and tools business group manager at Microsoft South Africa.

"The integration of Citrix and Microsoft technologies gives SMBs a compelling and comprehensive remote access solution on the market."

With the new version of Access Essentials, Citrix has made the following improvements for its small to mid-sized customers:

* Remote imaging support for digital cameras and scanners

Users can quickly store and process digital images captured in the field by sending them securely over the Internet to a central application. For example, an insurance claims adjuster working on the road, after hours, could conveniently store high-resolution images directly onto his central claim handling software without the need to coordinate the work through someone at the main office.

* Bi-directional audio support

Dictations, training programmes and other audio-driven applications can be used remotely while all recording, processing and storage occurs at the central computer site. A roaming therapist, for example, could dictate patient observations directly into her small clinic`s server where the recordings can be backed up without concern that they be lost or overwritten.

* New security certificate retrieval wizard
* Makes it easy for those unfamiliar with security certificates to set up secure remote access.
* Accelerates time to get secure remote access enabled by allowing temporary certificates to be used while waiting for an outside certificate authority to issue permanent certificates.
* Allows local domain certificates to be requested easily, expediting secure remote access setup when not using outside certificate authorities.
* New printer wizard
* Makes it easy to set up local and remote printers for users in and out of the main site.
* Ability to set application launch limits per server or per user
* Helps organisations adhere to licence limits for their applications. * Prevents users from launching two copies of the application unintentionally when double clicking on the application icon.
* Allows single-user applications, such as accounting packages, to be used locally or remotely in a multi-user server without worry that someone else will launch a conflicting copy.
* Addition of Citrix SpeedBrowse technology
* Speeds up performance for users running a centrally published and secured Web browser.

"Small businesses have a high percentage of remote workers, but rarely have full time IT resources to support them," said Raymond Boggs, SMB and Home Office VP at market research firm IDC.

"Consider this, in the United States alone, small businesses amount to almost five million branch offices and 15 million mobile workers. This represents a major support challenge, especially as remote workers and remote sites clamour for access to resources available at the company`s head offices."

More than 1 000 small businesses have already adopted Access Essentials since its introduction just over six months ago. In particular, growth has come from emerging markets such as Central Europe where small businesses are eager to have employees enter orders, bill customers, schedule resources, manage accounts, and generally run their Windows-based line-of-business applications from outside the office. The software, available through more than 1 500 authorised resellers, is attractively priced for smaller businesses.

"It`s phenomenal to see how small companies become more effective when they are able to run their programmes remotely with Citrix Access Essentials," said Chris Norton, country manager for Citrix South Africa.

"The enhanced capabilities in this new version make it even easier for timely and accurate information - even rich multimedia content - to flow between those in the office and those away from it."

Citrix Access Essentials 1.5 will be available from 7 April 2006 through Citrix Solution Advisors. Pricing starts at $1 245 per five-user connection pack with Citrix Subscription Advantage which entitles a company to the latest releases of the software for one year. Microsoft TS CALs are also included in this base price.

Citrix will demonstrate Access Essentials 1.5 for the first time at Cebit in Hannover, Germany, 9 to 15 March, in Citrix`s booth number C04 located in Hall 4.