Citrix launches Access Essentials for the SME market

Newest Citrix suite provides fast and easy access while ensuring performance, success and reducing time and expenses

Citrix Systems, the global leader in access infrastructure solutions, today announced the launch of Access Essentials(tm) 1.0, the latest addition to Citrix`s comprehensive access portfolio.

Specifically developed, packaged and priced for small to medium enterprises (SMEs) with fewer than 75 users, Access Essentials enables SMEs to achieve a key competitive advantage in today`s fast-paced and mobile business environment. Incorporating the same innovative, high-performance access technologies that Citrix has developed over the past 15 years, Access Essentials delivers secure and cost effective access to critical line-of-business applications and information.

SMEs face continuous challenges in managing the growth and expansion of their enterprises, particularly with the addition of remote offices and staff. This requires the building of new solutions and the changing of IT architectures.

According to a recent survey conducted in South Africa by independent research house, Coleman Parkes, mobile and flexible working has not been widely adopted to date, however it is steadily increasing. Gartner has also predicted that by 2008, 41 million corporate employees globally will spend at least one day a week teleworking and almost 100 million will work from home at least one day a month.

With Access Essentials, Citrix provides SMEs with fast, easy access to corporate information from an employee`s most convenient location while reducing the time, expense and resources needed to roll out and manage the access infrastructure.

By tailoring Access Essentials for the SME market, Citrix recognises that smaller organisations often do not require the multi-server scalability and redundancy necessary for larger enterprises. Instead, Access Essentials includes adapted versions of many of Presentation Server`s unsurpassed features, such as, Web Interface and Secure Gateway. "Until now, SMEs` options for access to centralised line-of-business applications were limited to either high-end products that are too costly and introduce unnecessary sophistication, or low-end products that are too cumbersome to use or lack adequate security," said Chris Norton, managing director of Citrix South Africa.

"With Access Essentials, Citrix is offering the same robust and highly secure underlying technology already proven by over 160,000 Presentation Server deployments around the globe at a newly affordable price, best suited to help SMEs meet the demands of today`s increasingly competitive market," he concludes.

"Citrix Access Essentials complements the Microsoft Windows Server System to bring additional value to small and medium sized business customers," said Bradley Hopkinson, director small and mid-market solutions and partner group (SMS&P) at Microsoft South Africa. "It enables easy access to Microsoft applications - such as Office 2003 -- inside the enterprise in a very cost effective way. The simplicity of implementation and management, even in small or remote locations, will extend security for mobile users and enrich the value of Microsoft technology for information workers."

Access Essentials will be available through Citrix Solution Advisors, Volume Partners and new resellers. The products will be offered to organisations with fewer than 75 users, sold in 5-packs of named user licenses including Windows Terminal Server Client Access Licenses (TS CALs). Citrix Access Essentials 5 Named User Connection Pack without Subscription Advantage is priced at $1,045 and Citrix Access Essentials 5 Named User Connection Pack with Subscription Advantage is priced at $1,245.