Citrix redefines state-of-the-art application delivery for Windows applications with release of Presentation Server 4.5

Citrix Systems, the global leader in application delivery infrastructure, has announced availability of the latest version of its flagship Citrix Presentation Server product line, the de facto standard for delivering Windows-based applications with the best performance, security and total cost of ownership.

With significant new capabilities such as on-demand application streaming, centralised application provisioning, end-user experience monitoring, enhanced single sign-on and advanced graphics acceleration, Presentation Server 4.5 redefines state-of-the-art in Windows application delivery.

This makes it dramatically easier and more cost-effective to deliver Windows-based applications to any user, on any device, in any location.

"Citrix is uniquely positioned as an application delivery infrastructure provider," says Nick Keene, Country Manager of Citrix Systems Southern Africa.

"By providing integrated application security features and enhanced visibility into the line-of-sight between applications and users, Presentation Server 4.5 really moves the needle for providing a richer Windows application user experience."

The new release also extends the range of applications supported by Presentation Server, giving customers a comprehensive, best-in-class solution for delivering all Windows applications - from personal productivity applications such as Microsoft Office 2007, to complex line-of-business applications, including the most demanding, graphics-intensive business applications on the market.

A longstanding leader in the delivery of Windows applications, with its flagship Presentation Server solution, Citrix has extended its product line substantially in recent years, becoming a leader in end-to-end infrastructure for delivering any application to any user with the best performance, security and cost savings.

With Presentation Server 4.5, Citrix returns to its roots, once again redefining the way Windows applications are delivered, by integrating cutting-edge features of some of its newest technologies. These include Citrix EdgeSight for application performance monitoring, Citrix Access Gateway for secure application access, and its new Application Streaming technology (formerly code-named "Tarpon") for the on-demand delivery of Windows desktop applications.

Combined, these features and others make Presentation Server 4.5 a complete solution for delivering Windows applications, enhancing every aspect along the line-of-sight between applications in the data centre to users in any location worldwide.

Citrix Presentation Server 4.5 offers a wide range of new features that make it the most strategic infrastructure for delivering any Windows application to any user in any location.

Highlights include:

* On-demand application streaming - Presentation Server has always provided the best way to virtualise the delivery of client-server-based Windows applications, enabling them to be centrally installed and managed while providing a great access experience for end-users.

With its innovative new application streaming technology, Presentation Server 4.5 now extends these same benefits to desktop applications like Microsoft Office 2007, allowing them to be streamed over the network to users as an on-demand service, much like downloaded music or videos.

This process is entirely transparent to end-users who continue to access desktop applications from their Windows Start menu, just as they have in the past. Because streamed applications operate in a protected isolation environment on each user's desktop, IT managers can now offer a much wider range of desktop applications to users without worrying about version conflicts and migration headaches.

When users are disconnected from the network, streamed applications run normally, just as if they had been installed via traditional means. When connected, any new updates, patches or rollbacks are automatically and transparently streamed to each user, ensuring they are always working with the latest version.

* End-user experience monitoring - Powered by Citrix EdgeSight, the new performance monitoring capabilities in Presentation Server 4.5 gives IT full visibility into how applications are performing from an end-user's perspective, allowing them to proactively manage service levels as well as quickly pinpoint and troubleshoot server, network or application issues that impact the user experience.

* Centralised application provisioning - The new centralised application provisioning capabilities give customers with large Presentation Server farms one central location to stage the latest versions of all Windows, desktop and client-server applications, enabling IT to provision new applications and servers more quickly than ever before.

As a result, the delivery and maintenance of Windows applications across mid-to-large enterprises is greatly simplified, allowing many application updates, roll-outs or roll-backs to be completed during normal business hours without the need for weekend or late night implementations.

* Secure application access - Powered by the Citrix Access Gateway line of SSL VPNs, Presentation Server's newly enhanced secure application access capability gives users a secure, always-on, single point-of-access to all of their applications, regardless of whether they are delivered via Presentation Server. In addition, this capability features Citrix SmartAccess technology that automatically responds to each user scenario with the appropriate level of access, including control of actions such as print, save and edit.

* Enhanced application security - With automated single sign-on powered by Citrix Password Manager, it is now much easier for IT administrators to give users a single password that works across multiple applications, regardless of whether those applications are delivered by Presentation Server or not.

The capabilities can even be extended to Web and host-based applications, from trusted partners using federated identity credentials, such as Microsoft's ADFS (Advanced Directory Federation Services).

In addition, the automated single sign-on feature enables IT managers to allow users to reset their own Windows passwords and unlock their accounts through an easy Web interface.

* Advanced graphics acceleration - With the new SpeedScreen progressive display technology in Presentation Server 4.5, the performance of graphics displays in Windows-based applications over a network is improved by up to 20 times, making it possible for the first time ever to virtualise the delivery of even the most graphics-intensive applications with no compromise in end-user experience.

As a result, IT can now take advantage of all the benefits of Presentation Server to deliver applications such as healthcare PACS (picture archiving and communication systems) and GIS (geographic information system) mapping, while providing the speed, data security, and anywhere-access flexibility that users need.

* Automated Server Recovery - System resiliency in Presentation Server is strengthened with new health assistant features that perform continuous server health checks and automatically initiate recovery procedures, minimising the need for administrator intervention.

* Up to 500 users per server - Presentation Server 4.5 also leverages the 64-bit platform to get the maximum number of users per server - up to 500 - even with 32-bit applications, enabling a maximised return on IT investments. Availability: Presentation Server 4.5 comes in three editions - Advanced, Enterprise and the all-new Platinum. The three editions are now available in SA. Further details about the features available in each edition can be found at: http://citrix.com/presentationserver/whatsneweditions.

New instructor-led and e-learning training courses are also available to end-users and partners. For more information, please visit the Citrix Education Web site at www.citrixeducation.com.