First Technology joins Citrix Solutions Network

Independent IT solutions provider First Technology has joined the Citrix Systems Citrix Solutions Network(CSN) as a Gold Solutions Provider, a move that recognises the company`s ability to meet Citrix customer requirements.

David Prosser, Citrix Southern Africa`s channel manager, says Gold Solutions Provider status means that First Technology customers are assured that the company has the sales and technical skills to deliver solutions that work.

"First Technology`s membership in the CSN strengthens our ability to provide end-users with access infrastructure solutions that deliver measurable business benefits," he adds.

"First Technology`s extensive experience and resources, together with Citrix products, will help customers that need to deliver and manage secure access to applications and information in a heterogeneous computing environment."

According to Vincent De Lucia, Citrix Business Unit Manager at First Technology, Citrix solutions ensure a more productive, secure and profitable environment, which translates into a higher return on investment (ROI) and lower total cost of ownership (TCO) for companies.

"First Technology is geared to provide Citrix solutions across a multitude of platforms and applications, enabling our customers to increase service levels throughout their organisation.

"The business benefits resulting from Citrix solutions stem from the four core Citrix cross-industry solutions: application deployment, business continuity, remote office connectivity and workforce mobility," he adds.

"Within application deployment, Citrix allows businesses to bring new applications online far quicker and smoother that it would normally take. The Citrix solution accelerates deployment, consolidates and secures key corporate data and reduces the resources required to implement and manage the full range of business applications, from ERP (enterprise resource management) and CRM (customer relationship management) to office productivity software.

"There is also no need to redevelop application for Web deployment, since Citrix allows instant Web-enablement of an organisation`s full-featured enterprise applications and makes them secure and stable," De Lucia explains.

Lower IT costs and increased business efficiency are also possible.

For example, in the case of mergers and acquisitions, it is possible to rapidly integrate new users and locations into the system using Citrix solutions. What`s more, Citrix will extend the life of existing infrastructure because it provides access to applications on any device, including older 486 PCs, laptops and even PDAs.

One of the most remarkable facets of Citrix is its ability to provide no-compromise wireless access through the Citrix MetaFrame Access Suite - an effective workforce mobility solution that allows users access to rich, full applications and data.

"Whether tracking a customer order in an ERP system, retrieving and sending e-mail, or just browsing the Internet for information, the Citrix Workforce Mobility Solution provides the secure, reliable wireless access required to keep business ongoing when on the move," De Lucia concludes.