| v> | | | | virtualization are significant, positive cash flow |
| Citrix has announced a series of developments for | | | | advantages accrued as a consequence of reduced |
| customers operating VMware and looking to move | | | | data storage costs and enhanced productivity are |
| onto XenServer or Microsoft's Hyper-V platforms. | | | | undeniable – this has led solution providers to |
| Today, 20% of the Fortune 500 use Citrix | | | | attach a premium to the solution when in fact, as |
| XenServer and with more than 70% of all | | | | Citrix has rightly understood, the cost of virtualization |
| virtualization server users now moving to multiple | | | | should significantly drop as adoption becomes more |
| hypervisors, it is clear the market is growing and a | | | | commonplace. |
| definite trend has been established for enterprise | | | | A simple dynamic of supply and demand. |
| class storage solutions. | | | | Using Citrix XenServer, and especially when coupled |
| Citrix has established Project “Open | | | | with Citrix Essentials, is an excellent way to |
| Door” which aims to provide free training and | | | | future-proof your solution. Cloud computing may or |
| conversion tools for customers looking to move to | | | | may not be coming but with the recent |
| XenServer, and because of the close connections | | | | announcement of IBM's Smart Business Cloud |
| between Citrix and Microsoft (who own a significant | | | | Computing solution it is almost a certainty that cloud |
| chunk of Citrix), MS Hyper-V has also been included in | | | | computing is going to take hold along with the |
| the offering. Due in part to the collaborative efforts | | | | maturing development of SaaS (Software As A |
| of these two companies, but largely due to the | | | | Service). |
| agility, functionality and expandability of the data | | | | There are also the issues of performance and |
| center using these two solutions, XenServer and | | | | stability – a low price is great but when |
| Hyper-V dominate the server storage virtualization | | | | several thousand employees are relying on the |
| market – to underline this point, Citrix report | | | | solution to work every day and every time they log |
| that of those customers who activated XenServer, | | | | onto the network, price is not the real issue. |
| the number has doubled in the last month or in other | | | | Virtualization users are finding applications for the |
| words, 10% of the Fortune 500 turned XenServer. | | | | technology everyday as the practice becomes |
| By any standards, that is an exceptional achievement. | | | | accepted and users lead the drive to adapt the |
| There are two main reasons why Citrix in particular | | | | technology to meet business needs. A growing |
| has cornered the market on virtualization. Firstly, of | | | | number of enterprise class users are seriously |
| enterprise class solutions, XenServer meets 100% of | | | | planning on using Citrix XenServer to meet their |
| the requirements and criteria laid down by user | | | | disaster recovery needs – a case of the last |
| groups and enterprise clients in practice. The second | | | | gasp saloon when it comes to meeting a primary |
| major reason is price – almost all virtualization | | | | objective of IT managers – protecting the |
| solution providers have been hiking prices in a price | | | | company data and maintaining an operational network |
| gouging strategy – cost savings with | | | | for users. |