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