Boston-based virtualization firm Citrix Systems announced the availability
of XenServer 5.5, a free cloud-based virtualization platform the company first
debuted earlier this year. Citrix says more than 100,000 customers have
downloaded XenServer from hundreds of download sites in over 50 countries
worldwide.
The latest version now includes features such as consolidated backup, enhanced
conversion and search tools, Active Directory integration, and expanded guest
support for an encyclopedic range of Windows and Linux operating systems.
Citrix says the XenServer provides all the functionality that could cost up to
$5,000 per server with other virtual server vendors.
Also available today is the 5.5 release of Citrix Essentials for XenServer and
Hyper-V, which provides advanced virtualization management capabilities for
clients using Citrix XenServer or Microsoft Windows Server 2008 Hyper-V. Citrix
Essentials 5.5 enhances both virtualization platforms by adding expanded
storage integration, automated lab and stage management, and dynamic workload
balancing. Citrix Essentials 5.5 for XenServer and Hyper-V are also available in
a 30-day trial version on Citrix’s Website. Suggested pricing for Citrix
Essentials starts at $2,500 per server, regardless of the number of processors.
Citrix is, of course, taking great pains to draw focus to the “free” aspect,
with Citrix’s senior vice president and general manager for virtualization
management, Peter Levine, saying that making XenServer free was not a one-time
publicity move. “It was an integral part of our strategy to accelerate the rate
of virtualization adoption and address the more than 75 percent of servers that
still have not been virtualized today,” he said. “The XenServer 5.5 release is
a clear demonstration that Citrix will continue investing heavily in making
XenServer the most compelling open virtualization platform on the market
today.”
In addition to the availability of the 5.5 product releases, Citrix announced
the XenServer Central community Website, a resource for all things concerning
XenServer. The XenServer Central Website will feature product and service
information, “tips and tricks,” access to the Citrix KnowledgeCenter and Web-based
support forums. Offers from Citrix Ready partners for free or discounted
licenses for complementary products will also be available. The company says
XenServer Central will go live on June 19.
“The overwhelming download numbers we have seen in the last two months
demonstrate that many customers are not happy with the growing cost and
complexity of their existing virtualization solutions,” Levine said. “By
combining the free XenServer with the advanced management capabilities in
Citrix Essentials, customers now have a proven alternative that meets all the
requirements for enterprise-class virtualization at a fraction of the cost.”
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