Citrix Rolls Out Application Access Bundle

Citrix Systems Inc. at its iForum user conference in Orlando, Fla., this week rolled out a new bundling of its remote access software as well as partnerships with IBM, SAP AG and others.

All together these moves reinforce Citrixs claim that it can provide an application access infrastructure that is on par in the enterprise with security, network and enterprise application infrastructures, according to Rick Braddy, vice president of product management and architecture.

"Its about enabling the on-demand enterprise, making applications and resources available on any device," Braddy said.

Central to that message is the Citrix MetaFrame Access Suite, a bundle that includes four of the Fort Lauderdale, Fla., companys MetaFrame access products: Presentation Server, Secure Access Manager, Password Manager and Conferencing Manager. The entire package enables IT departments to deliver, manage and monitor access to corporate applications by mobile and in-house users. It is priced at $599 per concurrent user for new customers.

For Citrix customers who already have Presentation Server, the Access Suite is priced at $299 or $399 per concurrent user, based on the level of functionality they require.

Citrix is looking to lower the cost of running its software by as much as 25 percent to 30 percent by providing a common management interface across all its offerings. With the change administrators will need to define users and settings only once, Braddy said. The CMI currently applies only to the companys Presentation Server, but Braddy expects Citrix will demonstrate CMI running across its entire line by the iForum show next year, he said.

Citrix also extended its reach into the applications of some big partners. The company released a new portlet that lets Presentation Server customers integrate their applications with IBMs WebSphere Portal. IBM, of Armonk, N.Y., also strengthened its systems integration partnership with Citrix.

Citrix and enterprise software leader SAP, of Walldorf, Germany, said joint customers could integrate MetaFrame Presentation Server with the SAP Enterprise Portal using a newly developed iView in SAPs Business Package for Citrix.

Here are a few other products announced at the event:

The company unveiled Citrix TestDrive, a new online marketing service that lets Citrix Business Alliance members evaluate their software applications running on Citrix technologies without having to download, install and configure them.

Citrix strengthened support for Hewlett-Packard Co.s adaptive enterprise strategy with the certification of Citrix MetaFrame Presentation Server for HP OpenView management software. It also rolled out the new HP OpenView Probe for Citrix MetaFrame Presentation Server tool.

The company showed a "pagelet" product that provides users of Citrix software and PeopleSoft Inc.s Enterprise Portal a single point of access to PeopleSoft applications.