Opinion

Opinion

• A Windows Virtual Desktop overview for customers

  WVD brings distinct advantages to the table, with a few caveats. Find out how WVD stacks up compared to the market.  Continue Reading

• Settle the thin client vs. PC debate for VDI endpoints

  IT has the responsibility to provide virtual desktop endpoints that maximize UX based on the use cases, so admins should learn the different sides of the thin client vs. PC debate.  Continue Reading

• Comparing AMD vs. Nvidia for virtual desktop GPU cards

  Both AMD and Nvidia bring virtual GPUs to virtual desktop users with resource-intensive applications, but organizations should learn what each vendor's vGPU cards can offer.  Continue Reading

• A deep dive into the internet, bandwidth, and how users in EUC and elsewhere affect capacity

  Rachel Berry offers us a look into how the internet works and whether more people working from home could result in potential bandwidth issues.  Continue Reading

• Citrix App Protection prevents keyloggers, screenshots on unmanaged devices. Here’s how it works

  As more people work from home right now—the chance they access CVAD from a personal device increases, making App Protection worth considering.  Continue Reading

• Citrix Synergy 2020 moves to online-only format. We’ll still have plenty of coverage as usual.

  We’ll also be covering Okta Oktane online on April 1. Google Cloud Next has been pushed back.  Continue Reading

• VMware Horizon Cloud on Azure launches support for Windows Virtual Desktop

  Customers won’t see a huge number of technical changes, but the licensing and strategy implications sure are significant.  Continue Reading

• AR and VR for business: Considerations for virtualization, and where VMware sits

  Rachel Berry looks at how VMware seems best poised to lead the way when it comes to AR/VR streaming, and she also talks with Ben Jones of The GRID Factory.  Continue Reading

• Teradici Cloud Access Software supports Azure Stack Hub. Let’s take a look

  Marius Sandbu outlines the latest in Azure Stack Hub, and where it could make sense for VDI.  Continue Reading

• Citrix: CVAD Current Release on-prem will no longer support cloud-hosted VDAs

  Customers are advised to use Citrix Cloud or the CVAD LTSR.  Continue Reading

• A look at Citrix Gateway vs. Citrix Gateway Service

  The features and functionality of Citrix Gateway and Citrix Gateway Service products may be confusing. Jo Harder delves into the difference between the two, as well as reasons to choose one over the other.  Continue Reading

• What’s new in Login VSI Login Enterprise?

  Employee experience is just one of several factors driving a wave of monitoring buzz.  Continue Reading

• Lakeside Software takes equity investment in the latest sign of the end user experience wave

  Lakeside will double engineering and add business leadership roles.  Continue Reading

• IGEL Disrupt 2020, Part 2: Updated UD3, new UMS web console, and session notes

  Jed Ayres is now CEO; how the Frame client works on IGEL OS; WVD on Azure Stack; and more.  Continue Reading

• What’s new in Stratodesk’s NoTouch OS Velma Lakes release?

  Stratodesk overhauled their thin client software with new management, cloud, and architectural features.  Continue Reading

• IGEL Disrupt 2020: My initial report

  Windows Virtual Desktop support is officially available; IGEL is working on Workspace ONE and Intune integration.  Continue Reading

• Citrix’s employee experience focus unfolds with Workspace intelligent experience at the center

  It’s been a year since Citrix started pivoting toward general-purpose customers and acquired Sapho to be front and center of it.  Continue Reading

• VMware Workspace ONE for Microsoft Endpoint Manager: What does it mean?

  Again, one of the big questions is when you want to move on from SCCM.  Continue Reading

• One year since the acquisition, how has Nutanix Xi Frame progressed?

  The DaaS market is getting hot, and that means more competition for players that had an early lead.  Continue Reading

• Vendor briefing notes: A look at Cameyo, which provides remote apps from the cloud

  Cameyo also touts extensive G Suite integration, Azure support, and more.  Continue Reading

• Understand VDI market shifts from traditional VDI to cloud

  As the VDI market shifts to cloud-based VDI and DaaS, it's important to understand the bigger picture. Understand the benefits and complexities of the changing market.  Continue Reading

• Citrix Cloud services: Ready for prime time?

  With Citrix Cloud services accounting for nearly 20% of new licenses sold by Citrix, the service is becoming mainstream, but not everyone has hit the OK button.  Continue Reading

• Microsoft Ignite 2019 news: Intune + SCCM = Endpoint Manager; WVD on Azure Stack Hub; & more

  Now with Monday updates, including App Assure for WVD and Edge; IGEL support for WVD; and co-management as a destination.  Continue Reading

• An update on Workspot: Funding, growth, and their ‘cloud desktop fabric,’ aimed at the enterprise

  Workspot is now targeting enterprise customers, with the ability to deploy, monitor, and manage, desktops across any Azure region.  Continue Reading

• What does employee experience mean to end user computing?

  Striving towards a better employee experience, Citrix and VMware are working on a bevy of new products. Is this the new, expanded definition of EUC?  Continue Reading

• Horizon Services for Multi-Cloud finally shows the future of VMware’s broker strategy

  Horizon 7 and Horizon Cloud will be under the new control plane. We also look at Horizon and WVD, and Horizon DaaS on VMware Cloud on AWS.  Continue Reading

• A technical review of Citrix Managed Desktops

  Jo Harder discusses the new capabilities of Citrix Managed Desktops and compares with Citrix Virtual Apps and Desktops Service, as well as presents a hands-on review.  Continue Reading

• A quick look at deviceTRUST, a simple conditional access tool for virtual desktop environments

  deviceTRUST rides entirely on top of your existing desktop virtualization environment and is configured via Group Policy, so it can be used without any additional infrastructure at all.  Continue Reading

• Why perceived Citrix Cloud costs may not align with reality

  Citrix is encouraging its customers to move their VDI deployments to the cloud. But the company's marketing ploys don't often mention the real costs of moving to Citrix Cloud.  Continue Reading

• A technical introduction to Citrix Cloud Federated Authentication Service

  Citrix just released Cloud-Enabled Federated Authentication Service (FAS) in Tech Preview. Jo Harder delves into federation to help you determine if and how this new feature may benefit you.  Continue Reading

• Lakeside SysTrack 9 asks the question: How is automation changing your helpdesk?

  Lakeside is building on their analytics and AI strategy with more reactive and proactive monitoring and healing capabilities in Lakeside SysTrack 9, which is new and GA today.  Continue Reading

• Teradici unveiled “PCoIP Ultra.” How is it different from PCoIP and where does it fit in the market?

  Teradici have evolved a lot in the last few years, but as in the past, they have an emphasis on high-end use cases. Now they’re bringing in support for H.264, and NVIDIA hardware encoding, too.  Continue Reading

• Raspberry Pi 4: Now the ultimate cheap thin client?

  It has a lot more under the hood, and it’s still inexpensive.  Continue Reading

• Bring your own Citrix Gateway to Citrix Cloud...or not

  Adding basic Citrix Gateway functionality to a Citrix Cloud implementation is literally a one-button option, but what about when you have more complex requirements?  Continue Reading

• When you have both IDaaS and UEM, where do you build your conditional access policies?

  A lot of IDaaS and UEM capabilities overlap, including authentication, third-party security integration, and contextual policy engines.  Continue Reading

• An update on the Citrix Workspace Hub: Citrix is serious about their low-cost thin client

  My first look at this thin client option left me feeling like it wasn’t an enterprise device, so let’s get an updated look at where it is nearly a year later.  Continue Reading

• Client virtualization still has its fans and use cases: A look at Hysolate and Qubes OS

  Isolation starting from the operating system is one way to ensure data protection without restricting user productivity.  Continue Reading

• What’s new with printing for Windows Virtual Desktop

  Bas van Kaam looks at how it works, and how third-party vendors are addressing WVD, including Tricerat and ThinPrint.  Continue Reading

• The trouble with troubleshooting in Citrix Cloud

  While much has been written about deploying Citrix Cloud, Jo Harder delves into how troubleshooting differs between on-prem and cloud deployments.  Continue Reading

• I talked to a real-world Samsung DeX pilot customer, the Chula Vista Police Department

  It’s taken a while to get here, but DeX is solving a lot of problems for CVPD in one fell swoop. It’s all about having the right use case!  Continue Reading

• VDI image optimizers: Always useful, and now even more important

  Thanks to Windows 10 and the cloud, you’re probably spending more time working on optimization than ever before.  Continue Reading

• Microsoft makes FSLogix free to all. What does this mean for the rest of the industry?

  Functionality that third-party vendors once competed on will be freely available, allowing (or pushing) them to compete elsewhere.  Continue Reading

• Citrix Cloud identity features are still up in the air

  We appreciate Citrix’s move towards identity, but there’s still a lot of manual work to do in many cases, which erodes some Citrix Cloud benefits.  Continue Reading

• Client virtualization, part 2: How client VMs have evolved into current offerings

  Vendors and open-source projects alike are using the benefits of client virtualization, while fixing some of the flaws.  Continue Reading

• Client virtualization, part 1: Is it the past or the future? (With a retrospective on XenClient)

  Part 1 examines why type-1 (bare metal) hypervisor is the way to go, and uses XenClient XT as an example of why early efforts failed.  Continue Reading

• VDI Like a Pro team announces VDI Performance survey results

  Evidently, just because your desktop is in the cloud doesn’t mean it will always perform at its best.  Continue Reading

• Talking to Ericom’s new CEO about Ericom Shield and cloud security

  Incoming CEO David Canellos has a background in the cloud/web/SaaS security space, which is indicative of the potential in Ericom Shield.  Continue Reading

• As remoting gets better, we’re going to have to worry about audio synchronization more

  It hasn’t been much of a problem in the past, but it will be in the future. It’s time to start benchmarking audio synchronization performance.  Continue Reading

• Citrix HDX marches on in release 1811

  Citrix has made some updates to HDX in the latest release, and Jo Harder dissects the new features and explains the good and the not-so-good for admins and users.  Continue Reading

• How DaaS platforms handle cost optimization in the public cloud

  When virtual desktops are running in the cloud, we need to keep a close eye on resource consumption to keep costs down. Here’s how DaaS platforms do it.  Continue Reading

• How Linux thin clients have improved

  VDI shops should consider Linux-based thin clients as endpoints for their users for several reasons, including the fact that they are cheaper than Windows thin clients.  Continue Reading

• Citrix Workspace Hub: Labor of love; not a full-fledged thin client option

  Not designed to be an actual competitor, but remains a good, low-cost option.  Continue Reading

• Remote Desktop Services fireworks at Microsoft Ignite 2018

  Benny provides more info that Microsoft revealed about RDS and WVD at the show.  Continue Reading

• How workspaces can affect a virtual desktop deployment

  Workspaces are poised to redefine the desktops users work with. As a result, virtual desktops could become just a part of a larger end-user computing approach.  Continue Reading

• RemoteFX vGPU put out to pasture as Microsoft RDP grows up

  RemoteFX vGPU had its run, but Microsoft looks to be done with it now and revealed plans for its deprecation.  Continue Reading

• VMworld 2018 First impressions: EUC isn’t totally ignored

  EUC doesn’t feel quite as overlooked as I was led to believe, even though one meeting happened off-site and saw little promotion (it was VMworld 2018’s best-kept secret—you missed out).  Continue Reading

• An overview of multi-tenancy in Remote Desktop modern infrastructure (RDmi)

  RDS MVPs explain why multi-tenancy is so important, how it works in RDmi, and how to set it up.  Continue Reading

• What’s the state of application layering in 2018?

  Application layering has arrived.  Continue Reading

• Are the protocol wars over? 2018 Edition, part 2: New use cases & competition

  A look at new remote display protocol use cases, and who might be winning.  Continue Reading

• Login VSI’s app compatibility tool Login AT applies computer vision to IT

  Login AT is available today. Login VSI’s new tool should be useful right off the bat, but there are a lot of future opportunities, too.  Continue Reading

• Are the protocol wars over? 2018 Edition, part 1: Current vendor landscape

  Catch up on all the major remote display protocol players, including Teradici, Citrix, VMware, and others.  Continue Reading

• Citrix Workspace App: What’s in the cloud & what’s on the client side?

  Citrix Workspace App encompasses features from Receiver, ShareFile, StoreFront, NetScaler Gateway, Analytics, and more. Confused? Let’s dig in.  Continue Reading

• RDmi is a milestone for the future of RDS. Here’s how it works

  RDmi remains in private Technical Preview, but it’s already an exciting milestone with huge potential.  Continue Reading

• Citrix Cloud licensing is complicated, just like on-premises licensing

  The everlasting Citrix licensing debate, with some notes from the field included.  Continue Reading

• Will the VFX industry start embracing the cloud with Foundry’s Athera?

  A case study in highly specialized DaaS: The VFX industry lags behind others when it comes to moving to the cloud. Foundry hopes to change that with Athera.  Continue Reading

• NetScaler Gateway Service: Should you consider the bundled version or the upcoming SSO version?

  Citrix currently offers bundled functionality to Cloud customers with their Virtual Apps and Desktops version and plans to sell a premium standalone option later. Let’s look at what each provides.  Continue Reading

• So, what did you think of the show? (Citrix Synergy 2018 Edition)

  My fast take after the first two days in Anaheim.  Continue Reading

• VDI Like a Pro 2018 Survey sneak peek: What’s happening in VDI/SBC/DaaS market share?

  There’s a lot of enthusiasm for the cloud, and the market is wide open.  Continue Reading

• Raise your hand if you’re using Citrix Cloud services

  Citrix has been proactively marketing cloud services for about two years, but why is the adoption rate low?  Continue Reading

• CloudJumper (formerly part of nGenx) is targeting Citrix customers with their new migration tool

  Several years ago, CloudJumper was a big Citrix partner. Now they’ve acquired their key technology partner, IndependenceIT, and are targeting Citrix migrations.  Continue Reading

• Are we there yet? An update on Citrix Workspace experience

  Citrix is pushing a security message, and they have a lot of interesting components they could put together. But how far will they go, and will Citrix become an IDaaS?  Continue Reading

• Where does Citrix Analytics fit, and where does it not fit?

  Citrix Analytics service is on its way, but will its visibility be broad enough?  Continue Reading

• How cloud-native application development affects VDI

  As more and more applications become cloud-native, VDI shops should prepare for changes in the way users access their apps and desktops.  Continue Reading

• Citrix, VMware, thin clients, printing, DaaS, and Windows 10: Six things I'm watching in 2018

  Predictions are overrated! Here are the expectations I have of Citrix, VMware, thin client vendors, printing vendors, DaaS, and Windows 10 migrations as we begin 2018.  Continue Reading

• Do you UDP your Citrix traffic with HDX Adaptive Transport?

  HDX Adaptive Transport picks up where Framehawk left off, and can be the silver bullet to improving the user experience. Jo Harder explains why.  Continue Reading

• Stratodesk NoTouch replaces the OS on any x86 thin client or PC, now works on Raspberry Pi

  Stratodesk NoTouch is a Thin Client OS that will run on any x86 device from other thin client vendors. They've recently added Raspberry Pi support, which makes NoTouch unique in the industry.  Continue Reading

• Consider key factors in the physical vs. virtual desktop debate

  When deciding between physical or virtual desktops, IT admins must evaluate the costs, look at their application requirements and understand their users' needs.  Continue Reading

• Understand the principles of data residency

  IT administrators should assess data residency on a case by case basis. That means understanding how the concept has changed and how it works in the cloud.  Continue Reading

• When should IT choose desktop delivery over published apps?

  IT admins have to decide between delivering full virtual desktops or virtual apps. Once they decide that, there's still the question of choosing on-premises or cloud-based.  Continue Reading

• How does Citrix traffic cross the wire(less)? An overview of Citrix networking technologies.

  Jo Harder takes us on a tour of ICA, Session Reliability, HDX, Framehawk, and Enlightened Data Transport.  Continue Reading

• "I Can’t Print!" Short answers to complex Citrix printing issues

  Printing can still be hard, but in this article Jo Harder shares some advice from her highly-rated BriForum session.  Continue Reading

• NVIDIA, AMD, and Intel: How they do their GPU virtualization

  With three companies competing in the virtual GPU market, let's take a look at the key features between them and how they virtualize GPUs.  Continue Reading

• Plan the next 9 years of your life: EOL dates for all your favorite MS, Citrix, and VMware products!

  Knowing the End of Life dates for the products you use can help determine when to tackle certain projects.  Continue Reading

• Citrix XenClient is going away, but what will replace it?

  Citrix's announcement that it will stop selling XenClient didn't include any plans to replace its Type 1 hypervisor. VDI shops are left wondering what's next.  Continue Reading

• Running Windows desktop apps on mobile devices gets easier

  Today, admins can choose from a combination of virtualization, refactoring, secure containers and GPU virtualization to deliver Windows apps on mobile devices with a decent user experience.  Continue Reading

• Benefits and disadvantages of virtual mobile infrastructure

  Virtual mobile infrastructure lets you run mobile applications in your data center and take advantage of some of the same benefits as VDI, but it also comes with similar drawbacks, such as offline access issues.  Continue Reading

• What is Docker and what does it mean for virtualization?

  Docker uses Linux containers to make virtualization deployments easier to manage and scale. The concept isn’t new or revolutionary, but it has implications for the future of virtualization.  Continue Reading

• VDI vs. RDSH doesn't matter if users don't need full Windows desktops

  Most companies don't need to publish full Windows desktops anymore -- users mostly just need their applications. That means there's no reason to discount RDSH in favor of VDI.  Continue Reading

• Microsoft Office on a tablet is 'just as good' as traditional desktop

  Getting a good user experience from Microsoft Office on a tablet doesn't require virtual desktop or applications. One user who's gone tablet-only gets a great desktop experience on her Surface 2.  Continue Reading

• Key takeaways from VMworld 2014

  The new products heralded at VMworld 2014 weren't as thrilling as those from years past, but attendees can expect the tech VMware talked about -- Project Fargo, CloudVolumes and improved graphics on Chromebooks -- by the close of the year.  Continue Reading

• VMware and Citrix put gloves on, customers prep for winning products

  Whether Horizon 6 or XenApp is better doesn't matter; the longer VMware and Citrix duke it out, the better both products will be for customers.  Continue Reading

• Storage design and sizing guidelines for VDI

  When people started building VDI environments, they approached the storage design the same way they had always done with server environments: VDI vendor lab tests gave some indication about the required IOPS and all was well. How wrong they were!  Continue Reading

• Nonpersistent vs. persistent desktops: Why VDI should persist

  Using persistent desktops for VDI makes application delivery more flexible; plus, they're similar to the physical desktops you already have.  Continue Reading

• Why VDI? (5 Reasons people really use VDI)

  I've recently posted a few negative articles about VDI. (Well, I don't think they're negative, but I've definitely been accused of being a VDI hater.)  Continue Reading

• "Advanced Format" 4k disk drives and performance: How will this impact your virtual disks?

  Oh those disk drive guys... you'd better pay attention to what they are doing!  Continue Reading

• Emulation, paravirtualization, and pass-through: what you need to know for client hypervisors

  Since desktop virtualization is fairly new, no one's really started out their careers from scratch focusing on this space. Instead, people start in another area of IT and kind of "fall into" (or are forced into) desktop virtualization after they've ...  Continue Reading

• Updated: Lanmanserver and Lanmanworkstation Tuning

  Follow Michel Roth's advice on how to tune fileserving environments; a complicated endeavor not everyone can handle on their own.  Continue Reading