Chris Fleck

Even though Microsoft has taken a wait and see attitude towards building a native version of Office for the iPad, there is no need to wait to do real work from the iPad. Citrix Systems has released Citrix Receiver for the iPad 1.0 which can provide anyone the ability to use Microsoft Office apps from their new iPad. This is not a clone app or "lite" version with possible compatibility issues. Real Microsoft Office 2003, 2007, or even 2010 Beta all work flawlessly from the iPad. Citrix the leader in Desktop and Application Virtualization has applied the HDX technology to solving a new dilemma that new iPad users have come to find. This great new device is perfect for consuming media and web surfing, but soon most users want to use it to help get their jobs done as well. For many that means keeping up with Outlook email, reviewing, editing, or creating new Word docum... (more)

Amazon EC2 Reserved Pricing Changes the Equation

Ulitzer Cloud Computing Blog Things are changing fast in the world of Cloud Computing, however one question remains the same. Will it save me money and how much? To follow up on a previous post on Cloud Economics Part One, I looked at a fairly simple example of 5 Servers for a dev/test environment and identified the incremental costs of buying 5 servers and running them on premise or a Colo and then compared that to Amazon EC2. The analysis did not include many variables such as real estate costs and labor savings which may or may not apply to the particular situation. The result... (more)

HDX Connect: Do You Want HDX - ICA Alone?

The question of VDI use cases, customer awareness, and Desktop Virtualization has been a hot topic lately at Citrix. Harry Labana's blog post did a great job describing the differences in Desktop Virtualization and Server Virtualization. In addition to the positive reviews, a few commenters have also brought up some scenarios we have been considering but have not made available to date. Specifically we have been discussing ways to make HDX more pervasive and useful to IT Pros and users. HDX has significant benefits and we want the broader industry to try it out and get a taste of... (more)

Citrix Receiver for iPhone Clears 200,000 Downloads

Since its introduction less than six months ago, there have been more than 200,000 downloads of Citrix Receiver for iPhone. Users have ranged from Doctors to Lawyers to Systems Admins, all with a common desire to get their job done whenever and wherever they are. The iPhone's popularity has driven IT departments to look for safe ways to allow employees to access corporate applications without compromising company security policy or driving up support costs. It turns out in many cases that companies already have the infrastructure in place to do this. The Citrix Receiver for iPhon... (more)

Is Nick Carr Right About Cloud Computing?

Chris Fleck's Blog There is a lot of hype and reality in the world of Cloud computing today. On the hype side there are numerous data points; VC investments, M&A, data centers under construction, new conferences and events. On the other hand there are now many examples of reality as well. SaaS offerings like Salesforce.com and many HR applications plus web site hosting have established themselves as a legitimate part of the IT portfolio of many corporations large and small. Adding fuel to the fire is extensive press, analyst and blog coverage (like this!) plus books like Nicholas... (more)