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A complete guide to XenApp and XenDesktop vs. Horizon
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Updates to XenApp and XenDesktop
The Citrix-Microsoft alliance got a boost at Synergy 2016; XenDesktop 7.9 now supports Windows 10 desktop as a service, among other new features. Read Now
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Which organizations should use XenDesktop?
Picking a VDI vendor is not easy. Find out which Citrix XenDesktop features make it a fit for organizations with mobile workers or graphics-intensive apps. Read Now
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Azure Resource Manager helps deliver Citrix cloud desktops
Citrix and Microsoft brought Azure Resource Manager (ARM) to XenApp and XenDesktop in Citrix Cloud. ARM strengthens integration with Microsoft's Azure cloud service and allows admins to create machine catalogs -- a set of virtual machines admins can manage as one entity. Read Now
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Secure Browser delivers full-service XenApp environments
Citrix Secure Browser isn't revolutionary, but it provides clientless, secure access to web applications, which could be useful for travelers or users who want to access internal apps without a virtual private network. Read Now
Editor's note
Citrix and VMware are the top dogs in the VDI market. The two have been competing for years now and constantly work to one-up one another. As a result, it can be hard to know the truth about each company's desktop virtualization product.
This guide has IT covered with an in-depth look at XenApp and XenDesktop vs. Horizon. On the Citrix front, get information on what's new in the latest versions, key security features and more. Also, take a look at VMware Horizon's profile management tools and Instant Clone technology. Finally, learn more about both companies' cloud-based VDI offerings.
1VMware Horizon in the spotlight
VMware's answer to Citrix's XenApp and XenDesktop virtualization tools is Horizon. VDI shops can use Horizon to deliver virtual desktops, apps and resources to users from a single platform. It also includes Instant Clone technology, which allows admins to rapidly make copies of virtual machines (VMs), as well as App Volumes, which is layering software admins can use to group certain apps together. Read on to learn more about Horizon.
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Dive into VMware Horizon View 7
The upgrade process for VMware Horizon View 7 isn't much different from previous versions, but there is a lot to keep in mind as admins plan. Read Now
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VMware finally offers its own display protocol
VMware Horizon 7 includes the company's own remote display protocol called Blast Extreme, which the company says can match the performance of PC over IP, as well as a new rapid VM cloning feature. Read Now
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Explore VMware's app layering offering
Discover how VMware App Volumes works and which vSphere components team up to support this app layering technology. Read Now
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The differences between VMware and Citrix profile management
VMware's View Persona Management and Citrix's User Profile Management tools both improve on Windows roaming profiles, but they aren't the same. Read Now
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Explore new features in App Volumes 3.0
After adding app layering to its portfolio in 2015, VMware addressed some of the product's shortcomings with new features in version 3.0 of VMware App Volumes. Read Now
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Attack of the VMware Instant Clone
VMware's virtual desktop provisioning feature, Instant Clone, is a feature in Horizon View that can help IT smooth out VDI performance. Read Now
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A closer look at Horizon 7's new features
VMware Horizon 7 includes a number of features that help improve the delivery process for personalized desktop and application services, including Instant Clone and Blast Extreme. Read Now
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How Horizon 7 bolsters security
The Smart Policies feature in Horizon 7 boosts security by allowing admins to disable certain features for any users outside of a secure network. Read Now
2How Citrix and VMware tackle cloud-based desktops
Many organizations are considering cloud-hosted virtual desktops and applications. Moving VDI to the cloud can save organizations on upfront hardware and management costs. In addition, it makes life easier for IT because it offloads many tasks to the cloud provider. Citrix and VMware both offer cloud-based desktop delivery and management products. Compare Citrix Cloud with VMware's Horizon Air Hybrid-Mode, included in the company's Workspace One suite.
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Citrix Cloud separates itself with new features
XenApp and XenDesktop have been around a lot longer, but Citrix Cloud includes the same capabilities and adds enterprise mobility management from the cloud. Read Now
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Prove your Citrix Cloud knowledge
With Citrix Cloud, IT can manage users' virtual desktops, applications and mobile workspaces from a single cloud-based interface. Take this quiz to see how well you know Citrix Cloud. Read Now
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VMware fires back at Citrix Cloud
VMware Horizon Air Hybrid-Mode, formerly Project Enzo, competes with Citrix Cloud and could help nudge admins toward cloud-based desktops. Read Now
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A closer look at VMware Horizon Air Hybrid-Mode
VMware Horizon Air Hybrid-Mode combines hyper-converged infrastructure and desktop as a service to simplify virtual desktop management. Uncover how the product works, including which components are on-premises. Read Now
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Dive into VMware's Workspace One
VMware Workspace One combines the company's enterprise mobility management, user authentication and cloud-based desktop offerings to provide a consumer experience for users and to simplify management for IT. Read Now
3Keywords IT must understand
A compilation of important definitions relating to VMware Horizon and Citrix XenApp and XenDesktop.
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Definition
Citrix XenApp
Citrix XenApp is an application virtualization product that extends Microsoft Remote Desktop Session Host desktop sessions and apps to users via the Citrix HDX protocol. It can run on Citrix XenServer or other server virtualization platforms. Read Now
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Definition
Citrix XenDesktop
Citrix XenDesktop is a desktop virtualization product from software vendor Citrix Systems. Read Now
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Citrix Cloud
Citrix Cloud is a workspace management tool IT can use to deliver resources, including virtual desktops and apps, to users from a public or private cloud, on-premises deployment, or all three. Read Now
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Definition
VMware Horizon
VMware Horizon Suite is a collection of products and technologies designed to help information technology (IT) administrators deliver desktops and applications and secure data on a variety of endpoint devices. Read Now
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Definition
VMware Horizon View
VMware Horizon View is the virtual desktop host platform for vSphere. Formerly VMware View, the platform runs end user desktops as virtual machines on top of ESX/ESXi hosts. Read Now
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Definition
VMware Horizon Mirage
VMware Horizon Mirage is a desktop management tool that centrally manages physical and virtual desktop images. Read Now
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Definition
VMware Horizon Workspace
VMware Horizon Workspace is enterprise mobility management software that creates a central repository where users can access corporate data, applications and virtual desktops from a variety of endpoint devices. Read Now
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VMware Workspace One
VMware Workspace ONE is a centralized management platform that combines the company's enterprise mobility management, cloud-based desktop management and identity management products to manage and secure end-user computing devices. Read Now