Four reasons-to-go-beyond-vmware-horizon-with-citrix-xenapp-and-xendesktop

White Paper

citrix.com

Four reasons to go beyond VMware Horizon with Citrix XenApp and XenDesktopAchieve true mobility for users and efficiency for IT without compromise

White Paper

citrix.com

Four reasons to go beyond VMware Horizon

2

True mobility means empowering people to work on the best device for their needs, from wherever they may be, with convenient, high-performance access to the apps their productivity depends on. While many organizations turn to virtual apps and desktops to support mobility and bring-your-own-device (BYOD) initiatives, or simply to improve IT efficiency, virtualization products such as VMware Horizon address these objectives too narrowly to offer a complete solution. Only a user-centric approach combined with a proven, comprehensive mobile workspace solution can meet the needs of both employees and IT.

Virtual apps and desktops are an obvious option for supporting BYOD, enabling secure remote access or transforming an organization’s PC refresh strategy. In particular, organizations using VMware vSphere for server virtualization may turn to VMware Horizon as part of a single-vendor strategy. However, this approach often backfires when Horizon’s approach to app and desktop virtualization fails to meet key business requirements by delivering only basic capabilities. Major enterprise needs, such as optimized access to apps on any device, self-service for mobile workers and secure desktop delivery to laptops, remain unaddressed.

Citrix® takes a user-centric approach to computing by designing solutions that aim to empower and delight people. This strategy stands in stark contrast to the VMware end-user computing vision of meeting only basic user needs. By providing secure access to apps and data from any device, anywhere, to support mobile workspaces, and leveraging a range of technologies well beyond the hypervisor, Citrix solutions improve the way people work—and the way IT supports them.

This paper explores four reasons to go beyond the limitations of Horizon with solutions powered by Citrix XenApp® and Citrix XenDesktop®:

• Choose the market’s-leading app virtualization solution• Deliver an unmatched user experience • Achieve simple, fast and efficient management at scale• Gain flexible, ironclad security with integrated networking

Citrix offers the most comprehensive app virtualization solutionYour IT strategy needs to reflect the needs and expectations of your users—not a vendor’s narrow vision. For over 25 years, Citrix customers have helped us define the requirements for app virtualization solutions using real-world use cases. These requirements have been incorporated

White Paper

citrix.com

Four reasons to go beyond VMware Horizon

3

into our robust, enterprise-scale XenApp app virtualization solution. For example, XenApp is the only solution to include “secure anonymous access” to apps for faster launches, a critical requirement for healthcare workers such as doctors and nurses who must move seamlessly and securely between devices and apps to care for their patients.

Virtual application delivery involves attention to many details, including support for multi-monitors, pop-up windows, peripherals, old device drivers, etc. Citrix has satisfied these customer needs and user requirements over the past two decades by putting the end user first and working backwards. XenApp and XenDesktop provide capabilities such as video and 3D graphics optimization, universal printing and profile management and built-in WAN optimization to deliver a like-native experience to users, regardless of device or network. XenApp and XenDesktop also cover the widest range of device types, with over 3 billion devices supported by Citrix Receiver™.

XenApp, the proven industry leader in application virtualization, is a complete solution for delivering Windows apps to PCs, Macintosh desktops, thin clients, tablets and smartphones. More than 300,000 XenApp customers, some of which are delivering apps to over 100,000 users every day, demonstrate this leadership. XenApp can be licensed as a standalone product and is included in some XenDesktop editions.

Where Horizon falls shortCitrix has been developing and enhancing XenApp for more than 25 years. In contrast, the app virtualization component of Horizon 6 was released in 2014. As a result, RDSH hosted apps in Horizon 6 meet only the basic set of requirements for hosting apps on the Windows Server platform. Day-to-day operations such as virtual printing, audio/video communication, local file access, HTML5 access and high availability of servers are not supported in Horizon 6 RDSH hosted apps. These capabilities are not luxuries; they are key enterprise requirements. Most people, especially in traditional industries such as manufacturing or finance, cannot function without them.

Key Product Differentiators XenApp and XenDesktop Horizon 6 Unified app and desktop delivery • •Proven at scale •Virtual printing •Real-time audio and video •USB peripherals •HTML 5 access •Integrated app store •

Unlike XenApp, Horizon RDSH Apps from VMware is not available as a standalone product—it can only be purchased as part of Horizon 6 Advanced or Enterprise Edition. VMware is implying that VDI remains the solution of choice, and applications are considered an add-on solution with limited use cases.

White Paper

citrix.com

Four reasons to go beyond VMware Horizon

4

Even from an administrative and management perspective, Horizon has limitations. The virtual servers hosting Horizon RDSH Apps cannot be cloned or load balanced with VMware technologies, severely restricting any attempts to scale without significant investment in third-party solutions. Furthermore, not all apps are compatible with Windows Server, and unlike XenApp, there is no way to deliver virtual machine-hosted apps with Horizon. Combined with the company’s bare-bones approach to functionality and the unproven track record of Horizon RDSH Apps, these gaps mean that deploying this solution may result in angry users and frustrated IT administrators.

Citrix provides a user experience unmatched in the industryXenApp and XenDesktop with Citrix HDX™ technologies offer the best user experience over any network and any device. They are uniquely designed to provide a virtual experience that rivals that of a local PC, even when using multimedia, real-time voice and video collaboration, USB peripherals and 3D graphics. For instance, universal printing services eliminate the need for native drivers, which simplifies printing and printer management across local, mobile and remote connections. In addition, seamless access to local resources such as client drives, scanners, USB devices and even apps helps users become more productive. Remote users, even under challenging conditions, can comfortably work on visually rich, graphics-intensive 3D applications with HDX 3D Pro, the industry’s first solution to support NVIDIA GRID vGPU technology.

HDX Mobile technologies and the Citrix Mobile SDK for Windows Apps automatically touch-enable Windows apps for mobile devices with seamless navigation, multi-touch gestures and natural scrolling. XenDesktop and XenApp also leverage H.264-based compression for a superior experience on bandwidth-constrained wireless networks, and extend battery life on mobile devices through hardware acceleration. Intelligent redirection and upcoming FrameHawk™ integration—which optimizes the delivery of virtual apps and desktops on mobile devices under adverse network conditions—make this experience even better.

Where Horizon falls shortThe Horizon user experience has suffered as a result of VMware’s race to catch up with the functionality available in XenApp and XenDesktop. For example, Horizon 6 introduces the ability to publish apps from a Windows Server, but fails to address the day-to-day tasks and workflows required by users of these apps. Horizon apps cannot perform virtual printing and give users little or no access to local resources such as client drives, USB devices and apps. In the event of server outages, Horizon apps cannot be load balanced or cloned on other servers. The solution even lacks strong, integrated remote access, asking customers to choose between settling for the insecure Horizon security server or purchasing and integrating third-party products to complete the solution.

Key Product Differentiators XenApp and XenDesktop Horizon 6 Workstation and server-based 3D graphics •NVIDIA vGPU GRID 3D graphics •Access to local resources •H.264-based compression •Mobile optimized •Latency optimized •Bandwidth optimized •

White Paper

citrix.com

Four reasons to go beyond VMware Horizon

5

Even in overall virtual capabilities and performance, Horizon is far behind XenApp and XenDesktop. For instance, Horizon uses the PCoIP protocol, which requires up to 10 times more bandwidth and delivers lower frame rates than Citrix HDX technology. WAN optimization solutions can only be used to create quality of service queues for PCoIP; unlike HDX, they will not enhance the performance of the protocol itself.

Citrix ensures simple, fast and efficient management at scale XenApp and XenDesktop comprise a unified, cloud-ready platform that integrates app publishing and VDI into a single architecture with easy management and administration. XenDesktop, which includes all the power of XenApp session-based delivery, can centrally manage a single image across many different types of desktops, including session-based, VDI and physical desktops, to expedite patches and updates while offering fast rollback technology. Best-in-class app migration and remediation technology helps organizations adopt mobile workstyles with confidence. In addition, Citrix Provisioning Services™ reduces IOPS by 99 percent and dramatically reduces the cost and complexity of expensive virtual SAN and solid state drive (SSD) storage through a 20-fold improvement in read/write speeds.

Citrix Director and EdgeSight®, included with XenApp and XenDesktop, provide integrated tools to power a helpdesk console with complete visibility to troubleshoot and resolve service delivery issues without additional infrastructure complexity. EdgeSight provides built-in analytics for SLA management, and leverages Citrix NetScaler® for agentless user experience monitoring. These monitoring capabilities have been strengthened with access to detailed app usage reports and improved organization of app folders to better manage thousands of apps.

Where Horizon falls shortHorizon requires multiple third-party tools for complete, enterprise-level management and support. It only manages virtual and physical desktops since it cannot manage physical or virtual server images. In addition, Horizon image management tools lack the performance of the XenApp and XenDesktop single image management solution, which offers five times faster image updates than Horizon. For example, Horizon takes two hours to update 1,000 virtual desktops, when XenApp and XenDesktop can update these desktops in 20 minutes! As a result, IT admins are less productive and downtime for key IT infrastructure increases.

Key Product Differentiators XenApp and XenDesktop Horizon 6 Unified physical and virtual image provisioning •Fast image updates and rollbacks •Context-aware policy controls •Integrated help desk for all users •Reduced IOPS and storage costs •Performance analytics •Automated application migration •

Horizon support and management tools are offered only in its most expensive edition (Horizon Enterprise), leaving most customers without the help desk integration, troubleshooting and analytics they need to optimize the user experience. Also, these tools are built for server, not

White Paper

citrix.com

Four reasons to go beyond VMware Horizon

6

desktop, administrators. In contrast, XenApp and XenDesktop management tools are supplied in every edition and are built for app/desktop admins. Finally, Horizon lacks app migration or remediation tools to help businesses migrate to a virtual platform.

Citrix security is robust, multifaceted and flexibleUnlike the all-or-nothing approach of traditional security servers, XenDesktop and XenApp centrally secure apps and desktops in the datacenter at the user session level to reduce the risk of data loss or intrusion during delivery to the device. They are also tightly integrated with NetScaler Gateway™ for dynamic, context-aware security. SmartAccess policies allow IT to tailor access and actions to the user role and context, providing additional controls and granular access by location, user, app and device. Moreover, XenApp and XenDesktop meet the highest security standards of regulated industries as the only app and desktop virtualization solution that is FIPS-compliant and on the Common Criteria evaluation list.

XenApp and XenDesktop enable secure mobile access to apps, desktops and data. They provide secure access on mobile devices by seamlessly validating user credentials through multiple security checkpoints, leveraging multi-factor authentication and restricting user actions through granular policies. For instance, these solutions can authenticate users via smart cards on iOS and Android devices. Integration with Citrix ShareFile® securely synchronizes data on mobile devices to meet the mobility and collaboration needs of users and the data security requirements of the enterprise.

Where Horizon falls shortHorizon offers only minimal security for organizations since it lacks secure remote access with granular policy controls. The Horizon security server, which terminates all PCoIP user connections from the Internet, is an inadequate choice for the DMZ. It is Windows based and as such does not comply with most enterprise security requirements, exposing chief security officers to liability. Furthermore, each security server needs to be paired with a connection server. When a connection server is down, remote access is unavailable, even if other connection servers are available.

Key Product Differentiators XenApp and XenDesktop Horizon 6 Centralized data • •Integrated network load balancing •Integrated WAN optimization •Intelligent and dynamic access control •Secure data synchronization on mobile devices •Smart card support on mobile devices •

Horizon primarily relies on protocol-level encryption and lacks control at the application, user, device and network levels. This limits customer choice to one-size-fits-all security and control policies since Horizon lacks granular access policies. For example, administrators cannot control users’ access or actions based on their location, which is a basic business requirement.

Horizon only provides partial protection for mobile devices. For instance, it cannot securely synchronize data on mobile devices, meaning customers need a third-party secure file sharing and storage solution. Moreover, Horizon does not support smart cards on iOS and Android mobile devices.

0814/PDF

Corporate HeadquartersFort Lauderdale, FL, USA

Silicon Valley HeadquartersSanta Clara, CA, USA

EMEA HeadquartersSchaffhausen, Switzerland

India Development CenterBangalore, India

Online Division HeadquartersSanta Barbara, CA, USA

Pacific HeadquartersHong Kong, China

Latin America HeadquartersCoral Gables, FL, USA

UK Development CenterChalfont, United Kingdom

About CitrixCitrix (NASDAQ:CTXS) is a leader in mobile workspaces, providing virtualization, mobility management, networking and cloud services to enable new ways to work better. Citrix solutions power business mobility through secure, personal workspaces that provide people with instant access to apps, desktops, data and communications on any device, over any network and cloud. This year Citrix is celebrating 25 years of innovation, making IT simpler and people more productive. With annual revenue in 2013 of $2.9 billion, Citrix solutions are in use at more than 330,000 organizations and by over 100 million users globally. Learn more at www.citrix.com.

Copyright © 2014 Citrix Systems, Inc. All rights reserved. Citrix, Citrix Provisioning Services, XenApp, XenDesktop, HDX, NetScaler, NetScaler Gateway, ShareFile, EdgeSight, FrameHawk and Citrix Receiver are trademarks of Citrix Systems, Inc. and/or one of its subsidiaries, and may be registered in the U.S. and other countries. Other product and company names mentioned herein may be trademarks of their respective companies.

White Paper

citrix.com

Four reasons to go beyond VMware Horizon

7

ConclusionWhile VMware Horizon offers a virtual app and desktop solution, it does not meet key customer requirements. The Horizon application virtualization solution lacks capabilities needed by many users for day-to-day tasks. Horizon fails to match the rich Citrix user experience because it provides only basic functionality and performance. Moreover, VMware offers limited enterprise management and support, so multiple third-party tools are needed to complete the solution. Finally, Horizon provides only minimal enterprise security and does not meet the highest security standards that many businesses in regulated industries must adhere to.

In contrast, the Citrix XenApp app virtualization solution is the industry leader. The company offers an unmatched user experience across both virtual apps and desktops with XenApp and XenDesktop. It integrates these technologies into a single platform for fast, scalable and simplified management. The Citrix model provides centralized security for hosted apps and desktops and offers flexible policies to meet the highest level of business and regulatory requirements.

Its customer-centric focus and longstanding expertise in meeting business requirements have helped make Citrix the global leader in app and desktop virtualization with the world’s largest customer base. No other vendor delivers solutions for workforce mobility that offer a comparable level of innovation, openness and customer centricity.

Additional ResourcesCitrix XenApp Citrix XenDesktop

Free 90-Day XenApp Trial Free 90-Day XenDesktop Trial

Compare XenDesktop and Horizon View