Dell unveils cloud computing solutions

At Citrix Synergy, the industry conference on mobile work style solutions powered by cloud services, Dell announced a broad range of innovative cloud client computing technologies that deliver turn key solutions purposefully built to complement and enhance corporate IT environments based on Citrix XenDesktop® and XenApp.

When organizations of all sizes are increasingly looking to empower their employees with access to corporate information across application platforms and devices, Dell and Citrix's new cloud client computing solutions provide customers with powerful tools to work securely and productively. The combination of simplicity, flexibility, and power in Dell's technology creates an unmatched end-to-end virtual computing experience and alleviates customer pain points from the data center to the endpoint devices, including: the Dell DVS Enterprise - Active System 800 for Citrix XenDesktop, Dell DVS Enterprise for Citrix XenDesktop, Dell Wyse Xenith Pro 2 zero client and the Dell Wyse D90Q7 and Z90Q7thin clients.

"Our strong relationship with Citrix is evident more than ever within the innovative new technologies for Citrix's desktop virtualization solutions here at Citrix Synergy," said Steve Lalla, vice president and general manager, Cloud Client Computing at Dell. "We have been able to raise the bar not only in our virtualized desktops, but also in the functionalities that we bring to our data center infrastructure solutions that give users an improved computing experience and help to bring down the cost and complexity of managing a desktop virtualization environment."

DVS Enterprise end-to-end solutions for Citrix XenDesktop

Dell introduced enhanced DVS Enterprise end-to-end solutions that will support Citrix XenDesktop 7 and its unified communications functionality. Dell offers three different deployment offerings based on customer needs; a pre-integrated system based on Dell's Active System 800 solution, DVS Enterprise supporting NVIDIA's GRID for virtualized graphics and a cost effective DVS Enterprise Integrated Storage solution. These three end-to-end deployment options make it easier and less expensive to roll out virtual desktops with Citrix.

· DVS Enterprise - Active System 800 - announcing support for Citrix XenDesktop 7 and the unified communications functionality, this solution is built on Dell's converged infrastructure platform and combines Dell servers, storage, networking, endpoint devices and infrastructure management software into a pre-integrated system. Active System Manager is a key component of the solution that extends the management capabilities of Active System beyond the physical infrastructure to the virtualized infrastructure and workloads. This helps organizations accelerate the deployment and configuration of virtual desktop infrastructure (VDI), maximize efficiency, and deliver predictable and reliable VDI services to end users.

Dell is demonstrating the capability to automate the deployment of Citrix XenDesktop 7 environments through Active System Manager's template based automation and orchestration at the Dell booth #200.

· DVS Enterprise with NVIDIA GRID for virtualized graphics - end-to-end solution that includes support for XenDesktop and unified communications, as well as incorporates NVIDIA GRID for support for virtualized high-end graphics. GRID enables GPU (Graphics Processing Unit) virtualization and delivery of high performance 3D graphics and visualization workloads running in virtual desktop and virtual application environments. With GRID, users can securely access multimedia, graphics intensive and rich PC applications from any location and on virtually any device, while providing IT departments with the ability to centrally host and manage sensitive user data and resources.

· DVS Enterprise Integrated Storage solution - a new end-to-end solution that includes support for XenDesktop and unified communications, but with local storage options to drive down the starting cost of hardware acquisition for DVS Enterprise from $400 to less than $200 per user, by eliminating the need to purchase an expensive SAN (Storage Area Network) and thereby making desktop virtualization available to a broader range of organizations. This is a 50% cost savings that changes the game for VDI adoption.

Incorporating Citrix XenDesktop and unified communications within all three of these solutions provides an unprecedented range of application support in a desktop virtualization environment and a state-of-the-art management experience. Citrix XenDesktop 7 unifies applications, desktops and hosted VDI environments with a common management platform, all while supporting virtualized workloads based on Windows 8 and Microsoft Windows Server 2012, and HDX 3D enabling virtualized graphics for OpenGL applications. Our end-to-end unified communications solutions includes deployment services and support for Microsoft Lync 2010, enabling customers to extend the range of applications they can deliver to include voice, data, and video teleconferencing within their VDI environment.
Powerful end user computing solutions for virtual desktops
Additionally, today Dell is introducing a range of new client devices specifically developed for virtual desktop environments:
Dell Wyse Xenith Pro 2 - Specifically built for Citrix and Dell's first dual-core zero client, Xenith Pro 2 is a high performing endpoint for Citrix desktop virtualization environments combined with secure firmware. The combination provides an unrivaled user experience that is ideal for unified communications, HD multimedia creation and consumption, and other applications where endpoint performance is vital. The high performance, flexible zero client also offers:

· Cutting edge dual-antenna wireless for full 802.11 a/b/g/n with up to 300 Mbps connection speeds
· Powerful hardware decoding with support for 1080p A/V content and dual digital displays, with rotation
· Easy and highly scalable management, to over 100,000 devices, with Dell Wyse Device Manager software
· "Instant on" startup experience from power-on to productive in under 10 seconds, combined with hands-off enterprise scalable deployment, configuration and management
Dell Wyse D90Q7 and Z90Q7 - Dell has raised the thin client bar by introducing quad-core thin clients based on Windows Embedded with superior compute performance, energy efficiency and HD multimedia for a broad range of desktop virtualization environments, including Citrix, Dell, Microsoft and VMware. These ultra-high performing fan-less and diskless thin clients also provide:
· Flexible networking, I/O and storage options for a wide range of deployment scenarios
· Infrastructure security due to the centralized hosting of all applications and profiles
· Easy and highly scalable management, to over 100,000 devices, with Dell Wyse Device Manager software

Dell Continues Channel Enablement with Citrix

Dell is extending its commitment to serve partners who sell joint Dell-Citrix solutions with targeted rewards and tools offered through Dell PartnerDirect and Citrix Solution Advisor.

Quotes:
"Dell has shown strong technology leadership and innovation with its virtualized infrastructure and end points built specifically for Citrix," said Bob Schultz, group vice president and general manager, Desktops and Apps at Citrix. "Dell and Citrix have a strong collaboration around desktop virtualization to help drive innovation and cost optimizations that help accelerate successful virtual desktop deployments."
"Organizations need to enable an increasingly mobile workforce to work in and out of the office with the flexibility to use a variety of devices," said Bob O'Donnell, IDC program vice president. "But many of them also realize the potential complexities in making this work, so what they're really looking for are complete solutions that can help them quickly turn on and leverage Citrix-based virtual desktop environments."

Availability
Dell DVS Enterprise - Active System 800 is available now for Citrix XenDesktop 5.6 FP1 in US, UK, France, Netherlands, and Germany, with support for Citrix XenDesktop 7 coming in Q2.
Dell DVS Enterprise solutions are available now for Citrix XenDesktop 5.6 FP1 in US, UK, France, Netherlands, and Germany, with support for Citrix XenDesktop 7 coming in Q2.
Dell Wyse Xenith Pro 2 will be available at the end of July 2013 worldwide for $399.
Dell Wyse D90Q7 and Z90Q7 will be available early July 2013 in US and Europe.