Even as technology has enabled corporate applications such as ERP, SCM or CRM to be available on a mobile device—the corporate desktop has been out of reach. Citrix, a pioneer in thin clients, is now attempting to bridge this gap, through the launch of the ‘Citrix Receiver,’ an application that enables employees to view their desktop, and access other enterprise applications, through a browser-based interface.

All the IT department has to do is create a desktop image in the datacenter and synchronize it to devices that are authenticated to receive it. When an end user logs in, the application streams a personalized desktop based on recent configuration settings.

“The Citrix Receiver is like a set-top box that you use for your Direct TV, such as Tata Sky or Dish TV. The set-top box serves the purpose of receiving the signals and displaying it on any device. Similarly, Citrix Receiver is a small footprint software program that acts like a set-top box for applications,” says Souma Das, Area Vice President, Citrix, India Subcontinent. If organizations have enterprise applications or even MS Office at the datacenter, employees can access the same on any device by using the Citrix Receiver. To use this application, organizations will need the following Citrix components: Citrix XenServer for server virtualization, Citrix XenDesktop for desktop virtualization, and XenApp for application virtualization.

The application, which is currently available on iPhone, enables users to see their desktop on the phone, with access to all applications. Das says that in today’s era of virtualization, the application will enable remote users to plug into a network and access enterprise applications, irrespective of the device they use. For example, end users can access enterprise applications on their phone, regardless of whether their application vendors have a software client specifically designed for their device. The benefits of this approach are huge. It means that you would still be able to say, edit images within the comfort of your home (even if Photoshop is not installed on your home desktop) by using the Photoshop application from your corporate desktop.

Additionally, since every application is centrally streamed from the datacenter, the IT function has complete control over security, maintenance, and user experience. Analysts believe that this approach is superior to the traditional one, as traditional PCs are more susceptible to theft or data loss.

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