As I’ve mentioned before — an intelligent infrastructure is a flexible one. That sometimes means the successful coexistence of rival technologies. Still, in today’s modern datacenter, running virtualization platforms such as XenApp 6.5 and XenDesktop 5.5 are very much possibilities. Not only that, there are best practices written around the deployment.

Each of these Citrix tools can help administrators consolidate hardware, improve flexibility and manage their environment better. Running XenApp or XenDesktop on VMware vSphere can help you boost performance and implement desktop or application virtualization in your infrastructure. Some tools are easier to combine with vSphere than others, and Citrix’s supported products are a good place to start.

**Read more by clicking on the TechTarget link below!**

Bill Kleyman
Virtualization Solutions Architect
MTM Technologies

*As seen on TechTarget.com*

BYOD has been on the minds of many administrators. However, there are several considerations that must be made before an organization implements a bring your own device (BYOD) program.

BYOD can be a powerful supplemental solution for any organization. The ability to deliver full desktops with a variety of personalized elements can create a great end-user performance experience. Still, there are cautions that need to be examined before such a program is rolled out.

But if an organization implements BYOD poorly, it can lose control over its infrastructure and, even more importantly, its data.

**Read more by clicking on the TechTarget link below!**

Bill Kleyman
Virtualization Solutions Architect
MTM Technologies

*As seen on TechTarget.com*

Desktop environments, especially in large organizations, can grow to be complex management challenges in many environments. IT administrators are tasked with numerous assignments, such as antivirus deployment and application patching. At this time, there are great software tools available to help ease the desktop management process. However, with virtualization, there needs to be a mind-shift from desktop management to workload management.

Virtual desktop infrastructures (VDI), with centralized storage and management, has forced IT professionals to look at endpoint devices differently. End-point management has become easier in the sense that a lot of the data is now stored centrally. However, there still needs to be clear visibility to the client machine.

As VDI continues to expand, professionals have to broaden their management minds and focus on making desktops more robust. It has become even more important to understand and manage workloads as the virtualized environment grows.

**Read more by clicking on the TechTarget link below!**

Bill Kleyman
Virtualization Solutions Architect
MTM Technologies

*As seen on TechTarget.com*

Windows Server 2008R2 has always been a powerful platform. Now, many organizations have begun their own BYOD initiatives. They main idea behind BYOD is to give control of the endpoint device to the end user while managing applications and workloads centrally in the data center. With this in mind, administrators can focus on improving their Windows Server environment – thus also improving the end-user experience.

Still, engineers are beginning to see a logistical workload nightmare in managing these virtual desktops, applications and sessions. The question quickly becomes: How can we manage all of these users, their environment and virtual sessions within our existing Windows Server environment?

**Read more by clicking on the TechTarget link below!**

Bill Kleyman
Virtualization Solutions Architect
MTM Technologies

*As seen on TechTarget.com*

In today’s evolving virtualized state, there are only a small number of vendors who are able to deliver an entire cloud-ready solution. Citrix’s cloud products allow enterprises to build out a flexible and scalable infrastructure in the cloud and deliver it to the end user.

Utilizing Citrix’s entire product stack – everything from the hypervisor (XenServer) to the desktop delivery controller (XenDesktop) – IT administrators can manage and deliver a powerful solution down to the end-user. Best yet, is that all of the components can be virtual.

**Read more by clicking on the TechTarget link below!**

Bill Kleyman
Virtualization Solutions Architect
MTM Technologies

*As seen on TechTarget.com*

The modern datacenter has evolved. Cloud computing has allowed IT administrators to take their technology far beyond their original physical walls. Over the past few years, technologists have seen infrastructures go from single-purpose physical systems to the adoption of virtualization to service-driven datacenters and now to the Cloud. Made mainstream by several media blitzes (i.e. IBM’s “I am the Cloud”), Cloud-based computing is still somewhat of a gray area for many IT professionals.

Currently, there are numerous organizations offering Cloud services (Amazon, Google, Salesforce) while many others are beginning to adopt their own private Cloud solutions. With that, IT managers are beginning to ask questions that will help them better understand the direct relationship between datacenter environments and a Cloud strategy.

**Read more by clicking on the TechTarget link below!**

Bill Kleyman
Virtualization Solutions Architect
MTM Technologies

Desktop management and administration has come a long way. Enterprises are now able to place entire, fully featured desktops into the cloud. However, before any data center jumps on the cloud or VDI bandwagons, it’s important to make certain there is a good reason for using either technology. The most important step in doing this is to fully understand the scope of each technology.

There are several questions that need to be answered within an environment prior to taking on a cloud-based desktop solution. Using published application technology, such as Citrix XenApp, can save time and money because it only uses the space and storage those specific applications require.

**Read more by clicking on the TechTarget link below!**

Bill Kleyman
Virtualization Solutions Architect
MTM Technologies

*As seen on TechTarget.com*

The cost advantages of virtual desktop infrastructures aren’t limited strictly to IT operations. You can also use this technology to lower expenses in other areas, such as selecting and issuing equipment to your employees. With the ability to push a fresh desktop (including Windows 7) to any device – including mobile devices – desktop virtualization provides the backbone for a change in your “standard issue” equipment for your business users.

If you could find a way to issue less expensive devices to your average employee, the cost savings across your company would be substantial. Think about replacing all those laptops with thin-clients, for example. From capital outlay for procurement through ongoing maintenance and replacement, the potential reduction in TCO is enormous.

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Given the many and powerful advantages of a virtual desktop infrastructure, it’s natural to wonder why more companies haven’t adopted it. With Citrix XenDesktop 4, in particular, and its ability to improve Windows 7 rollout and management, you’d expect just about everyone to move to desktop virtualization. Of course, any major change in technology is disruptive – especially when it comes to your desktops. This can impede a value-accretive migration. Overcome these challenges, however, and you can make your IT department more efficient and your business users more productive.

Here are the top three reasons why companies have not adopted virtual desktop infrastructures and what you can do to overcome them:

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Adoption of Citrix XenDesktop 4 has been robust. Many companies are interested in implementing a centralized solution for desktop management, particularly since the control it brings solves a number of IT support challenges, from software deployment to malware prevention. Operational efficiency gains are salient post-implementation, and the TCO and ROI cases are clear. Aside from these high-level benefits, though, there are a number of granular reasons to move to Citrix XenDesktop. Here are the top three:

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