Forrester Positions XenDesktop as a Leader in VDI
Great news. Forrester Research just released The Forrester Wave™: Server-Hosted Virtual Desktops (VDI), Q3 2015 report, and Citrix XenDesktop 7.6 has earned the highest score in current offering and strategy categories.
Forrester Research, Inc. evaluated the seven most significant VDI software providers and released their findings to help you choose the right partner for your VDI project. The Forrester report states: “Citrix brings a comprehensive enterprise-class offering to the VDI landscape.”
The report evaluates each vendor on 26 criteria, including those that matter most to infrastructure and operations professionals. We hear from customers that security, user experience, flexibility and a proven solution strategy are critical components in choosing a VDI provider. In the report, Citrix received the highest scores in user experience, security and compliance, platform hypervisor support, and solution strategy.
Security and Compliance
We believe XenDesktop stands head and shoulders above the competition when it comes to security. In the report, Citrix received the highest score for security and compliance, outscoring the next vendor in this category by more than 1.5 points on a 5-point scale. Forrester noted that XenDesktop is the “only solution in the evaluation to offer FIPS 140-2 compliance.” While not mentioned in the report, XenDesktop is also Common Criteria certified, meeting the highest security standards of regulated industries.
Superior user experience
This is where we feel XenDesktop really shines—and gets the sometimes elusive user adoption that a VDI project needs to succeed. According to Forrester, “Customers report that the user experience is excellent…,” earning XenDesktop a 4.55 on that 5-point scale.
Citrix believes that the Citrix X1 Mouse optimizes the user experience on iPhones and iPads. It is a bluetooth-based mouse that works with the Citrix receiver on the iOS platform and was cited by Forrester, calling it “clever.”
Flexible hypervisor support
If you are looking for flexibility in your VDI solution, look to XenDesktop. You can deploy XenDesktop on XenServer, of course. But if you already have vSphere or Hyper-V, it will run on them, too. Forrester refers to this as “a significant advantage,” and Citrix received the highest score for platform hypervisor support, a full point higher than the next two vendors.
Solution Strategy
Forrester acknowledges what we consider to be Citrix’s superior overall strategy by scoring XenDesktop with a 4.25—the highest score awarded in this category—and saying it is “part of the most complete suite of digital workspace delivery systems technologies in the industry…” Citrix also offers the ability to deliver cloud-based virtual desktops, providing customers with options to fit their unique needs.
Download the report
Compare XenDesktop to the market. Download The Forrester Wave™: Server-Hosted Virtual Desktops (VDI), Q3 2015 now.
