Citrix Systems set out to dazzle attendees at the Citrix Synergy 2009 conference this week with a slew of announcements that focus on the possibilities of virtualization, networking and application delivery.
One announcement that turned the heads of CIOs is Citrix Dazzle. Citrix is positioning Dazzle as the first self-service storefront for enterprise applications. Citrix said Dazzle gives users on-demand access to apps and IT services and brings the economics of the Web to enterprise IT.
“Every day, employees are presented with an amazing array of exciting apps and services on the Web that spark their imagination and put them in full control of their experience. Then they come to work, and their IT experience is mandated by a bland ‘general issue’ sameness that threatens to drive every ounce of productivity and innovation out of them,” said Mark Templeton, president and CEO of Citrix.
A Familiar User Interface
Templeton said Citrix is giving IT a tool that helps them “dazzle” end users. The hidden reality, he said, is that by giving employees the choice, IT actually saves money and gains even more control over the things that really matter. Citrix did not indicate how much cost savings an enterprise might expect from Dazzle.
To select an application in Dazzle, users browse and search based on application name, description or type. Users can also choose applications based on IT-defined categories such as functional department or group name.
To select an application, users click an icon in Windows or drag it into the applications folder or the dock on a Mac. Users can also organize selected applications into user-defined playlists. Apps available for offline use are designated in the Dazzle console so laptop users who need to work while disconnected from the network can choose appropriate apps.
What Makes Dazzle Sparkle
Underneath the Dazzle user interface sits Citrix…