IT has a number of options to enable remote access for employees wanting mobile access to email and work applications from their iPads. There are however pros and cons for each option as well as some prerequisite questions to consider.

Considerations

Company iPads - For company owned iPads a likely scenario is to treat iPads similar to mobile phones. If company apps or email are allowed to run native on the iPad then Mobile Device Management ( MDM ) software may be necessary to assure corporate security policy is enforced. BES servers may be in place already for Blackberry’s, this type of control may be need to be duplicated for company iPads as well. The forth coming improvements in iOS4 will help with email however additional applications will still require management. If however company data is not allowed to reach the iPad as discussed below, then the management costs and administration could be significantly reduced.

Personal iPads - Many early adopter employees and specifically executives are now bringing their new iPad to work and asking IT for access to company apps. One problem is most companies have policies against storing company data on anything but company owned equipment. While the iPad does include a great email app including support for Exchange, the decision needs to be made to change the company policy or allow exceptions for iPad users. Beyond email, corporate calendars are also supported by the iPad, however most users complain of conflicts and errors compared to Outlook Calendar. The best solution for most companies dealing with personal iPads is to not allow apps or data to run locally. IT can provide safe remote access to hosted email and apps or virtual desktops.

Applications - Beyond Email, determining what apps are required by users and if they are available on the iPad is a big consideration. Many company web apps require specific browsers and are not compatible with mobile Safari on the iPad. Windows apps will obviously not work locally and although iWork and a few Office clones are available, most users will find these limiting.

Other Tablets - Since the iPad was announced it seems like there is a new Tablet announced or rumored every week. Some like the Dell Streak or Cisco Cius run Android but others will run Windows or WebOS or MeeGo or other yet to be named OS. The iPad has a head start but it will not be the only Tablet that needs access to company apps. So solving the problem only for iPads will be another point solution for a growing challenge.

Options

Native iPad Apps - If every app required is available on the iPad, then this may be the right answer for company iPads provided they can be managed through MDM software and administration. The pros for native apps are user experience and offline operation ( app dependent ) For personal iPads however assuring corporate security compliance is a challenge with native apps. Also future support for non iPad Tablets should be considered.

VPN with Web Apps - The iPad does have limited native VPN capability in the OS and can support some web apps. These apps need to be tested and expect many not to be compatible. Again consideration for data left behind on personal iPads needs to be taken into account.

Hosted Virtual Applications - Applications running on Windows servers such as Windows XenApp ( or Terminal Services/RDS ) can be an ideal solution for secure iPad app delivery. In addition to Windows apps, Web Apps that require IE or specific browser plug-ins can easily be delivered to iPads. With XenApp IT can dictate what user gets what app and can easily turn on or off access to applications without managing the iPad itself. Only a single app, the Citrix Receiver is required on the iPad and the configuration can be done via emailed or clicking a link on an intranet web wage. No MDM software is required or concern about company data on personal iPads. A con of this method is that a WiFi or 3G connection is required and apps will not work offline.
Over 200,000 companies already have Citrix XenApp infrastructure that can support the iPad although some may need to configuration changes to enable access. A Citrix Access Gateway is also recommended for secure access, again already in place at many companies. For companies without Citrix, the implementation can be small as a single Windows server with XenApp Fundamentals which is good for between 5 and 75 users.

Virtual Desktops - Hosted Virtual Desktops or Virtual Desktop Infrastructure ( VDI ) such as XenDesktop provides a full Windows 7 environment for each user running on a server in a company datacenter or service provider. Again only the Citrix Receiver is required on the iPad and IT has complete control to turn on or off access. Applications can be installed in the Windows 7 images or be streamed to the image via Application Virtualization. Citrix XenDesktop is required for this solution along with servers supporting the Virtual Desktop images. A free starter edition is available for up to 10 users called XenDesktop Express .

So now that the iPad has topped 3 million units with no slow down in sight, it’s obvious that the tablet form factor has been legitimized and also has a place in business ( or at least remote access to the business ). If you are in IT and considering how to support the iPad let us know your challenges.

 Traditionally Citrix has not been considered to be a key component in an organizations mobile device strategy. Typically mobile solutions include; Exchange integration, BES servers, and more recently Mobile Device Management software. However with increased IT challenges resulting from the explosion of devices and user requirements, Citrix has leveraged its technology into the mobility space, and has made some great progress giving you many reasons to reconsider.

1) Security - This is the top issue for enterprise mobility. With Citrix, apps and data remain under IT control with data stored on company network or XenApp/XenDesktop servers As a result devices do not necessarily need to be managed in the traditional sense and there is no data to remotely wipe.

2) Employee owned devices - The iPhone started a trend that is extending to iPads, Androids and predictably more to come. More employees – including execs and revenue generating users require access to corporate apps to be more productive. Citrix provides IT a safe way to allow access while not letting the data to be stored on the device.

3) Compliance - Most enterprises today have policies against allowing company data to be stored on anything except company owned and managed devices. If you are supporting employee owned devices and your not using Citrix you probably  need to change the policy or make an exception with a risk assessment.

4) Email - Every smartphone has a capable email client, however they also have deficiencies for corporate use. iPhone and iPad still have problems with Exchange syncing for Calendars. Androids have security deficiencies. They all have issues with employee ownership. A good alternative is to run a full Outlook ( or Notes ) client on XenApp with columns and reading panes adjusted to fit the real estate of the device. In addition Citrix is developing an Email client for Exchange that looks and feels just like a mobile email app but runs securely under IT control on XenApp. This was demonstrated recently at Synergy from both iPhone and Android, stay tuned for updates.

5) Corporate Apps - Beyond email most employees also want access to the companies apps they may need while mobile. The question is not how many apps are in the Apple or Android app store , it’s how many company apps are accessible on the target device. With Citrix virtually every company app could be available on a mobile device. These will work unmodified, however we also suggest configuring the apps to be Mobile-Friendly when possible. Also many existing tools like Xcelcius or Hyperion can be used to build Dashboards that target the mobile. A new product called PowerGadgets for XenApp can be used by non developers to create great looking mobile apps that run on XenApp and access standard company databases or web services.

6) Build Once, Run Anywhere - It is clear that there will not be a single mobile platform for the foreseeable future. For enterprises that build internal apps with Visual Studio, or other standard platforms, many are now faced with the dilemma of selecting a platform(s) and gaining the skills to build mobile apps. With Citrix, in-house developers can use existing development platforms and skills to create custom apps by following simple guidelines on real estate and usability. The apps can then be hosted on XenApp servers and delivered to any device.

7) User experience - Apple has set a high bar on usability and the touch interface. Citrix leverages the native touch interface for iOS and Android so gestures like pinch, zoom and pan work like native apps. We also have added gestures like vertical swipe for scrolling and horizontal swipe for paging through powerpoint slides or other apps that use right/left key. Even though most apps will run unmodified on XenApp we recommend targeting apps and mobile use cases and following the best practices in 5 or 6 above to provide users the best experience.

Tablets - The iPad has legitimized the tablet form factor and there are new ones announced or rumored every month. In most cases Citrix virtual apps or desktops can be deployed without modifications and minimal effort. Tablets are good first candidates to evaluate Citrix before extending to smartphones.

9) ROI - Most enterprises already have Citrix infrastructure and skills somewhere in the company. If mobile adoption grows significantly then additional licenses/servers may be required but need to be balanced with the alternative costs such as:

   A) Cost of a security breach due to a lost device - At a minimum this means impacted IT resources needed to react, contain, and explain the incident. Worse case it could be $ millions in fines, government audits, damaged brands and ruined careers.

   B) Employees will buy their own device. Instead of company purchased devices many employees will gladly buy their own device and only get an expense reimbursement for the service.

   C) Cost of new Mobile Device Management infrastructure and skills. Also keep in mind continuing to invest in a single platform that only supports one device will satisfy a shrinking percentage of users.

   D) Premium data plans cost $40-45 per user/month. Yet with Citrix only a standard $30 data plan is required. This alone can save $180 year per employee.

   E) Redundant resources required to develop and maintain apps for multiple devices.

   F) Redundant infrastructure to deploy apps to users with different devices.

10) Future Proof - The only thing you can count on in the mobility space is change and growth. Blackberry, iOS, Android, Windows Phone, Symbian, WebOS, Meego (and the list goes on) all may find there their way into the enterprise. Investment in a single platform will be an incomplete strategy, and investments in multiple platforms will be prohibitively expensive. Citrix will provide Receivers for popular mobile devices now and into the future making any current investment last beyond the hype cycle. Citrix will also be leading the enablement of Workshifting and delivering apps and virtual desktops with new visionary mobile features such as the Citrix Receiver for iPhone 4.0 with Nirvana Phone capability.

If you have not previously considered Citrix for mobility it’s easy to get started. Go to the Apple App Store, Android Marketplace, or Citrix download page and install the free Citrix Receiver. There are cloud demos available to experience a number of apps to try first hand and to share with your peers.

Let us know what you think.

Learn more at http://Citrix.com/Receiver

As Apple raises the bar once again in mobility with the release of iPhone 4.0, Citrix is keeping pace with our own Receiver update. Citrix Receiver for iPhone 4.00 is now available on the AppStore with a bunch of cool new features:

What’s New

• Multitasking – We’ll be extending the new iOS functionality from Apple so you can run both virtual apps alongside native apps and toggle back and forth between them.
• Shared Clipboard and Documents – You can share clipboard content between native and virtual apps and tranfer files between your virtual environment and device via iTunes.
• External Display – We’re taking advantage of the video out to display virtual apps on an external monitor or projector so that road warriors can give presentations via their iPhone. Very cool.

In addition

• Performance enhancements – Perhaps the first thing you’ll notice with Receiver 4.0 is the performance. Across the board, it’s 40% faster than previous versions.
• Auto-fit Screen – When you rotate the phone, the Receiver screen automatically re-sizes to make the most of the screen real estate.
• Improved Gestures – We’ve improved the responsiveness of Receiver by optimizing how gestures work with Apple’s native iOS so that users get instantaneous feedback. It feels very natural.

4.0 is a quantum leap over previous releases and fundamentally changes the mobile computing user experience. Now that I’ve been running it for awhile, I don’t know how I survived without it. I can’t wait for Apple to extend this to iPad later this Fall. You can bet we’ll be updating Receiver for iPad to match.

Let me know what you think.

Tim

User Demands and IT Requirements Growing Further Apart
It seems to me that what people want from IT and what IT is able to provide them is getting further and further apart.  People want fast, easy access to their Windows desktop and business apps from any device.

They don’t particularly care about security, networking or infrastructure costs.  They just want to get their jobs done efficiently and conveniently from wherever they are, whether they’re in the office, waiting on their car to be serviced, or sailing the high seas on a family cruise.  And oh, yeah…they want to be able to do all of this from whatever device they want, whether it is a PC, a Mac, a Smartphone, or even a tablet like Apple’s new iPad.

Devices, Devices, Devices, Oh My!

Unfortunately, while the world at large is being bombarded by a never-ending array of new, cool consumer devices like the iPad, most IT shops are being asked to lock down access to corporate data and to reduce costs. 

In a world of constant change, IT needs to be able to assure the safety of corporate information and minimize complexity.  In short, IT needs secure, reliable infrastructure for delivering Windows desktops and apps, not thousands of new devices to support, a bigger attack surface for hackers, and higher costs.

IT Has Won the Battle but Not the War

Over the years, IT has traditionally won out in this battle of corporate decision making.  As a result, most of us lowly users have had to suffer with standard issue corporate PCs (read slow and boring!) and limited access to IT services from anywhere outside of the corporate firewall.  Simply put, we’ve been forced to accept a poor experience for the sake of security and cost.  About now, many of you in IT might be saying, “You’re darn right, security and cost trump user satisfaction every time.”

There’s a New Kid in Town


Well look out Mr. IT!  There is a big wave heading right for your cubicle and its name is consumerization.  You see, a new generation of workers (Echo Boomers born between 1984-1996) is entering the workforce in droves (80 million in the US alone) and they are bringing with them a vast array of consumer devices – from netbooks to iPhones, iPads, Kindles and even internet-enabled TVs.

And guess what?  They expect, no scratch that, they demand to connect all of these devices to your precious corporate network.  This is a bold new generation – they want to do their jobs from anywhere, at any time, using any device and guess what?  They are willing to plead their case to a higher authority – the executives in your company that want the exact same thing.

So what is any self-respecting IT leader to do?  This new world could mean total anarchy!  What about the protection of intellectual property?  What about cost reductions?

A Bold and Fresh Idea

Well, as you may have guessed by now, we think we have a pretty revolutionary idea over here at Citrix.  What if you could build one delivery infrastructure for Windows desktops, business apps and online meetings that would empower people to use any device they want, keep all of your information in the data-center and lower costs.  Stated another way, what if you could get “Windows Apps and Desktops to Go” and “Online Meetings to Go”, even if you’re using Macs, Android smart-phones, or other non-Windows devices? Good news…now you can with Citrix Receiver and Citrix GoToMeeting.

Say Hello to Citrix Receiver

Citrix Receiver is a universal client for the delivery of IT services. 
It provides everything you need to run Windows desktops and apps from any device, keeps your apps current, and even speeds up your connection.  In short, Citrix Receiver is a lightweight software client that makes accessing virtual desktops and applications as easy as turning on your TV.

Connect from Any Device, Anywhere

One of the best things about Citrix Receiver is that it runs on every conceivable type of device, including PCs, Macs, Windows Mobile, Android and Apple smart-phones.  It supports automatic updates so if you apply a patch it is instantly available to every user whether they’re connecting from a work PC, a net-book in their kitchen, or an iPhone at an airport.  All you need on the back-end is Citrix XenDesktop or XenApp- virtual computing infrastructure products already in use by 99% of the Fortune 500.  

The iPad is Now Open for Business


Millions of iPads have now begun begun shipping all over the globe. Citrix is proud to announce two new iPad apps designed to transform Apple’s tablet into the ultimate device for mobile business.  Check out the announcement video here.  The new Citrix Receiver for iPad apps makes it easy for iPad owners to take their virtual office with them anywhere.  One simple touch gives iPad owners secure access to all of their corporate Windows apps and documents.

The Citrix GoToMeeting app for the iPad app brings the same level of simplicity to the world of business meetings, making it easy for iPad owners to collaborate from anywhere via online meetings.  Both apps will be available free of charge and can be downloaded from the Apple App Store beginning tomorrow.

Rather than just taking my word for it, I suggest you try it for yourself by checking out the video demo at citrix.com/iPad and our live cloud-based demo.  With Citrix technology you can even learn to use your iPhone as a virtual track-pad for your iPad.  You can also find out more by visiting our community site for the iPad with expert commentary from Citrix Desktop CTO Harry Labana and resident Apple guru Gus Pinto.  Best of all,  I’d like to extend an invitation to everyone interested in learning more about all things Citrix at our annual industry event called Synergy.  At Synergy, Citrix Receiver and GoToMeeting for iPad will be on full display.  You can also attend hands-on learning labs about the state of the art in virtual computing and hear from industry thought leaders.

Consumerization – Is it Real for You Yet?

OK enough of the commercial on our way cool new apps and events.  I’d really love to hear what you think about the impact of consumerization on your organization.  What role do you think the iPad will play in that transformation and what role do you think Citrix can play?

As millions of Apple iPads begin shipping tomorrow, Citrix has released an exciting new iPad app designed to transform Apple’s revolutionary new personal computing tablet into the ultimate device for mobile business. The new Citrix Receiver for iPad app makes it easy for iPad owners to take their virtual office with them anywhere they go. One simple touch gives iPad owners instant, secure access to all of their Windows business applications, documents and desktops, making it easy to work on the go, while still enjoying the great user experience they bought an iPad for in the first place.

More than 230,000 organizations worldwide use Citrix virtual computing infrastructure every day to deliver virtual desktops and more than 25 million Windows applications to their employees. The new Citrix app for the iPad acts as a secure “receiver”, making these millions of Windows apps instantly accessible on the iPad.

For iPad owners, this means “Windows Apps and Desktops to Go” – directly on your new iPad – with all the rich performance you’d expect, thanks to Citrix high-definition HDX™ technology. For IT administrators, this means you can now support iPads with virtually no setup cost, using the same Citrix infrastructure you’re already running today. And because all the Windows apps and documents are actually running in your datacenter at all times, it’s actually more secure than many of the corporate laptops you’re supporting today. Best of all, you can give your employees everything they need to be more productive by using devices that they love to spend time on.

With Citrix Receiver, the iPad is now “Open for Business”.

Key Facts and Highlights:

• Secure Data and Communications - Send emails and calendar invites using your standard corporate email systems, and work on all your normal Windows apps and documents just as you would on a PC or laptop with a full high-definition user experience. Because these apps and data are never stored on the iPad, your business is always confidential and secure.

• One-tap Connect to Read, Create and Share Documents - Interact seamlessly with Windows apps and documents using intuitive iPad gestures, and even turn your iPhone into an iPad trackpad for fast and familiar screen navigation (yes, it is “wicked cool”). 

• Resource-Intensive and Demanding Apps - Use even the most demanding Windows apps, from complex modeling and databases to 3D professional graphics applications… all with a high-speed, visually compelling user experience (check out our video tour to get a sense of what this is like).

• Online Meetings to Go - Collaborate with colleagues and host secure online business meetings from wherever you happen to be – at a café, in a hotel, or on the road with Citrix GoToMeeting for the iPad.

• Access Your Full Windows Desktop - You can even run your full Windows virtual desktop on the iPad if you like, switching back and forth between the iPad and Windows as needed.

Related Resources and Announcements:

• Citrix Receiver for iPad is available today free of charge from the Apple App Store
• Full details about Citrix Receiver for the iPad
• Video Tour of Citrix Receiver for iPad
• Top Ten Business Uses for the iPad
• Live Cloud Demo of Citrix Receiver for iPad

Learn more about virtual computing solutions from Citrix and other industry leaders by attending Citrix Synergy in San Francisco, May 12-14.

Just got back from CTIA in Vegas and saw some great technology and devices. These are some of the things I can talk about …

Sprint / HTC EVO 4G – The First Nirvana Phone to Market ?
Sprint and HTC announced the EVO 4G with HDMI ! Stay tuned for a demo of the Citrix Receiver for Android 1.0 on an EVO connecting to a 24″ 720P HD Display accessing XenDesktop in the Cloud .. Maybe Citrix Synergy ? Unfortunately the units don’t ship until summer, the other guys better hurry, this device is sweet !

Eye Controlled Earphones
NTT Docomo demoed earphones that can detect the electrical signals from your eye movement and translate that into commands that control your MP3 player. It really worked in the demo. Just in research for now.





 Golden–i  Head-mount display - This has an embedded PC with a 800×600 resolution display and voice recognition. It even has a way pan around and control a mouse. Need to try this with XenDesktop.. more Synergy gear?

 Androids Everywhere - More and more devices and apps. It certainly does look like Android will soon catch the iPhone in device shipments, maybe longer for apps.

 Samsung Galaxy – Very nice device … but No HDMI …

Windows Phone 7 Series - Looked good on stage and drew an audience.

 eBook Readers - I thought I was out of the market with my iPad coming, but these are still interesting. Some new ones will cost only $150 and weigh a few ounces.

So what kind of cool stuff do you want to find at Citrix Synergy this year ? 

1.2 times a day!

Sometimes more, sometimes less. Over the last 284 days, that is the average number of times I have been asked about Citrix Receiver for Blackberry.
I know what your thinking…. “Marcus, why didn’t you Blog on this topic 283 days ago?“

It’s a story of intrigue, suspense, broken promises and big money. More on that latter…

For those of you who have followed Citrix for any length of time, you might have heard that Mobility is the Next Big Thing. Almost yearly; usually around mobility industry events.

So what makes this year different? – Devices and network speeds.

Citrix Receiver unlocks the power in these fast and eloquent devices, allowing us to create a terrific user experience.

Before you start screaming that the iPhone is not an Enterprise solution, hear me out. When the iPhone was introduced, it provided an ideal form factor to deliver applications. Fits in your pocket and it has a big, beautiful screen with lots of real-estate for users to interact on. Citrix users agree. We are quickly trending towards the 500,000-download milestone. Meter readers, land surveyors and even motorcycle cops are getting their principle applications delivered to their iPhones daily.

Recently I had the chance to meet with Samsung, HTC and other key manufacturers in the “Smartphone” business. There are devices being introduced this year that dwarf the 3-year old iPhone technology. The first on my list was announced today.

The HTC EVO 4G delivers. It has a 4.3-inch touch screen that just looks beautiful when Citrix Receiver is delivering applications to it. Many similar devices are coming soon for all of the Mobility Operating Systems.

Currently we offer a Citrix Receiver for Android, Windows Mobile and iPhone. We also have a Symbian client.

We understand how important the Blackberry is in the Enterprise. In fact, through a Company called Rove, the Blackberry was one of the first mobile devices to have a Citrix client. At Citrix, almost 35% of our Smartphone users have a Blackberry.

Our intent was to come out with Citrix Receiver for Blackberry about the same time as the iPhone. Each platform has it’s own teams, so this goal was very realistic. In an effort to further accelerate this development, we took some time and acquired outside technology, believing it would provide us with a solid platform that we could quickly iterate on in the future. We were not happy with the result.

We decide to start again from scratch, armed with the knowledge gained from delivering Citrix Receiver on the other platforms.

I am pleased with the internal build I am using and feel comfortable sharing that with you today.

We hope to announce registration for the beta program shortly. Those who have already signed-up, your names have been retained and you will be contacted. If you haven’t registered, please send me your name, device, OS version and memory size. We want to test against as many configurations as possible. When you come to Synergy, be sure to bring your Blackberry to the opening Keynote.

On a separate note, look for Citrix Receiver for Android 1.0, with full CAG support, to be available on the Android Marketplace within a few weeks.

I’ll have a special post for you on April 3rd that you won’t want to miss.

In closing, I sincerely thank you for you patience and suggestions as we look forward to getting Citrix Receiver onto your Blackberry.

No doubt you have heard about the iPad by now and you may be already pondering whether or not you will be buying one. Chances are you have a Laptop or PC and a Smartphone already so you need to rationalize how you will use it beyond e-books and browsing. Well if your company has XenDesktop or XenApp you will be happy to know you will be able to use your iPad for real work as well. It turns out the 9.7 inch display on the iPad with a 1024×768 screen resolution works great for a full VDI XenDesktop. Windows applications run unmodified and securely in the data center, and even multiple applications at once. The advancements that were made for the Citrix Receiver for iPhone will carry over to the iPad, however the iPhone restrictions of screen size and small keyboards are overcome with the iPad. It’s a beautiful thing ! The iPad looks to be an ideal end point device that can empower users to be productive were ever they are and IT will be able to safely deliver company hosted virtual desktops and apps without worry.

So tell us if you want Citrix Receiver for the iPad and let us know how your going to put it to work. ( even it’s just to rationalize buying another gadget )

Learn how to make the iPad work for your organization at Citrix Synergy. 

http://twitter.com/chrisfleck

Most desktop apps are designed with multiple Window Pane’s to organize data and make it consumable without forcing a users eyes to scan from one side of a monitor to another. In many cases these Pane sizes are discretionary for the developer or already user adjustable. Given that, why not make the Window Pane sizes easy to consume on a mobile device ?

It turns out that the 320×480 Pixel screen of the iPhone provides a very readable Window Pane whether its displayed with multiple Panes on a desktop app or one at a time on a mobile device. That same Window Pane of information can also look great on an iPhone when hosted on XenApp and displayed with the Citrix Receiver. If it’s done right, navigating multiple window Panes of a Desktop app can be done without constant zooming, pinching and panning.

A great new usability feature in version 2.0 of Citrix Receiver for iPhone includes a “Pane-Swipe” gesture that will shift the “view” one Pane at a time with a 2 finger swipe. A user can simply swipe left or right or up and down whether the iPhone is in Portrait or Landscape mode. The result is users can be productive when mobile without the common complaint about dealing with a small screen. This scenario makes securely delivering apps to Desktops or Smartphone’s easier than ever. Even better, many desktop apps can easily be configured without coding to provide a great mobile experience. The app displayed is standard desktop Office Excel 2007 with both a Mobile and Desktop View. Certainly some apps would need to be modified but the effort could be minimal vs the multi-platform development and support alternative . The apps could be Windows, Web, or RIA apps like Flash and Silverlight. In fact for many vector based apps simply publishing the app on XenApp at the right dimension will make it Mobile-Friendly ( i.e. publish a 3 column app at 960 wide )

Some native iPhone apps are great, but they can open IT issues around security, compliance and support of employee owned devices ( BYOD ). Even if the organization accepts the security implications and allows native email or other business apps, there are bound to be more company app requirements than can be solved with only existing native apps. It is also becoming more obvious that the iPhone will have some serious competition, fortunately many of the new devices are also adopting the same 320×480 screen resolution. So that same Mobile-Friendly desktop app can also be delivered to devices from Motorola, HTC, Samsung, Google , etc. The OS of the new device doesn’t matter either as long as it’s equipped with the Citrix Receiver.

To get started check out the Mobile-Friendly demos fom your iPhone on CitrixCloud.net and visit CDN where you can get more details on how to Mobilize your apps.

If you are a developer, are your apps Mobile-Friendly? Keep this in mind for your next app project. Mobilizing your app is easier than you thought.

Let us know what you think, could be useful for your organization?

.
( Click to go to the Prezi Presentation.. Check it out )

Beyond the hype the of the iPad by Apple lovers and the nay sayers who say “who needs it ” the iPad is likely to impact company IT practice more than anticipated. For many CIO’s and IT Directors there is a growing interest in minimizing the expense and support of endpoint devices. Many companies have taken the fist step to allow access to company apps from unmanaged home PC’s utilizing Application and/or Desktop Virtualization, however very few have taken the leap to allow employees to really bring there own computer to work “BYOC”.

The reasons for the hesitancy typically revolve around security, compliance, local data and risk to internal networks. These concerns have been reason enough for most companies to not to move beyond where they are today. The policy is either a company provided PC/Laptop only, or the next level of enablement allowing controlled access from outside the company network.

What frequently changes IT’s priority to move from the status quo is a management decree or revenue generating employees. Enter the iPad. Regardless of current IT policy the iPad is going to be purchased by Executives, Sale Managers, Physicians, Traders and other money makers. In increasing numbers these employes are going to bring the devices to work and ask IT to support them. Although the first reaction may be no way, the current obstacles of BYOC don’t necessarily apply. If IT allows access from a Receiver equipped iPad with a XenApp/XenDesktop backend the following issues and concerns easily can be managed.

Exposure to Internal Networks – The iPad has no Ethernet port to plug into office RJ45 jacks exposing the internal network. Many companies already provide an isolated guest WiFi network that only allows a secure remote SSL/VPN connection. Alternatively no WiFi access could be enforced and only allow controlled access from the independent 3G carrier network completely isolating the device from the company network.

Company Data on Employee Devices – With Citrix Receiver for iPad no data is stored or runs on the device. Email can be limited to company hosted XenApp sessions of Outlook or Notes and disallow the local native email.

Mixing Personal and Business Data – IT does not want to deal with iTunes, personal music and photos, licensing issues etc. With an employee owned device all these issues are the responsibility of the employee and IT can define a “virtual” wall between IT delivered Desktops and apps that never mix with the employees device.

Replacement Issues – Most BYOC iPads will be secondary devices that won’t kill the employee’s productivity if its out of commission, they can just go back to their primary PC. For some users like Physicians who may depend on an iPad, keeping loaners on-hand can be easy, and set up / configuration can be done in minutes.

Support of Non Company Devices – Aside from replacement issues IT would prefer not to be in possession of employee devices for set-up causing logistical and asset control issues. With Citrix Receiver IT can simply send an email or have an Intranet site that employees only need to click a link to configure the iPad for company apps and desktops.

IT Security Policies – Most companies have specific policies in place for allowing controlled secure remote access. This may include 2 Factor Authentication, 128 SSL Encryption, and password protection enforcement. A Receiver enabled iPad can support all of these requirements.

So for the many companies who are thinking BYOC is an interesting concept but ” not for us ” , it could be worthwhile to consider the Citrix Receiver enabled iPad as a safe way to allow employees to Bring Their Own Computer.

Have you been asked to support the iPad already ? Do you think the iPad is a door opener to BYOC?