HotLink Launches HotLink Hybrid Express for Citrix

HotLink Corporation announced HotLink Hybrid Express for Citrix, the first hybrid management solution to seamlessly extend VMware vCenter to XenServer for Citrix desktop and application virtualization users. For IT organizations that have standardized on VMware management for general-purpose virtual infrastructure, HotLink’s new offering is the only technology available that enables the robust capabilities of VMware vCenter to be applied to XenServer hosts and virtual machines (VMs) without adding consoles, sacrificing features, rebuilding VM templates, redesigning workflows or adding new IT skills.

Citrix and HotLink are working together to help Citrix customers dramatically simplify hybrid IT operations and reduce overall costs, while benefitting from the superior performance of the XenServer hypervisor for XenApp and XenDesktop deployments. Optimized for application virtualization and VDI, XenServer – included in all XenApp and XenDesktop editions – offers superior graphics support and industry-leading security, as well as faster desktop boot times, lower network bandwidth utilization and streamlined Provisioning Services. With HotLink Hybrid Express for Citrix, IT shops can combine best-of-breed virtual infrastructure together with unified, fine-grained administration and management that’s easy to deploy and intuitive to use.

"Citrix customers want the enhanced performance and optimized features available when deploying XenApp and XenDesktop on XenServer virtual infrastructure," said Nabeel Youakim, vice president, product management and strategic partnerships at Citrix. "HotLink provides the most streamlined solution for hybrid IT integration and management, letting our customers gain even greater value from their XenDesktop deployments while saving up to $136 per virtual desktop. Our work with HotLink will make this possible for Citrix customers."

The industry-leading Citrix XenApp and XenDesktop solutions are designed to reduce the cost and complexity of delivering and managing applications and virtual desktops. Likewise, HotLink reduces the cost and complexity of delivering and managing best-of-breed virtual infrastructure. Just a few of the key features of the joint solution of HotLink Hybrid Express for Citrix and XenServer include:

• Single pane of glass – HotLink’s patented transformation technology abstracts hybrid platforms and workloads, so VMware vCenter management infrastructure treats XenServer just like vSphere hosts and VMs. All cross-platform resources are fully integrated and managed as a unified pool of resources in a single VMware vCenter inventory tree.
• Workload conversion and migration – Integrated and automated VM conversion enables seamless migration from vSphere to XenServer, along with the ability to easily clone, snapshot and migrate VMs. Customers can even provision XenServer workloads from existing VMware templates.
• Unified tools and automation – Because HotLink natively extends VMware vCenter, existing tools, automation and workflows are enabled in a cross-platform environment. Even PowerCLI scripts can be used with XenServer resources.
• XenServer performance – For the most demanding application and desktop virtualization use cases, XenServer scalability and performance under load caters to the largest XenApp and XenDesktop deployments. IT benefits from a wide range of other features unique to XenServer, such as enhanced virtualized graphics, as well as improved workload security with Direct Inspect APIs.

Lynn LeBlanc, CEO of HotLink said, "HotLink’s technology is all about simplifying hybrid IT management, without compromising capabilities or requiring an expensive system integration project. IT’s job is to roll out the best possible products to support the business at the lowest possible cost. This is precisely what we are enabling with the new HotLink Hybrid Express for Citrix best-in-class technologies, unparalleled simplicity and a sizable total cost reduction."