it_user560277 - PeerSpot reviewer
Citrix Consultant at a consultancy with 10,001+ employees
Consultant
We are using this to allow our users to access applications over a secured, remote environment.

What is most valuable?

  • Application virtualization
  • Virtual Desktop Interface (VDI)
  • Management and security using NetScalers

How has it helped my organization?

We are using this to allow our users to access applications over a secured, remote environment. It has helped to reduce the outages in our IT infrastructure, especially during server maintenance.

What needs improvement?

The solution needs some improvement to make it more flexible with an easier interface.

For how long have I used the solution?

I have been working with this technology for over nine years.

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Citrix DaaS (formerly Citrix Virtual Apps and Desktops service)
June 2024
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What do I think about the stability of the solution?

Initially, we had some stability issues, such as slow logon for users and profile issues. All have been resolved and it is currently running smoothly.

What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

We did not have hot-production outages in the environment. When we deployed the products, we set up rigid environment monitoring which has helped us to reduce scalability issues.

Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?

I never used a different solution as I started my career with XenApp. I later learned other Citrix products. So far, I am comfortable with them.

How was the initial setup?

Initially, we built a pre-production environment to understand the challenges according to our requirements. We were able to overcome them.

Which other solutions did I evaluate?

I did not evaluate other options.

What other advice do I have?

  • During the implementation phase, understand the requirement and set up a sand box environment for testing and managing. 
  • If all of the testing is successful, plan for production from scratch. Do not use your existing sandbox for production.
Disclosure: I am a real user, and this review is based on my own experience and opinions.
PeerSpot user
PeerSpot user
Presales Specialist at a tech services company with 5,001-10,000 employees
Consultant
The most valuable feature of this product for me is that it provides secure access anywhere from any device.

Valuable Features

The most valuable feature of this product for me is that it provides secure access anywhere from any device.

Improvements to My Organization

This product has improved my organization by provide access to the Intranet application and website over the internet over SSL from any device.

Room for Improvement

This product should include a feature like like App Volume, which their competitor already has.

Also, the Hypervisor needs to be improved.

Use of Solution

I have been working with this product for the last four years. I have done many projects on Citrix XenDesktop.

Deployment Issues

I did not have any deployment issues. For a PoC, it is an easy one-day setup.

Customer Service and Technical Support

Technical support in India is awesome and are equipped with the required technical solutions.

Initial Setup

Initial setup was straightforward. It's a single-server setup in a simple environment and can be scalable at any point of time.

ROI

ROI is always a challenge for VDI if the number of users is less than 200. It all depends upon the organisational requirement.

Other Solutions Considered

In comparison to Citrix XenDesktop, VMware Horizon is a very good product. However, some features such as Sharefile and Netscaler complete the Citrix story.

Other Advice

Go for this product without any thinking. If you are looking for security and a single point of management, then go with this product.

Disclosure: My company has a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer: My company is a global distributor for Citrix.
PeerSpot user
Fazal Ur Rehman Shah - PeerSpot reviewer
Fazal Ur Rehman ShahSenior Consultant/Project Manager at a tech services company with 501-1,000 employees
Consultant

Accessibility of provisioned resources using any device is a major feature of XenDesktop.

Buyer's Guide
Citrix DaaS (formerly Citrix Virtual Apps and Desktops service)
June 2024
Learn what your peers think about Citrix DaaS (formerly Citrix Virtual Apps and Desktops service). Get advice and tips from experienced pros sharing their opinions. Updated: June 2024.
772,679 professionals have used our research since 2012.
Project Leader at a tech services company with 51-200 employees
Real User
A secure and flexible solution that is easy to manage, but we would like full VDI capability
Pros and Cons
  • "The most valuable feature is the automatic software upgrades because they take place on only three or four servers, rather than on 50 or 60 machines."
  • "We would like to be able to provide VDI, a full desktop, to each of our users."

What is our primary use case?

We are located in three cities in Norway and we use this system for our virtual applications. We have an ordering system, a CRM system, an email system, and more. In fact, it is used for anything that is suitable for a virtual app. Some special programs, like AutoCAD, need to be run locally, but these are the exceptions.

What is most valuable?

The most valuable feature is the automatic software upgrades because they take place on only three or four servers, rather than on 50 or 60 machines.

The administration, security, and flexibility are very good.

What needs improvement?

We would like to be able to provide VDI, a full desktop, to each of our users.

For how long have I used the solution?

I have been using XenApp since 2009.

What do I think about the stability of the solution?

This solution is pretty stable, I would say.

What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

Scalability depends on the hardware, but it is easy to scale.

We have between 60 and 80 users who are managers and engineers. In addition, we have external customers that we support. These companies have between 10 and 50 users.

How are customer service and technical support?

Although we do most of the technical support with our own IT department, we have been in touch with the vendor several times. They are good in terms of response time and we are satisfied with their work.

Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?

We did not use another solution prior to this one. We are only using Citrix and Microsoft in our infrastructure.

How was the initial setup?

The initial setup is pretty straightforward, but of course, there are some complex things to do as well. It took us a couple of days to deploy.

We have four IT consultants who support this solution.

What about the implementation team?

We deployed this solution using our in-house team.

Which other solutions did I evaluate?

We did evaluate other solutions, but we found that Citrix was so interesting that we chose it.

What other advice do I have?

What we would like to do in the future is to have a VDI solution where we can give each user a desktop, but we aren't there yet. At this time, we are using this only with published applications.

This solution is easy to manage, but we want to see what happens when we create a hybrid solution with Office 365. We will be moving to a cloud-based solution in perhaps two years from now.

This is a good solution and if it is suitable for the environment then I would recommend it.

I would rate this solution a seven out of ten.

Which deployment model are you using for this solution?

On-premises
Disclosure: My company has a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer:
PeerSpot user
PeerSpot user
Citrix / Virtualization Pre-Sales and Implementation Engg. at a tech vendor with 501-1,000 employees
Vendor
ICA/HDX optimization policies are a key feature
Pros and Cons
  • "ICA/HDX optimization policies."
  • "Dependency on server virtualization after v7.x is an issue which I encountered in small environments."

How has it helped my organization?

XenApp has helped many of my customers with remote access of applications, access on different platforms.

What is most valuable?

ICA/HDX optimization policies.

What needs improvement?

Dependency on server virtualization after v7.x is an issue which I encountered in small environments.

For how long have I used the solution?

Three to five years.

What do I think about the stability of the solution?

No issues with stability.

What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

No issues with scalability.

How are customer service and technical support?

Seven out of 10.

Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?

I used different application virtualization solutions, but I found XenApp to be the best of them.

How was the initial setup?

Straightforward for up to version 6. After version 7 it became complex.

What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?

It is a bit costly, but enterprise class features come with a cost.

Which other solutions did I evaluate?

Thinspace, Propalms, VMware horizon, GO-Global.

What other advice do I have?

Plan wisely for sizing, product is stable if sizing is correct. Try to use standard application for virtualization, non-standard application can lead to memory leakage which can hamper your sizing considerations.

Disclosure: I am a real user, and this review is based on my own experience and opinions.
PeerSpot user
Buyer's Guide
Download our free Citrix DaaS (formerly Citrix Virtual Apps and Desktops service) Report and get advice and tips from experienced pros sharing their opinions.
Updated: June 2024
Buyer's Guide
Download our free Citrix DaaS (formerly Citrix Virtual Apps and Desktops service) Report and get advice and tips from experienced pros sharing their opinions.