Citrix Systems, Inc. today introduced Citrix® MetaFrame® Access Suite 3.0, software for providing a single, secure and well-managed point of access to enterprise applications and information on demand. MetaFrame Access Suite 3.0 delivers usability improvements with SmoothRoaming, a new capability that ensures consistent mobile access that is always on, and allows computing environments to follow users across locations, devices and access outages. A second key feature of the new release is a common management interface that enables IT administrators to observe and measure access infrastructure performance across the global enterprise.
The Citrix MetaFrame Access Suite 3.0 further delivers on the promise that Citrix made just over a year ago, to provide customers with a complete and integrated access infrastructure solution that transforms organizations into productive, mobile and flexible on-demand enterprises. This new version of the MetaFrame Access Suite delivers unsurpassed security, mobility, flexibility, productivity and performance. Specifically, it offers many new capabilities including the comprehensive management of MetaFrame Presentation Server, the mobility and flexibility benefits of MetaFrame Secure Access Manager, the single sign-on (SSO) and password security offered by MetaFrame Password Manager, and the collaborative resources of MetaFrame Conferencing Manager.
”Beverly Healthcare is recognized as a nationwide leader in healthcare services for the elderly. The Citrix MetaFrame Access Suite is central to our access strategy, providing our 57,000 nurses, clinicians and other employees with easy and instant access to clinical applications and information,” said David Valcik, vice president of technical services for Beverly Enterprises. “Secure access to timely, accurate patient data plays a critical role in providing the highest level of service for our patients. The SmoothRoaming capability of the MetaFrame Access Suite will give us the ability to roam throughout our facilities and enables the teams to be more productive, ensuring that our patients continue to receive the best care available.”
The Citrix MetaFrame Access Suite is the easiest way for organizations to provide a secure, single point of access to enterprise applications and information on demand, while ensuring a consistent user experience anywhere, anytime, using any device, over any connection. Unlike costly “point” products that require extensive and expensive implementation, integration and management, the MetaFrame Access Suite is an integrated infrastructure that provides organizations the portfolio of access options they need to execute on their access strategy. Each component product of the MetaFrame Access Suite solves a particular access challenge for an organization, while all of the products work together seamlessly to power the on-demand enterprise.
Benefits and New Features of MetaFrame Access Suite 3.0
Security
*Enterprise single sign-on: Citrix MetaFrame Password Manager provides password security and enterprise single sign-on access to any application or information resource.
*A secure platform for regulatory compliance: Citrix MetaFrame Presentation Server raises the bar in IT administration, providing greater levels of control over security and design capabilities that meet internal standards and government regulations. When an enterprise’s core business involves sensitive information about its customers – such as in the healthcare industry – customers can be confident about the privacy of their information.
*SSL gateway protection: MetaFrame Secure Access Manager protects access to application and information resources so that users can work securely from anywhere.
Mobility
*Enabling the global on-demand enterprise: MetaFrame Access Suite enables customers to optimize their IT environments and mobilize their organizations. With an access strategy based on Citrix solutions, organizations can become on-demand enterprises, with the ability to generate new business, reach new customers and drive new products and services with efficiency and greater coordination.
*Access email from anywhere: MetaFrame Secure Access Manager enables mobile workers to securely synchronize a locally installed Outlook application from anywhere, whether connected over the Web or within the enterprise.
Flexibility
*Maximize product license utilization: MetaFrame Presentation Server and MetaFrame Conferencing Manager utilize On-Demand Licensing, the MetaFrame Access Suite’s new centralized license-management architecture. This greatly reduces the administration of license management and enables customers to use each MetaFrame Access Suite license to its best advantage. In addition, it eliminates the need to install, activate, and manage individual licenses, making it easier for customers to administer the MetaFrame Access Suite across server farms from a single point of administration. The new licensing management is also integrated with Citrix Subscription Advantage™, making it easy to add additional licenses as an enterprise grows and its access needs expand.
*Integration with alternative user interfaces: MetaFrame Secure Access Manager allows administrators to securely integrate existing intranets, Web pages and enterprise portals into their access infrastructure while leveraging MetaFrame Secure Access Manager’s role-based access control, MetaFrame Presentation Server integration, and SSL-based secure connectivity.
*Authentication in heterogeneous environments: MetaFrame Password Manager supports an expanded list of operating systems, including Novell. Additionally, administrators can increase authentication options with support for certificate-based smart cards, allowing organizations requiring the highest level of security to use these device-based authentication systems.
Productivity
*Uninterrupted access: The SmoothRoaming capabilities of the MetaFrame Access Suite allow a user to switch devices and move between locations automatically and without interruption. With this functionality users can work in a wired or wireless environment, temporarily stop working on a device and later securely pick up where they left off without having to re-login and re-start applications on another device. This persistent access greatly increases user productivity by ensuring uninterrupted and consistent access to the information they need to do their jobs.
*Collaborative work environments: MetaFrame Conferencing Manager provides intuitive application conferencing to eliminate the geographical distance between team members, increase the productivity of meetings, and allow easy collaboration. Now organizations can securely extend application conferencing beyond employees to include customers, partners, suppliers and other individuals that do not have access to the internal network.
Performance
*Improved management and control of IT resources: The Management Console for the MetaFrame Access Suite allows IT staff to perform administrative functions for their MetaFrame Access Suite through a common, easy-to-use interface.
MetaFrame Presentation Server 3.0 enhances the management of large server farms, giving IT administrators in global enterprises the ability to more efficiently manage their systems, and small and medium enterprises the confidence that their architecture will grow with their needs.
Administrators can now view applications, servers and zones in multiple farms; manage sessions and perform searches across multiple farms; monitor the performance of server farms and create reports to analyze MetaFrame Presentation Server deployments, providing expanded insight into their overall IT environment. Organizations can now align business with IT through expanded policy management, improve operational effectiveness through delegated administration, and increase control of the IT environment in the face of business continuity challenges. MetaFrame Presentation Server 3.0 also guarantees uninterrupted access to information, providing more robust business continuity strategies for mobile, wired and wireless users, and facilitating a more consistent and better-performing system experience for users.
*Multi-media performance: SpeedScreen™ Acceleration greatly increases the performance of multi-media applications and Web content such as audio, video, image, and Macromedia Flash files.
”Citrix has broken an industry record by delivering an integrated access infrastructure suite just over one year after we announced it,” said Tony Marzulli, senior vice president of marketing at Citrix. ”This milestone is very significant for our on-demand enterprise customers who are seeking to align IT with the rest of their business.”
Pricing and Availability
*Citrix MetaFrame Access Suite 3.0 – For new Citrix customers who need interoperable access infrastructure to manage, measure, and monitor user access to IT services. This package includes Citrix MetaFrame Presentation Server for Windows, Citrix MetaFrame Secure Access Manager, Citrix MetaFrame Password Manager, and Citrix MetaFrame Conferencing Manager. It has a Suggested Retail Price (SRP) of $599 per concurrent user.
*Citrix MetaFrame Access Suite 3.0, Step-up Edition – For existing MetaFrame Presentation Server for Windows customers who wish to transform their application access solution into an access infrastructure solution. This package includes MetaFrame Secure Access Manager, MetaFrame Password Manager, and MetaFrame Conferencing Manager. It has an SRP of $299 per concurrent user.
*Citrix MetaFrame Access Suite 3.0, Migration Edition – For existing MetaFrame Presentation Server customers who need to migrate to the most complete access infrastructure solution available today. This package includes MetaFrame Presentation Server for Windows, MetaFrame Secure Access Manager, MetaFrame Password Manager, and MetaFrame Conferencing Manager. It has an SRP of $399 per concurrent user.
The MetaFrame Access Suite is available for purchase under the Easy, Open and Flex licensing models. Prices include Citrix Subscription Advantage™, which offers automatic, priority access to the latest product upgrades and enhancements. For more information on the Citrix MetaFrame Access Suite please visit http://www.citrix.com/accesssuite.
