A warm welcome to the New Year & a happy and prosperous 2016 to all!

Finding Thin ClientsI’d like to share a few welcoming changes we made during November including the launch of new product category page for thin clients.*(Update as of May 24, 2016: This Thin Client info page is taken down and merged under Endpoint info page)

The changes mean that, when choosing thin clients, you should be able to transparently evaluate the performance and features for XenApp and XenDesktop with:

  • The new product category page for thin clients. It explains what each level of Citrix Ready verification means with a simple overview that allows you to review each level and the capabilities of individual thin clients.
  • An overview document that allows customers to review the features of each verification level. This will let customers think about the features they may need, not today, but in the near future.
  • Improvements to the verification tests themselves to ensure they are standardized, rigorous and transparent.
  • Standardized information for each thin client, containing details of firmware, its OS version (Linux, Windows etc … ) and additional features available for each thin client
  • Detailed information on the specifics of the verification tests, e.g. frame rates required for tests to be passed; allowing customers to assess if additional testing is needed because they have requirements beyond the standardized tests.
  • Improved search facilities, so users can quickly pull up a list of the thin client options that match their needs.

When you are planning a Citrix infrastructure, you often need to select an Endpoint that can access the remote desktops and apps that mate your Citrix functionalities. Ideally, this should have been easy with the three HDX-level verifications for thin clients and the Citrix Ready Marketplace user interface. However, the information wasn’t well-known and only a few diehard Citrix users read through the verification guides to figure out what the HDX levels actually mean (eg. HDX Ready, HDX Premium and HDX 3D Pro).

What’s new?

The new product category page provides you information tailored to thin clients. We have three sections each with key messaging highlighted of what HDX Ready, HDX Premium and HDX 3D Pro actually signify. This is designed to be at a high-level suitable for planning a deployment. There is also a list of featured products at the bottom end of the page that can help you easily browse through the ‘hot’ picks to ensure you are fed with whatever is latest and greatest.

Need more detailed information?

We realized that as system architects and administrators, you often need to have detailed information on the specifics of the verification tests and hence published the Find Your Thin Client White Paper. This contains information on the frame rates thin clients need to achieve to pass the various Citrix verification levels. Allowing those designing deployments reference data and also sufficient information to assess whether they need to do additional benchmarking owing to specialist needs e.g. very high end graphics/scalability limitations. The white paper will, of course, keep getting updated as the verification criteria evolves with technology advancement

Simple Search

Simple Search

Once you’ve found the HDX level that best serves your use case, you can browse similar thin clients from this page that match your inquiry.

A handy tip is to always sort by “Recently Added” (as shown in the screenshot above) which helps you to view the latest verified products. You can now save or share that filtered list simply by clicking on the “share icon” highlighted on the left and then by copying the link!

Better information on individual thin-clients

Please note that new thin clients, going forward, will have an additional features-qualified matrix on their respective product pages under the section “Citrix Ready Technical Qualified Details.” This is to have transparency, as there can be thin clients that qualify for many of HDX Premium tests, but not all. Hence, they get tagged as HDX Ready and are not extended to HDX Premium. However, the test results’ pass will also be highlighted here, so whilst a thin client may not carry the full range of premium features, it will be transparent if a selection such as multi-monitor support, smart cards, flash redirection is available.

This project

This project has been a long time coming in response to customer and thin client partner feedback. We have spoken at length with our OEM partners and customers and I’d welcome more feedback in the comments below this blog.

The marketplace already carries 100s of Endpoints from a vast number of partners who we work with closely to ensure HDX and ICA optimizations, including: HP, Fujitsu, Unicon, IGEL, Dell Wyse, Praim, 10Zig, Atrust, VXL, Ncomputing, Lenovo, DevonIT, Centerm, the list can go on.

Win Prizes!

Lastly, Citrix Ready launched a “Write a Review” contest (valid till end of January) where you could be the lucky one to bring home an iPad Air 2 (also Citrix Ready Verified ;-)), Apple watch or Amazon gift vouchers! Get going! Start writing reviews for the solutions you love.