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Citrix Presentation Server

Application Access Over Wireless Network

Current Environment: Wireless networks offer access from almost anywhere, but may create new problems with security, performance, and usability as well as complicate the IT staff’s ability to manage the environment.

Challenge:

Provide secure application access via wireless networks without sacrificing performance or usability

Many organizations leverage wireless networks to provide broader and more flexible access to corporate information assets. Wireless technology is enabling users to connect in more locations than ever before: for example, hospital staff can roam from a patient room to the lab, or from a nursing station to a clinic; and university administrators can move from their office to different buildings on campus. This access freedom does not come free, however; it is placing an additional burden on IT staff, creating new security risks, and impacting application performance. Further, the productivity gains from greater mobility may be offset by users’ inability to access applications and data in the same way from every location and device.

Improve application performance on slower wireless networks
Improve usability for users who roam from wired to wireless connections and across multiple devices
Ensure users can access all their applications and their data regardless of where they are
Prevent unauthorized data access over an insecure network
Improve IT’s ability to support users on wireless networks

Benefit:

Citrix Presentation Server™ supports optimal application access in typical wireless network scenarios. The product offers bandwidth optimization for consistent performance regardless of connection speed, and SmoothRoaming™ for continuous access when users roam between devices, networks or locations. Centralizing application deployment and administration on Presentation Server gives administrators control over all applications, regardless of how they are accessed.

Citrix Solution:

Citrix Presentation Server enables on-demand wireless access to business information while reducing, rather than increasing, the burden on IT administrators. The solution offers features that solve the challenges many organizations face when providing application access over wireless networks: support for a wide range of devices and connections; server-based application processing that minimizes data transmittal over the network; multi-tier security featuring strong encryption; and centralized administration that makes it easy to deploy and upgrade applications, and support mobile users.

Solution Environment: Applications published on Citrix Presentation Server are accessible from a wide variety of wireless networks and devices without compromising performance or security.

Description:

Citrix developed the ICA® protocol to optimize application access over low-bandwidth connections. Because only screen updates, mouse clicks and keystrokes are transmitted between server and client, applications can be used effectively even over connections as slow as 5Kbps. Broad client support ensures that almost any wireless device can be used.

SmoothRoaming capability maintains continuous application access as users move from location to location and device to device. For example, a user working on multiple applications could be called away from the office for an emergency at home. With SmoothRoaming, there is no need to close the applications, log off or even save data. When the emergency is taken care of, the user can log back on from home and continue working on the applications. SmoothRoaming automatically closes the session on the office device and reopens it at the same point on the home computer. Because Presentation Server keeps the actual application and its data on the server in the data center, there is less risk from eavesdropping on wireless networks. This architecture, coupled with built-in support for encryption, makes Presentation Server a good choice for securing data over insecure wireless connections.

Finally, administrators will benefit from centralized application deployment and maintenance that simplify upgrades – no need to track down and touch each wireless device. Built-in features like session shadowing allow administrators to remotely view or even take over a user session to provide support or training.

Source: www.citrix.com/accessAnswers

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