The Cisco Desktop Virtualisation Solution is intended to let enterprises deliver virtual Windows desktops to end users.
Both Cisco and Citrix will generate revenues from the sale of the combined solution," Jackie Ross, vice president of Cisco's server, access and virtualisation technology group, told InternetNews.com. "This combined solution will be sold through mutual channel partners," noted Ross, who also said the companies aren't releasing any financial terms connected to the joint effort.
Sumit Dhawan, vice president of the desktop division at Citrix, said the combination of XenDesktop and Cisco UCS provides scalability and cost savings. With traditional server platforms, Dhawan said memory can become a bottleneck as more virtual desktops are added. The Cisco UCS offers memory-extension technology that can deliver up to 60 percent greater virtual desktop density per server with no degradation in application performance when compared with other server platforms with standard memory configurations.
"This, in combination with the tight integration of networking computing and virtualisation provided by the Cisco UCS, leads to 20 percent lower cost of infrastructure per virtual desktop," Dhawan told InternetNews.com.
Prior to the announcement of the Cisco Desktop Virtualisation Solution, Citrix's XenDesktop was deployable and usable on Cisco UCS. That said, Ross said the new solution is aimed at making it easier for enterprise shops to adopt desktop virtualisation with pre-configured service profiles, a simplified starter kit and a pre-tested validated design to ensure smooth interoperability.
Cisco also has a deep strategic relationship with VMware for the UCS which also includes a joint venture with EMC.
"The Cisco Desktop Virtualisation with Citrix XenDesktop solution includes a validated reference design architecture which supports VMware vSphere as well as Citrix XenServer hypervisors," Ross said. "This solution is built upon an open architecture and we expect to expand support for additional hypervisors, including Microsoft Hyper-V and additional storage solutions beyond NetApp in the future. Cisco is committed to working across our open ecosystem of partners to deliver business and technology solutions that solve their pain points while giving them more solutions to choose from that meet their specific needs."
Ross added that the desktop virtualisation space is on the brink of mainstream adoption and thinks Citrix is at the forefront of the technology. The plan for Cisco moving forward is to continue to develop solutions, though Ross didn't detail what those solutions might include.
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