Wyse Puts the 'Desktop' in Desktop Virtualization With Release of New Devices

Desktop and Mobile Appliances First to Provide Seamless Integration With Citrix XenDesktop

SAN JOSE, Calif. and HOUSTON, TX – 05/20/2008 - Wyse Technology, the global leader in thin computing, today announced the general availability of the Wyse Viance™ family of devices. This new class of devices, unveiled today at Citrix Synergy™, is specifically optimized for the new Citrix XenDesktop™ product line. Wyse Viance will be demonstrated at Booth #105 at Citrix Synergy, the event where virtualization, networking and application delivery meet.

With the availability of the Wyse Viance today, Wyse is delivering the very first appliance to meet the "plus" specifications of the Citrix Ready™ Desktop Appliance program that are required for maximum integration with Citrix XenDesktop. With Wyse's additional announcements regarding TCX Multimedia 3.0 and more also made today at Citrix Synergy, Wyse is taking the leadership role in offering the highest levels of experience for Citrix XenDesktop users.

In addition to ICA®-compliance, the Wyse Viance family of devices also meets additional Citrix specifications. These include:

The Citrix Desktop Receiver embedded in the device, ensuring end-to-end compatibility and functionality.
Fast start and shutdown of the end user device; ready to login in seconds
Viance devices require no remote management, and automatically update themselves when IT approves new versions of Viance firmware
Viance offers a clean, simple user interface that keeps the user productive, presenting only the information a user needs to authenticate to their XenDesktop session, and the session itself. Unnecessary menus and visuals are eliminated.
Wyse's new appliances, working in concert with the delivery capabilities of Citrix XenDesktop, result in a virtual desktop that offers the best user experience, simplest administration, lowest cost of ownership, as well as a significantly lower environmental impact.

In fact, the combination of XenDesktop and Viance result in a reduced environmental footprint that runs from data center to desktop. With the data center energy savings provided by Citrix, and the lower environmental footprint of Wyse thin clients, businesses can take advantage of an end-to-end green IT solution.

"The collaboration between Wyse and Citrix through the Citrix Ready Desktop Appliance program has resulted in a joint solution that leverages the unique capabilities of XenDesktop to deliver a superior user experience for our customers," said Raj Dhingra, vice president and general manager, Desktop Delivery Group, Citrix Systems. "Wyse's XenDesktop-optimized appliance combined with XenDesktop's ability to deliver desktops on demand and significantly reduce lifecycle management costs will further drive adoption of the Citrix’s next generation VDI solution."

For businesses, the Wyse Viance offers a complete PC experience in a virtual desktop environment through a low-power, fanless, diskless desktop appliance. The Wyse Viance allows users to power up in seconds and immediately connect to their virtual desktop while experiencing rich multimedia.

For mobile users, Wyse today introduced the Viance Pro Mobile, a clamshell notebook style device, which comes with 802.11 b/g/n wireless support, a 15.4 inch WXGA TFT LCD screen, full multimedia performance (supports WPF Enabled Apps) as well as Gigabit network connectivity for access to the fastest LAN connections.

Wyse Viance appliances handle multimedia and USB devices differently than PCs. Exceptional video quality is delivered because multimedia is decoded locally on the device using the local processing power while all drivers and USB ports are virtualized back at the server. This gives IT the granular control over what USB peripherals are allowed and no drivers are ever needed on these appliances.

For IT organizations, the combination of Citrix and Wyse will streamline implementation and maintenance, and simplify the transition from traditional PCs to energy-saving desktop appliances. The new appliances help simplify network administration, as everything is controlled and managed centrally, while allowing users to be setup and running just minutes out of the box.

"IDC believes the rise of virtual desktop infrastructures will help drive thin clients into the broader marketplace," said Bob O'Donnell, IDC Vice President, Clients and Displays. "Companies that can bring solutions to market that enable easier and faster deployments of virtual clients are well positioned to take advantage of this new opportunity."

"Wyse is honored to be the first vendor to announce enterprise-class desktop appliances for Citrix XenDesktop through today’s introduction of the Wyse Viance family of devices," said Jeff McNaught, Chief Marketing Officer for Wyse Technology. "As businesses strive to save costs, increase efficiencies, and reduce their environmental footprint, we are pleased that Wyse can help extend the benefits of Green IT outside of the data center, beyond task workers and on to the desktops of more demanding knowledge workers."

Entry-level pricing of the new Wyse Viance appliances starts at $399.00 with volume shipments beginning this quarter. In addition, current Wyse thin clients support XenDesktop and are available with prices beginning at $299.00.