Citrix acquisition shows desktop virtualization

Citrix Systems Inc. has completed its acquisition of Kaviza, makers of VDI -in-a-Box, giving the company and its partners one more asset in the desktop virtualization and small medium business markets. The purchase highlights the growing popularity of VDI systems in the SMB space.

Kaviza's VDI-in-a-Box solution is aimed at SMBs looking to move into desktop virtualization without using expensive management servers. It can run on any "off-the-shelf server," said Krishna Subramanian, COO of Kaviza, who will now run business development for the product at Citrix.

The solution uses Citrix's HDX innovation

The solution uses Citrix's HDX innovation, which provides high-performance graphics to any devices that use virtual desktops. VDI-in-a-Box can be scaled for more users simply by adding commodity servers. The product can be deployed within two hours, at between $500 to $700 per desktop, the company claims.

"If you can't get it running in 30 minutes, there's something wrong with you," Gordon Payne, senior vice-president of Citrix's desktop division, joked while the official announcement of the acquisition, calling the product "unbelievably simple."

"Ultimately, this acquisition is because of a different set of needs," said Tom Flink, vice-president of the worldwide channel and market development at Citrix. "It's in the extreme complimentary to what we're already doing in the enterprise space," he added, referring to Citrix's XenDesktop product for large businesses.