by
Brian Madden
In the past, I reported (
here,
here, and
here) about Microsoft's new Terminal Server update
codenamed "Bear Paw." The fact that Bear Paw will be some sort of update to Terminal
Server for Windows 2003 is true. However, whether it will be a "Citrix-killer"
is anyone's guess. (I wrote that there have been rumors of a "Citrix-killer" and
I openly questioned whether this could be it?) Shortly after I published those articles, I started to get a
lot of phone calls and emails from people at Citrix categorically denying that
Microsoft was working on anything that would even come close to being a
Citrix-killer. Here's what they said:
- Citrix and Microsoft have a very strategic
relationship and work closely together. Microsoft is not going in the
server-based computing direction, and therefore it is in Microsoft's
interest to ensure that Citrix remains a strong option for supporting mobile
access to 32-bit applications..
- Citrix has guaranteed access to the Microsoft Windows
source code through at least May 2005.
- This "fire drill" of something that's going to
render Citrix obsolete happens every few months, and it never pans out.
- Citrix MetaFrame XP Presentation Server has a lot of
real value that is above and beyond Microsoft's offerings, including the web
interface, Citrix Secure Gateway, application-level load balancing, and
seamless windows.
- Citrix has unique products that even further extend the core
value of MetaFrame Presentation Server. These products include things like
MetaFrame Secure Access Manager,
MetaFrame Conferencing Manager, and
Citrix
Password Manager.
- Regarding Bear Paw, all we know for sure is that Microsoft is working on
an update to Terminal Server. No one knows what features it will have or
whether it will even compete with MetaFrame Presentation Server.
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