Tomorrow's news today: Microsoft buys VDI vendor Calista Technologies, expands partnership with Citrix

Thank you Brian for providing us with a peak into the future. I'm definitely looking forward to your analysis. In the interim here are my two cents:

Given that Calista's purchase is estimated at "south of $100" I wouldn't call it "a big acquisition", certainly not for Microsoft. But it is very, very cool. Assuming Microsoft integrates this technology into its RDP protocol, RDP will become a killer remoting protocol. Amusingly this benefits almost everyone except Citrix! This is because Citrix is the only SBC/VDI provider not using RDP. So Microsoft, Ericom, Quest/Provision, 2X, etc. should be happy about this acquisition. Even VMware, because VDM uses RDP.

The article is very light on details regarding what the extended partnership between Microsoft and Citrix actually means. "Jointly market services that "virtualize" computers, operating systems and applications" doesn't explain much. We've already seen that the two cooperate in marketing against VMware, e.g. last iForum. However in terms of products their virtualization offerings appear to compete with each other as well. Guess we will have to wait and see.

Intestering quote from the forbes article:

Microsoft and Citrix will jointly market services that "virtualize" computers, operating systems and applications

Well...I can swallow that with lots of salt and pepper with the decade long rhetrotic "Every sold Citrix license is a sold Microsoft license", the day that wont be part of the equation then Citrix will be wading in huge amaounts of ***, ultimately drowing

Every XenDesktop license is a Microsoft VECD license...the Citrix/Microsoft story continues.  VMWARE is roadkill to be...even Larry Ellison says they are this decade's Netscape.