Citrix revises prices

Company says it will follow cut software prices to stimulate new telco services.

Citrix this week followed Microsoft in promising to cut the price of its thin-client software, claiming this would stimulate the introduction of telco-hosted application services, writes Gavin Clarke.

Jan-Willen van Dorn, Citrix director of enterprise marketing, said the company would unveil a new, cheaper version of Metaframe targeted at Internet use. Citrix will not reveal details of the planned price cuts, however.

Metaframe provides sophisticated server management for Microsoft's thin-client Windows Terminal Server (WTS) software. WTS allows Windows applications to run on a server rather than a PC, and be accessed by low-power and non-Windows clients.

Microsoft itself announced a revised price structure for WTS last week, and launched Client Access Licences. Non-Windows clients will no longer need a Windows NT client licence to access WTS - removing a cause of dissatisfaction among users.

Van Dorn would not reveal how much the new version would cost, or when it would be available, but said it would allow telcos to host applications for corporates and to charge more effectively.

Remote hosted services have been hindered by the need to charge clients, which often cannot be tracked across the Internet.

'We will address the need of application service providers. It will provide significant value on top of the existing Microsoft product,' said van Dorn.

BT is among the telcos expected to launch hosted application services this year. Organisations can save more money using hosted application services. 'We have to reach that world that wants intelligent workstations,' said Citrix chairman Ed Iacoubucci.

Users such as Homebase's infrastructure planning manager, Charles Patey, are worried about the ability of telcos to offer security.

'My ultimate goal is zero administration, but security is still a big issue,' said Patey.

Ashim Pal, Meta Group senior research analyst, said that cuts and technology alone would not stimulate adoption. 'A lot of people don't have the web infrastructure to need such a service. Services will be market, rather than technology-driven,' he said.