NetScaler Delivers Industry's First Virtualized Delivery Infrastructure for Microsoft 2010 Apps

SAN FRANCISCO - Today at Citrix Synergy™, the event where virtualization, networking and cloud computing meet, Citrix Systems, Inc. (NASDAQ: CTXS) announced its popular Citrix® NetScaler® VPX™ virtual appliance will add extensive support for business-critical Microsoft datacenter and infrastructure solutions, including Microsoft® Hyper-V™, Microsoft System Center and key Microsoft enterprise applications like SharePoint 2010 and Exchange Server 2010. As a result, Microsoft datacenter administrators will now be able to apply all the same NetScaler acceleration, load balancing and security features that power many of the world’s largest datacenters, as a native Hyper-V workload from directly within System Center - with no networking knowledge or configuration required.

As a native Windows®-based solution, NetScaler VPX not only provides reliable acceleration, security and load balancing services necessary for delivering Microsoft applications, it also includes the intuitive capabilities of Citrix AppExpert™ Policy Manager, which provides pre-built and customizable templates designed for all popular enterprise applications. In addition to offering NetScaler VPX for Hyper-V, Citrix is now offering AppExpert templates for Microsoft Exchange Server 2010 and SharePoint 2010, giving Microsoft datacenter managers the ability to ensure the best application performance and reliability with zero configuration or tuning needed.

Once in production, NetScaler VPX virtual appliances on Hyper-V can be seamlessly managed via Microsoft System Center Operations Manager (SCOM) and System Center Virtual Machine Manager (SCVMM). SCOM-based management allows datacenter managers to leverage System Center as a common management console for monitoring the health and availability of the virtual environment, as well as the performance of resources managed by NetScaler.  If application performance conditions fall below established service level agreements, capacity can be scaled automatically using the Performance and Resource Optimization (PRO) feature of Microsoft SCVMM. Tight management integration between Citrix NetScaler and Microsoft System Center allows enterprises to deploy a single, software-based virtual delivery stack for Microsoft applications that can be jointly managed and monitored - a feat that is simply not possible with traditional networking products.

Quotes
Dai Vu, Director of Virtualization Solutions Marketing, Microsoft Corp.
“We have been working closely with Citrix to offer customers comprehensive and cost-effective solutions from the desktop to the datacenter. As a result, Citrix support for Hyper-V, along with the new NetScaler AppExpert templates for Exchange Server and SharePoint, provides enterprise customers a simplified virtual infrastructure that significantly enhances the delivery of Microsoft applications.”

Klaus Oestermann, Vice President and General Manager, Networking and Cloud Product Group, Citrix Systems, Inc.
“The ability of Citrix NetScaler to support Microsoft Hyper-V and Microsoft System Center brings an entirely new level of sophistication to the virtual datacenter.  With the rapid transition to Microsoft Exchange 2010 and SharePoint 2010, it is more critical than ever to intelligently construct a virtual infrastructure for these application environments. With NetScaler VPX now available as a native Windows service, optimized delivery of Microsoft applications is now simple and seamless.”

Cindy Borovick, Vice President, IDC
“The datacenter is moving to a virtualized IT environment. IDC believes that the drivers for vitalized load balancing are similar to server vitalization in that customers value the cost savings and IT flexibility of the offerings,” says Lucinda Borovick, vice president, Data Center Networks. “By expanding the its capabilities to include Microsoft Hyper V Citrix is bring resiliency and flexibility into the virtualized datacenter.”

Key Highlights

• Fully Virtualized Delivery Infrastructure for Microsoft 2010 Apps - Citrix announces the industry’s first fully virtualized delivery infrastructure for Microsoft 2010 applications.
• NetScaler VPX Support Extended to Microsoft Hyper-V - NetScaler VPX virtual appliances now run on Hyper-V, delivering native Windows load balancing, acceleration and security in a flexible range of capacities and cost-effective price points.
• Support for Microsoft Exchange Server 2010 and SharePoint 2010 - NetScaler AppExpert Templates support Exchange Server 2010 and SharePoint 2010, making it easy to optimize each application with no networking configuration or knowledge required.  
• Simplifies Management of Virtual Delivery Infrastructure - Citrix support for Microsoft System Center enables a unified console to manage and monitor the virtual delivery infrastructure.

Pricing and Availability
Support for Microsoft System Center is available now for all NetScaler MPX hardware appliances and NetScaler VPX. NetScaler AppExpert Templates with support for Microsoft applications are available now, with support for 2010 editions and NetScaler VPX support for Hyper-V coming later in the year.

Related Links and Announcements

• Blog: Finally, The Network is Elastic
• Announcement: Citrix NetScaler Pay-as-You-Grow “Burst Packs” Make Networking More Elastic
• Blog: NetScaler VPX as a Native Windows service - integrated with Hyper-V and Systems Center

Follow Us Online:

• Citrix Synergy 2010 and Citrix Synergy Press pages
• NetScaler Product Page
• NetScaler Blogs
• NetScaler on Citrix TV
• Twitter: @Citrix, @NetScaler, @CitrixPR, #citrixsynergy
• Citrix on Facebook

About Citrix Synergy 2010
Born as a user conference more than 10 years ago, Citrix Synergy™ will present the best ideas from leaders in virtualization, cloud computing and networking to help you build a simpler and more cost-effective IT environment. Citrix Synergy San Francisco takes place May 12 to 14, 2010, at Moscone West Convention Center. Citrix Synergy Berlin will be held at the Estrel Hotel and Convention Center, Oct. 6 to 7, 2010. More information is available on the Citrix Synergy web site at http://www.citrixsynergy.com.

About Citrix
Citrix Systems, Inc. (NASDAQ:CTXS) is a leading provider of virtual computing solutions that help companies deliver IT as an on-demand service. Founded in 1989, Citrix combines virtualization, networking, and cloud computing technologies into a full portfolio of products that enable virtual workstyles for users and virtual datacenters for IT. More than 230,000 organizations worldwide rely on Citrix to help them build simpler and more cost-effective IT environments. Citrix partners with over 10,000 companies in more than 100 countries. Annual revenue in 2009 was $1.61 billion.

For Citrix Investors
This release contains forward-looking statements which are made pursuant to the safe harbor provisions of Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934.  The forward-looking statements in this release do not constitute guarantees of future performance.  Those statements involve a number of factors that could cause actual results to differ materially, including risks associated with revenue growth and recognition of revenue, products, their development and distribution, product demand and pipeline, economic and competitive factors, the Company’s key strategic relationships, acquisition and related integration risks as well as other risks detailed in the Company’s filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission. Citrix assumes no obligation to update any forward-looking information contained in this press release or with respect to the announcements described herein.

The development, release and timing of any features or functionality described for our products remains at our sole discretion and is subject to change without notice or consultation. The information provided is for informational purposes only and is not a commitment, promise or legal obligation to deliver any material, code or functionality and should not be relied upon in making purchasing decisions or incorporated into any contract.

# # #

Citrix®, NetScaler® and VPX™ are trademarks of Citrix Systems, Inc. and/or one or more of its subsidiaries, and may be registered in the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office and in other countries. All other trademarks and registered trademarks are property of their respective owners.