Mike,
The key statement in that paragraph is:
Our clients now tell us "Why do we need Citrix anymore when we plan on implementing the web-based model?" There is no perfect rebuttal to that concern.
The conclusion listed there is correct. There is no perfect rebuttal to that concern. There are a lot of factors that would go into the choice of Citrix vs. Web-based solution. These are listed below:
o New vs. Existing. If one is developing a new app, using web-based technology could be a compelling choice since there is a lower cost of deployment.
o Development Expertise. Does the company have web-based development expertise? Finding, hiring, and retaining good web developers is tough. It is easier and cheaper to find VB developers which would lean one towards a Citrix solution.
o Cost of Development. For small - medium sized apps, developing web-based apps is more expensive than non-web based apps. This is due to having very robust RAD tools like Visual Basic. Once again, this could lean towards Citrix.
o Cost of deployment. For a large number of users, Citrix is an expensive solution relative to a web-based one.
o Security. Citrix provides a better security model since you can bake it into the server.
o Scalibility. A web-based solution scales better and has more options for scaling than Citrix.
o Interactivity. How interactive does the application have to be? A Citrix app is far more interactive than a web-based one. Things like drag and drop, printing, etc. are difficult from a web-based app compared to a Citrix app.
o Usability. My friends that are Human Factors people go nuts with what they view as significant usability declines forced upon users as web-based apps are implemented. If usability is important, a Citrix solution may be a better choice.
I could probably go on, but I think the list paints the picture. As you can see, the decision is going to be made on a case by case basis. Currently, the pie is big enough that all boats will rise. However in the long term, Citrix never dominate the PC-based thin client market. Web-based technology is good enough for enough apps to block Citrix.
I beleive Citrix will need to find better areas to focus on. The company has been very good at doing this to date and I think they have already started laying the foundation for another switch. That is why I am looking at what they are doing in the wireless and embedded spaces. The technology is a good fit in that space and there are limitations that will make existing web-based approaches non ideal for building applications.
Heeren |
