Citrix Systems has acquired Kaviza, a company whose preconfigured Virtual Desktop Infrastructure-in-a-box makes it easier for small and medium-size businesses to start using desktop virtualization, Citrix said on Monday.
Citrix first showed its interest in Kaviza last year, by investing an undisclosed amount in the company, but has now decided to buy the whole company for an additional undisclosed amount.
Today, SMBs are adopting desktop virtualization at an accelerating rate, and Citrix’s acquisition of Kaviza will help it expand into that part of the market, it said.
VDI-in-a-box allows companies to run Windows images across desktops, tablets and smartphones from central servers using Citrix’s HDX technology. The product can be deployed in two hours or less, Citrix promises. The software appliance is installed on a server with a hypervisor. Users can choose between XenServer from Citrix and VMware’s ESX, and soon also Microsoft’s Hyper-V.
The goal with VDI-in-a-box and other virtual desktop platforms is to reduce management costs. For example, when the operating system or an application is updated, the IT department only needs to patch a few images as opposed to hundreds of individual desktops, according to Kaviza.
Attendees at Citrix’s Synergy 2011 user conference, which takes place in San Francisco between May 25 and 27, will get the opportunity to take a closer look at the product.
Vendors in the virtualization space are showing a growing interest in the SMB market. Last week, Citrix competitor VMware acquired Shavlik Technologies, which makes products allowing users to manage, monitor and secure both physical and virtual environments.
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