Most PC professionals are concerned about the increasing complexity of PC environments, particularly new software releases and security requirements, and consider that PC desktop administration is a “significant task” or a “costly and time-consuming burden,” according to new research commissioned by thin-client specialist Citrix Systems Inc. from European business analysts QNB Intelligence Ltd.
“PC desktop management has always been a fundamental issue for IT professionals. The situation has become more critical over the past few years as the regularity and complexity of software upgrades has proliferated, as has the threat to data from an increasingly diverse range of security risks,” commented QNB’s senior analyst Dale Vile.
The researcher also reported that two-thirds of organizations found that using access infrastructure software — thin client architectures — had a significant, positive impact on their ability to deploy, update and improve the availability of applications. Citrix Systems is perceived, according to the research, as “leading the way in access infrastructure technology,” with Microsoft Corp. and IBM Corp. in joint second place. Other findings include:
— 38 per cent of respondents use Microsoft Windows Terminal Server
— 27 per cent use Citrix MetaFrame Presentation Server
— 97 per cent making broad strategic use of server-based computing use Microsoft, Citrix or a combination of the two.
“Access infrastructure software is recognized by professionals as one of the most effective technologies to reduce the complexity of their IT environments,” said Vile.
“Demand for access infrastructure software is being fuelled by an increasing emphasis on flexible working practices and mobility initiatives,” said Lewis Gee, managing director of Citrix U.K. & Ireland. “QNB’s research backs up our own assertion that a large proportion of organizations using access infrastructure software are reaping substantial rewards for their businesses.”
The research surveyed 1,624 IT managers from the U.K. and North America, with nearly two-thirds of respondents based in the U.K.