Citrix puts thin client on a chip with HDX platform

Citrix has unveiled an initiative to develop a system-on-a-chip architecture designed to shrink the cost of thin client systems.

The HDX technology, which Citrix is developing with Texas Instruments and nComputing, has yielded two reference architectures based on the ARM platform.

Citrix believes that HDX hardware will cut nearly a third off the cost of deploying a thin client, allowing virtual desktop infrastructure workstations to become more affordable than traditional desktops.

"We are convinced that next year we will see the first high-def zero client that breaks the $100 barrier," Citrix chief marketing officer Wes Wasson told reporters.

"We think this is going to unlock waves of new kinds of devices that we never thought possible."

Wasson explained that the prototypes in development include a client system roughly the size of a pack of cigarettes, and that Citrix has received inquiries from display vendors on integrating the platform into their current designs.

The announcement is part of a series of Citrix product refreshes and service rollouts, including enhancements to the GoToMeeting and ShareFile platforms and an updated Cloud Gateway platform designed to allow IT staff to deliver apps on a full range of devices including desktops, browsers and mobile handsets.

Cloud Gateway will be offered in its full enterprise form and as a Windows-only trial for XenApp and XenDesktop customers.

"We think this is going to be great way for us to get a footprint in what will be a strategic market," Wasson said.