Desktop Virtualization Solution Provides Real Security and Savings for Financial Services Organization

Investment banking and finance remain the engines that that keep local, national and global economies moving. As such, any business that operates within these sectors must be assured of always-on secure data management. For this client firm, any migration to a virtualized environment depended on the proven performance and security of a virtual desktop platform solution. In addition, capturing desktop management savings was a key aspect in moving forward.

As a certified Citrix Partner, MicroAge can help clients virtualize and save money

Sam Kruse, MicroAge Solutions Expert says, “I have supported this client for years—and when the Vice President of IT called seeking a virtual solution, I immediately recommended Citrix… it is an exceptional product for desktop platforms.” With 20 years of providing technology solutions and a track record of reducing desktop management by 50 percent, Citrix products and services are widely deployed across many Fortune 500 companies. As most financial services organizations run desktop-based systems centralized around Windows, Citrix’s engagement with Microsoft and OS make it an obvious choice. Additionally, Citrix solutions provide an outstanding level of security to protect intellectual property; there is no opportunity for malicious activity and once a system is shut down, there is no access in or out.

For this client, recently acquired by a national bank, staffing and management increased dramatically—from 85 to more than 200 users. From an IT perspective, it was essential to streamline and secure all aspects of the platform. Deploying Citrix Access Gateway VPX provided a range of virtual features that offer all the functionality of a physical appliance. With both applications on demand and coverage that extends to remote users, intrusions are virtually eliminated. Further strengthened by Citrix XenApp, which enables instant delivery of any Windows-based application to any system device, the client’s IT is centrally managed from one location that pushes out to all desktops in a simplified, automated format.

Additional advantages of using Citrix involved allowing the client to reposition and re-purpose older equipment that otherwise may have been jettisoned. This, in turn, represented a significant savings for the client by eliminating new hardware purchases. As the engagement got under way, Sam provided additional software support, including remote desktop licenses and the deployment of ScriptLogic desktop tools to further complement and extend the Citrix applications. Ultimately, the desktop virtualization solution was so easy to install and run that the deployment was completed in one day, without complication. Ease, speed, and no complexity—the Citrix solution truly lived up to its promise!