Citrix Systems yesterday announced the imminent release of XenApp 5, in its latest attempt to strengthen its hold on the data centre and desktop virtualisation market.

XenApp 5, XenServer and XenDesktop will all be slotted into what the company has dubbed the Citrix Delivery Centre product line to create an “end-to-end virtualisation solution that spans servers, applications and desktop”.

XenApp 5, which runs on Microsoft’s 2003 and 2008 server platforms, is used to virtualise Windows-based apps such as Office on servers that are managed centrally at the company’s data farms.

Microsoft’s desktop virtualisation general manager Chandra Shekaran said: “Microsoft and Citrix share a common vision around application delivery. With XenApp 5, Citrix is once again extending the core platform capabilities of Windows Server 2008 while delivering a leading virtualisation solution compatible with the Hyper-V role."

Citrix, which alongside rivals including VMware recently jacked up its prices, will be offering the advanced edition for $350, enterprise for $450, and the platinum version at $600 a seat in the US. ®