Santa Clara, Calif.-based Citrix Systems Inc. announced the next generation of its application virtualization software, XenApp 5, which includes more than 50 product enhancements.

Citrix XenApp 5, previously Citrix Presentation Server, is part of Citrix Delivery Center, which offers client- and server-side application virtualization for Windows operating systems.

The new release of XenApp is designed for a smooth transition to Microsoft's Windows Server 2008 [but also supports Windows Server 2003] and includes improvements to performance, a better end-user interface and offers a better overall end-user experience, according to Citrix.

XenApp for Windows
XenApp's previous versions -- that is, Citrix Presentation Server -- do not support Windows Server 2008, so for users with the latest version of Windows, an upgrade to XenApp 5 is necessary, said Bill Hartwick, the senior director of product marking for Citrix's application virtualization group.

The new version of XenApp includes Preferential Load Balancing, which prioritizes XenApp sessions for key users and applications. Hartwick gave the example of a hospital; if a doctor in the operating room needs access to the Picture archiving and communication system (PACS), the application will be prioritized over other less critical XenApp sessions.

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