Citrix Unwraps New Access Portal Server

The NFuse Elite access portal server provides a browser-based workspace with point-and-click access to personalized applications and content. Citrix officials say the product can be installed in less than an hour and allows users to easily configure and personalize their portals on their own. NFuse Elite is tightly integrated with Citrix's MetaFrame application server technology, NFuse Classic application portal software and Citrix Secure Gateway security technology.

"Customers and partners have been telling us they wanted a virtual workplace that could allow them to work from wherever they wanted," says Bob Kruger, CTO and senior vice president of product development at Citrix. "We decided to build an access portal that created a virtual workplace that was easy to use and very straightforward for the user."

NFuse Elite features portal desktop interfaces and content customization, giving users drag-and-drop control of content delivery agents on the portal desktop. The software also offers portal authentication on Windows NT and Active Directory groups and XML-based integration and support for industry standards-based integration mechanisms, such as Microsoft .Net technology.

The new portal software can be ordered through all NFuse Elite certified members of Citrix's channel organization. Citrix officials say more than 700 partners from its 7,000-member reseller community have received NFuse Elite training, which can take as little as one day, and become certified solution providers.

Kruger says Citrix, which sells almost entirely through the channel, will count heavily on its partners to drive NFuse Elite adoption. In addition, Kruger says the company wants to leverage its channel to reach more enterprise customers with its new portal product.

"We want to focus more on the enterprise," Kruger says. "Traditionally, we've been strong with small and medium-sized businesses, but we want to penetrate large enterprises deeper."

NFuse Elite will retail for $67 per named user, inclusive of Citrix Subscription Advantage, Citrix's annual plan that provides customers with automatic delivery of software upgrades, enhancements and maintenance releases, as well as technology information and customer service news.