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Tech Check
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] was clearly trying to create a consumer-oriented smart phone to fill the gap created by the business-centric BlackBerry from Research in Motion[RIMM
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]. As if that headline wasn't eye-opening enough. Now I'm getting word from the folks at Citrix Systems [CTXS
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] that the company is designing virtualization software specifically for the iPhone and it will be coming soon to the Apple App Store. Why is that significant? Because it could jumpstart Apple's nascent iPhone enterprise business in a big way, which has already enjoyed some pretty, rip-roaring success so far.
Citrix lets users remotely log into their corporate networks, so they can access their data—as well as applications at the office—remotely. Citrix has been available to both Windows and Mac-based machines, but this will be the first time iPhone users will be able to log in remotely to a Windows-based machine.
That means XenApp and XenDesktop users will be able to display a virtual version of their Windows desktop PCs on their iPhones, blurring the line even further between the Mac and PC worlds. Good news for Windows IT managers trying to fend off a growing population of iPhone i-want-ones.
It's a key development because it removes yet another reason why enterprise IT managers may stick with upgrading mobile devices to the BlackBerry over iPhone because of compatibility issues. Citrix also tells me today that the documents are secure because with application virtualization, no data will be stored on the iPhone; it'll merely be accessible remotely on the iPhone and remain encrypted at the data center.
Could this mean Windows apps coming soon to an iPhone near you? Stay tuned.
Meantime, not only is iPhone driving so many trends and so much momentum in the smart phone arena, it'll also be able to take advantage of the trends already generating excitement, most notably this concept of "virtualization." This is starting to get interesting. Very interesting indeed.
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