Citrix readies iPhone client

Application delivery firm Citrix has been demonstrating its long-rumoured iPhone client at the Macworld show this week.

Executives confirmed that it would ship through Apple's App Store as a free download this quarter.

The client, which uses the company's ICA application streaming protocol, connects to XenApp, formerly known as Presentation Server, and allows users to access their server-hosted Windows applications on an iPhone over a wireless network. It supports both landscape and portrait modes, and allows users to edit Excel spreadsheets remotely, for example.

Senior product manager Al Granville said that the development of rich HTML browsers has made it possible to properly support the use of streamed applications.

"The devices haven't been great. That's the change with the iPhone. Even though the applications are designed for 1024x768 resolution, it's still usable on this screen," he said, predicting that IT chiefs would be getting pressured to support the devices by senior managers.

"There's a lot of pressure on IT departments coming from the top. There are a lot more iPhones in the executive suite," he added.

Citrix allows companies to host Windows-based applications on their servers for remote use by workers. Deploying Microsoft Office on XenApp would enable workers to use it through a browser without installing it on their local devices.

Citrix has already made forays into the mobile space. It provides an ICA client for the Symbian platform, and for Windows Mobile.