1. A modernized, intuitive, and rich user experience - XenApp 5 introduces a redesigned, intuitive, and consistent user experience on the desktop and over the Web. The innovative fresh look for Web Interface – with extended support for third-party authentication products – provides users with simpler site navigation through an intuitive, easy-to-use interface.  A new small form-factor interface is also available for mobile workers who want to access applications using handheld devices.

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2. Broader application compatibility - Maintaining applications is a resource-intensive task for IT organizations. XenApp 5 simplifies application delivery and maintenance and minimizes the time to update or patch streamed applications. Streamed applications operate as if they were installed locally, while ensuring that they execute within their own discreet isolation environment. If a single application needs to be updated or patched, it only needs to be done once centrally instead of on each desktop. The addition of HTTPS support enables applications to be streamed securely to branch office and mobile users.

3. Assured service-level performance - Existing XenApp load balancing capabilities monitor server load to equally distribute user and application load across the servers in the farm. XenApp 5 enhances these capabilities through a new intelligent load management system that includes Preferential Load Balancing and CPU management. Preferential Load Balancing can ensure the best performance for the most critical users and scenarios by enabling administrators to control the priority of a user session based on a combination of application, user, and location level importance.

Application Performance Monitoring provides a detailed view of application performance as experienced by end users. XenApp 5 introduces expanded monitoring capabilities and metrics to provide greater visibility into the user experience enabling administrators to make faster and better assessment of performance issues. The new Active Application Monitoring feature enables administrators to proactively identify performance issues before they are experienced by end users. This real-time check of application availability and responsiveness of production applications enables service level alerting and readiness checks.

4. Simplified printer management and a more seamless printing experience - XenApp 5 includes Printer Management, a comprehensive set of tools for managing printers, printer drivers, policies and performance. Through its advanced printer management capabilities such as driver management, XPS-based Universal Print Driver, compression, bandwidth control, and printer routing, XenApp 5 reduces administrative effort by providing administrators the tools they need to manage a high-performance printing environment. With XenApp 5 users now have a printing experience with the performance and flexibility they demand, resulting in greater satisfaction and productivity.

5. Improved network performance - The efficient use of WAN bandwidth has a direct impact on the productivity of branch office and mobile users. XenApp 5 provides WAN Optimization to deliver LAN-like application performance over the WAN by accelerating the movement of data across the WAN, making branch office and mobile workers more productive and enabling increased collaboration over existing links.

6. Enhanced security and stability with Windows Server 2008 - XenApp 5 leverages the new security and architectural enhancements in Windows Server 2008. Some of the key platform enhancements include User Account Control (UAC), Protected-mode Internet Explorer, Windows Firewall, and Service-specific Security Identifiers (SIDs).

7. Multi-platform support - With support for both Windows Server 2008 and Windows Server 2003 and the ability to use both platforms within a single XenApp server farm, XenApp 5 enables a smooth transition to the Windows Server 2008 platform.

8. Additional application delivery enhancements - XenApp 5 delivers more than 50 additional features and enhancements to improve user productivity, reduce operational costs, and provide businesses the flexibility and agility they need to operate. These include IPv6 support, ClearType Font smoothing, Special Folder Redirection, a new Installation Manager on Windows Server 2008, Single Sign-on enhancements, and many others.