ProHealth Care Standardizes on Citrix for Improved Web and Client/Server Application Delivery

Business Wire, Sept 25, 2006

Citrix Presentation Server and Citrix NetScaler Enables Innovative Healthcare Access Solution

FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. -- Citrix Systems, Inc. (Nasdaq:CTXS), the global leader in access infrastructure solutions, today announced that ProHealth Care, a leading healthcare system serving Wisconsin residents in the Milwaukee area, has standardized on Citrix products as the most effective way to remotely deliver mission-critical applications to physicians and their medical staff offices. By implementing Citrix Presentation Server(TM) for client-server applications and Citrix(R) NetScaler(R) for web applications, ProHealth Care is able to ensure that all business applications have the fastest performance, highest security and lowest possible cost, regardless of the application type. By eliminating many of the traditional problems of application delivery, ProHealth Care has been free to implement innovative new ways to improve data sharing among its caregivers through its Virtual Electronic Health Record initiative.

Before turning to Citrix, ProHealth Care searched for a solution that would give physicians and remote staff fast, secure, reliable access to critical information from any location. Additionally, the organization needed a solution robust enough to deliver resource-heavy scheduling and clinic applications to users regardless of location or device. Because these applications were primarily client-server based, ProHealth Care chose Citrix Presentation Server as the best way to deliver them. Unlike alternative approaches, Presentation Server allowed for remote application and data access from anywhere while keeping sensitive patient information safe in a central location. Best of all, Presentation Server was able to deliver these applications at a much lower cost than would have otherwise been possible.

"Our vision has been to create a virtual electronic health record through which physicians and other staff can share data and applications easily, efficiently and securely," said Cynthia Overby, manager of network services, ProHealth Care. "For the past five years, Citrix Presentation Server has been the backbone of realizing this vision through ProHealth Care's EHR Advantage initiative, which has helped attract and support top physicians throughout the state."

Recently, ProHealth Care realized that it needed a similar application delivery solution for the growing number of web-based applications in their environment. After an extensive evaluation process, they selected Citrix NetScaler based on its market-leading combination of high-speed load balancing and content switching with state-of-the-art application acceleration, data compression, SSL acceleration and application security into a single, tightly integrated solution. Deployed in front of application servers, the NetScaler solution also significantly reduces processing overhead on backend application and database servers, further reducing hardware and bandwidth costs.

"Citrix NetScaler solved the problem of web application delivery for us and set a bar no other product could match for performance and reliability," said Harold Cramer, senior network engineer, ProHealth Care. "Presentation Server and NetScaler work extremely well together, giving our physicians an easy-to-use, seamless access experience to all their mission-critical applications, regardless of application type. Users like it because they get great application response times, while IT likes it because we can ensure strong security and the lowest possible cost of delivery."

"When a surgeon is waiting for information, you can't say, 'Stand by please. The application is a bit slow right now.' You need to know that your mission-critical applications are going to be there for you when you need them, and you shouldn't have to compromise security or cost to achieve that goal," said Wes Wasson, corporate vice president, product marketing and strategy, Citrix Systems. "Citrix understands the application delivery, security and reliability demands that healthcare systems require and is proud to lead medical information innovations like the one ProHealth Care has devised over the last few years."

About Citrix Presentation Server

Citrix Presentation Server, the #1 application virtualization solution, enables applications to be centrally deployed and managed while providing easy, secure, instant access for any user anywhere -- ensuring the best total cost of ownership (TCO), security, availability, and performance for client/server applications. Presentation Server completely abstracts applications from user's computers, while delivering a local application access experience with full use of user devices and printers. Application business logic runs on a central server, transmitting only screen pixels, keystrokes, and mouse movements -- no actual data -- via an encrypted channel to users' computers. Keeping applications under the centralized control of IT administrators enhances data security, allows maximum user mobility and reduces the costs of managing separate clients and applications on every user's desktop. Presentation Server runs on virtually any platform, from Microsoft(R) Windows Server(TM) 2003 x64 Edition to Windows Server 2003, Windows(R) 2000 Server, and UNIX(R).