by CUGC HQ
Member of the Month
David Brett
United Kingdom
What Citrix technologies are most important to your work?
XenApp, XenDesktop, PVS and NetScaler
Day to day I mainly tend to find myself involved in App and Desktop delivery, whenever possible I try to front this all with a Citrix NetScaler (more than 1 normally!) to provide a fully redundant solution at all layers of the delivery stack.
It’s very satisfying when you get a component failure but your infrastructure just drops over to another site and carries on working, no one any the wiser.
What current tech trends are you most interested in?
App Layering and Containers – Whilst this is not the silver bullet for all app delivery issues, I think it does go a long way to resolving the problems we have all been faced with for years – “How do I get ALL my apps on a single base image in a simple, clean, fast and manageable way?” There are a lot of good vendors out there currently innovating at an alarming pace, and it’s often tough to keep up!
NetScaler and MAS – #NetScalerRocks – this is an obvious choice for me!
Fitness Tracking – I am a keen surfer, kite surfer and squash player, I like what technology is doing for the fitness industry as a whole. Technology is making people more aware of what they are doing and how it affects their body. This is a good thing and it’s only going from strength to strength.
What was the most exciting announcement for you at Citrix Synergy 2016?
The Citrix CTA Program!
I think the Citrix and Microsoft partnership will drive the ability to offer Citrix services from the cloud in an easier, more simple and flexible manner. If you are not looking at the cloud then you should be or will be in the near future in my opinion.
Core Product Focus – I like the fact that Citrix is focusing back on their core product offering again. In my opinion, they kind of lost their way a little over the past few years but it’s good to see them back on track putting a lot of effort into what they do best: App, Desktop and Mobile delivery over any network. That said – don’t stop innovating!
NetScaler – I love the fact that NetScaler got a lot more airtime at this year’s Synergy. It’s always been the unsung hero in my opinion and has a great deal to offer that not everyone knows about. I like the look of the new Management and Analytics System coming out.
You’re one of the leaders for the CUGC Networking SIG. What do you want everyone to know about the SIG?
The CUGC Networking SIG was put in place to try and bridge the gap between the Customers, IT Pros and Product Teams regarding the networking stack surrounding the Citrix product portfolio. This is heavily focused (but not exclusively) on the Citrix NetScaler product.
We intended to offer more than just a support forum when we all set the SIG up and have started to head down that path now with blog posts and our upcoming Webinar on the NetScaler 11.1 and MAS release.
The whole idea of the SIG is community engagement and knowledge sharing, the more the better!
The other thing I think people should know about the SIG is that it’s free! Really – totally free. Won’t cost you a Pound/Euro/Dollar to join and you get to hang out and meet some great people who share the same interest in Citrix Networking as you do. After all, the entire EUC and Mobility stack no matter where you run it needs a network to provide connectivity and resilience. Why would you not want to know more about that!
When you attend tech conferences, what are the three things you can’t live without?
Apple Watch, iPhone and MacBook Pro. Yep – you guessed it – Apple Fan Boy. Let me explain my reasons though!
Apple Watch – I love it! I know the battery is rubbish and there are loads of things that still need refining, but it tells me when I have to do things by tapping me on my wrist. Anyone who knows me knows that I am (very) forgetful. This is a great way for me being able to pretend I can remember all appointments without having to continually check my phone!
iPhone – Keep in touch. This is an obvious one for me. When at tech conferences, sometimes things get a little intense on a technical front. There is nothing better than getting a FaceTime from the wife and kids (in my case 3 year old twins) at the end of a long day to unwind!
MacBook Pro – Work. I normally find that even when away at conferences your work does not tend to stop. Plus it has a small lab running on it that I can use whilst traveling.
