While the setup and configuration on the firm end is quite simple, the client end can be quirky and unreliable. Performance is relatively slow when each command generated at the user end needs to be sent through to the workstation, be performed, and a new screen shot sent back to the remote user. All of these issues are major concerns for some firms. Thin Client Citrix and the Microsoft Terminal Server represent another method to access your firm's databases and images. Both applications are installed and updated on servers, instead of on each client workstation.
Information is transferred by sending video data and screen refresh data only.
Be prepared to spend some money here as Citrix requires a heavy-duty dedicated server to run properly. For 50 users, plan on dual Zeon processors with 1 to 2 GB of RAM just for one application. If the application is Summation or Concordance, you load the appropriate number of licenses for that application onto the Server. Each person who wants to connect to that server must have a Citrix or Terminal Server client license loaded onto their workstation or laptop in order to receive the simple screen shots generated by the Server. For Citrix, the end user can communicate with the server using either Citrix client software or through a standard Internet connection with a Web browser using an interface called NFuse.