Medellín, Colombia, uses virtualization software to bring

education to the farthest reaches of its community,

streamline costs and reduce energy consumption.

Read more on how Citrix helped Medellín evolve into

the most innovative city in the world.

WORK BETTER.

Anywhere Access:Meet the New Medellín, Colombia

In February 2012, the school district of Medellín, Colombia, implemented the Digital Transformation of Education Initiative that launched high-tech computer classrooms throughout the city.

Faced with high poverty rates, Medellín needed a solution that would have a large impact on it’s overarching civic initiatives. The city’s leaders believe that a path to a better future lies in technology. Therefore, one of their major goals is to make Medellín a global digital city by the year 2016.

The Secretary of Education, Dr. Luz Elena Gaviria, selected Citrix to help

accomplish this goal and provide anywhere access to all of the schools.

The city uses Citrix desktop virtualization to deliver high-quality, cost-effective

programs to over 400 schools. Citrix® XenAppTM and XenDesktop® allow

teachers to rely on a centralized datacenter to access the K–12 curriculum

and community outreach materials. It also means they can use older and

low-cost devices to enable lower-income or disenfranchised community

members to still have state-of-the-art materials in their homes and schools.

The Citrix model streamlines IT operations and has reduced energy

consumption by 25% per year. The schools have also cut electronic waste

by 50%, by doubling the effective life of computers in each school. These

cost savings are then redistributed to community education programs and

school improvement projects.

By selecting Citrix, the city of Medellín has taken a vital step in

accomplishing its civic goals. The platform has adapted to the city’s

unique needs while also taking their financial limitations into account.

More importantly, it has helped to revolutionize education in Medellín,

thus preparing its children to be citizens of the world.

“ We were drawn to Citrix because we found they understood us. We were a team, it became part of the Medellín community.”

“ Citrix has become a very important tool at my school,” says Diana Franco, teacher at San Juan Bosco Educational Institution.

Since the implementation of Citrix virtualization software at her school, Diana is able to accomplish more with her students

because she spends less time keeping her computers working and she’s able to use less expensive equipment without

sacrificing effectiveness. “The Citrix advantage is speed and stability, knowing that if I need something on the 45 computers,

I simply have to install the software on one computer and then I have 45 stations that can access that information. Whereas

before that had to be done one by one, and it took a lot of time.”

Revolutionizing the classroom through virtualization software.

The geography of Medellín proved a challenge for the IT network. Citrix

helped develop a “node-based” cloud network built on XenDesktop

and NetScaler to ensure the delivery of virtual Windows® desktops to

even the most remote parts of the community. A centralized datacenter

is connected to strategically placed “node schools” throughout the

city. Each of these “node schools” has additional local servers that

can provide virtual Windows desktops to other schools. If a “node”

goes down, connectivity is seamlessly provided by the rest of the

cloud network. This ensures that no school is without access to the

IT resources they need.

The resilient cloud network“ Technology truly breaks down barriers. It makes me hopeful for the future of Medellín.”

NetScaler

Citrix (NASDAQ:CTXS) is the cloud company that enables mobile workstyles—empowering people to work and collaborate

from anywhere, easily and securely. With market-leading solutions for mobility, desktop virtualization, cloud networking, cloud

platforms, collaboration and data sharing, Citrix helps organizations achieve the speed and agility necessary to succeed in

a mobile and dynamic world. Citrix products are in use at more than 260,000 organizations and by over 100 million users

globally. Annual revenue in 2012 was $2.59 billion. Learn more at www.citrix.com/workbetter

“All 400,000 students have equal access to equal information.”