Case Study: Aarburg School achieves fast, secure, centrally managed virtual desktops with Citrix XenDesktop

Virtual desktops are revolutionising the computer science school

Aarburg, a Swiss school district spanning kindergarten through secondary education, faced a fragmented, poorly maintained IT environment with mixed Linux and Windows systems, self‑installed software and aging PCs that hampered teaching. School leaders wanted central administration, better security, up‑to‑date software and flexible remote access for teachers while reducing administration overhead and power use.

Working with Steffen computer science, the district centralized 250 virtual desktops in a nearby data center using Citrix XenDesktop and XenServer, delivered over fiber to thin clients and notebooks, with Citrix NetScaler securing remote access. The result: 30‑second desktop startups, three standardized desktop images, integrated multimedia and peripherals, secure teacher access from home, automatic backups, much lower workstation maintenance and reduced energy consumption.