Citrix Launches Workspace Cloud

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Citrix on Thursday announced the launch and general availability of its Workspace Cloud platform, which it says will help partners be more innovative when engaging with clients.

Workspace Cloud gives customers the ability to first choose which clouds or data-center resources best fit their needs, and then select the applications, data, files and features that work best for each organization and each person. The announcement was made during a virtual launch event.

Jesse Lipson, Citrix’s vice president and general manager of cloud services, said Workspace Cloud is the “fastest and easiest way to centrally manage and securely deliver apps and data from the cloud you choose.” It is available as a subscription-based service, and subscribers can choose either the entire suite or a limited deployment with the option of future expansion.

Workspace Cloud, which includes XenApp and XenDesktop, creates a new control plane that merges on-premises equipment with the cloud, allowing IT managers to create mobile workspaces that include desktops, applications and data from whichever infrastructure source meets their specific needs, according to Citrix.

Calvin Hsu, Citrix’s vice president of product marketing for desktop and applications, said Workspace Cloud is a “platform for innovation” for its channel partners. It offers them the ability to engage with their customers, expand their range of services and expand into new markets, he said.

Craig Jeske, GTRI’s manager of sales engineering, said Workspace Cloud “elevates our conversation with clients to that of a true business partnership.” GTRI has been a Citrix partner for nearly 10 years.

“We’re in a better position to look at their business problems and solve them with technology, as opposed to a model where we just try to sell stuff,” he said. “We’re now talking about actual business needs, as opposed to technology or IT needs. So we’re a partner, not a reseller, with our clients.”

Workspace Cloud can accommodate the needs of a variety of end users, including current customers spread across numerous locations and those that are transitioning due to a merger or acquisition, as well as new customers, Hsu said.

Partners can add value by designing customized workspaces suited to meet their customers’ business requirements, combining new Citrix technologies with existing Citrix workspace environments. When polled, more than 80 percent of users said multiple clouds are “critically important for them,” so Workspace Cloud has the ability to support that, Lipson said.