At its annual Synergy conference in Los Angeles this week Citrix (CTXS) unveiled a number of solutions that provide key components of mobile workspaces infrastructure. The event conversation can be followed on Twitter hashtag #CitrixSynergy.
Application access has been a key tenent of the Citrix strategy since it was founded 25 years ago. Its mobile roadmap looks to remove barriers for business mobility and to empower customers to choose when, where and how work gets done. The mobile vision for secure and personalized mobile workspaces includes application and desktop virtualization, mobile app and device management, data sharing and sync and cloud networking.
Workspace Suite
Citrix announced Workspace Suite, which unites virtualization, mobility, networking and cloud services technologies to make it easier for people to work anywhere, with instant, secure access to all apps, desktops, data and services from any device over any network. With WAN optimization and an access gateway for management and support, the Workspaces Suite features a universal client across tablets, smartphones, PCs, Macs or thin clients. Enterprise-grade security ensures data and applications are always secure and compliant.
The single, flexible solution streamlines application and desktop deployment and lifecycle management to reduce IT costs. Citrix Workspace Suite provides a unified app store that aggregates Windows, web, SaaS and mobile apps for delivery to any device. Workers can access all of their applications, data and even their personalized desktops from any corporate or BYO device, including tablets, smartphones, PCs, Macs or thin clients. At the same time, IT can customize and secure the right set of applications, desktop and data to deliver to workers while optimizing the content to meet the performance, personalization and mobility requirements of each individual.
"Mobile workspaces are playing a key role in addressing the new organizational imperative around secure mobility," said Mark Bowker, Senior Analyst at Enterprise Strategy Group. "Citrix Workspace Suite addresses these needs by providing a comprehensive platform that arms employees with the flexibility to securely access apps, data, and services from anywhere, on any device."
Citrix and Cisco (CSCO) announced a tested and validated enterprise mobility infrastructure solution. Cisco and Citrix are expanding their existing joint portfolio of solutions and go-to-market activities around desktop virtualization, cloud services and networking to mobile workspaces. Cisco Mobile Workspace Solution delivers a complete mobility platform by incorporating Citrix Workspace Suite.
Workspace Services
Citrix also launched Workspace Services, a cloud-based platform for designing, building and delivering mobile workspaces. The service allows both partners and customers to rapidly build and offer desktops-as-a-service (DaaS), virtual application delivery and mobility services from any cloud. The service is designed as an extensible, multi-tenant platform for partners, including Citrix Service Providers, system integrators and channel partners. It gives users a complete portfolio of services, delivering a complete mobile workspace. Workspace Services includes user-focused insights to analyze end-user experience, usage, environment and service performance across all locations and clouds. This gives partners and customers the ability to leverage cloud analytics to monitor both new cloud deployments and existing on-premises deployments and correlate issues across the environment.
"With Workspace Services, Citrix is building upon its leadership in DaaS to help our customers and partners more rapidly take advantage of cloud delivery to create complete mobile workspaces for their users," said Mitch Parker, Vice President and General Manager, Citrix Cloud Services. "Workspace Services gives customers and partners what no other vendor can, a choice in clouds, the ability to deliver a wide range of workspace services, with the high-definition user experience that users have come to expect from Citrix."
NetScaler MobileStream
Citrix announced the availability of NetScaler MobileStream technology, which provides advanced cloud and mobile networking capabilities. Coupling NetScaler MobileStream and the Mobile Workspace Suite offers purpose-built mobile networking functionality for an end-to-end solution. NetScaler MobileStream intelligently optimizes the amount of data to be downloaded, with multi-layer optimization for content streaming that maximizes mobile page downloads and rendering. It also transparently leverages wireless and cellular connectivity with intelligent dual network mode technology. NetScaler MobileStream provides flexible per-app and per-user access management controls that enable secure mobile access and also help eliminate mobile data leaks to unauthorized mobile devices.
