Microsoft and Citrix have worked closely together for decades, but that partnership goes one step further today. Microsoft has partnered with Citrix to use the company’s Citrix Workspace portal as its “preferred digital workspace solution,” and Citrix is using Microsoft Azure as its preferred cloud platform. It is an agreement designed to accelerate Citrix customers to move to the cloud and virtual desktops.
Microsoft has been investing heavily in Windows virtual desktops recently, since the pandemic forced many companies to work from home. The use of Windows Virtual Desktop has grown more than three times in recent months, and Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella has prioritized work on Microsoft computers and Windows virtual desktops recently. Microsoft is even working to improve Windows application development to run cloud applications.
Both Microsoft and Citrix will share tools for the transition from local server companies to Azure and will work on a roadmap for flexible work that will include joint offerings from Citrix Workspace, Azure, Microsoft 365 and more.
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While Microsoft and Citrix are working more closely together, it is not an exclusive agreement. “Both Citrix and Microsoft will maintain their enduring support option policies for those customers requesting alternatives to meet their business requirements,” says a Microsoft spokesperson.
The deal is clearly the result of increased adoption of cloud solutions, virtual desktops, and remote work during the ongoing pandemic. “The COVID-19 pandemic has forced companies around the world to change the way employees work, while meeting the speed and security requirements of today’s uncertain business environment,” explains the CEO. from Citrix, David Henshall. “Looking to the future, hybrid work models will become the standard for many clients and will require a flexible infrastructure to support, secure and empower their teams.”
Citrix now plans to build a “Microsoft-centric” workspace that improves integration with Windows Virtual Desktop, Microsoft 365, and Microsoft Teams. There are also promises of performance improvements and better functionality in the future. The deal seems like an obvious victory for Microsoft Azure and for mutual customers already using Citrix to remotely access Windows desktops hosted in the company’s data centers or in the cloud.
