Software
Microsoft and Citrix partners for the development of virtual desktops in Future
Microsoft and Citrix have been working closely together for decades, but that partnership is going a step further today. Microsoft is partnering 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's a contract planned to make Citrix users easier to migrate to cloud and virtual desktops.
Microsoft has been investing extensively in Windows Virtual Desktops since the pandemic caused many companies to migrate to work from home.
Windows Virtual Desktop usage has grown more than three times in recent months, and Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella has recently prioritized work on both Microsoft Teams and Windows Virtual Desktops. Microsoft is also focusing on developing the development of Windows software and cloud-based applications.
Both Microsoft and Citrix will share tools for transitioning businesses from on-site servers to Azure and work on a flexible roadmap that will include Citrix Workspace, Azure, Microsoft 365, and more.
Although Microsoft and Citrix are working more closely together, this is not an exclusive contract. Both Citrix and Microsoft must continue their long-standing position of promoting preference for those consumers who are looking for options to satisfy their market requirements, says Microsoft.
The arrangement is obviously the product of accelerated use of cloud technologies, virtual desktops and remote work during the current pandemic. The COVID-19 pandemic has forced businesses around the world to change the way employees work while still meeting the speed and safety requirements that today's uncertain business environment demands, said David Henshall, CEO of Citrix.
In the future, hybrid work models will become the standard for many customers, requiring a flexible infrastructure to support, secure and empower their teams.
Citrix is now planning to build a "Microsoft-centric" workspace that will improve integration with Windows Virtual Desktop, Microsoft 365, and Microsoft Teams. Performance enhancements and increased accessibility are also expected in the future. The deal looks like a simple victory for Microsoft Azure as well as joint clients who already use Citrix to directly manage Windows desktops located in client data centers or the cloud.
