Microsoft partners with Citrix to accelerate the future of work

Microsoft and Citrix have been working closely together for decades, but that partnership goes one step further. Microsoft has partnered with Citrix to use the company’s Citrix workspace portal as its “preferred digital workspace solution,” and Citrix uses Microsoft Azure as its preferred cloud platform. This is a contract designed to move Citrix customers to the cloud and virtual desktops.

Recently, Microsoft has been investing heavily in Windows virtual desktops since the epidemic forced many businesses to move from home to work. Windows virtual desktop usage has more than tripled in recent months, and Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella has recently prioritized work on both Microsoft teams and Windows virtual desktops. Microsoft is also working on improving the Windows application for running cloud applications.

Both Citrix and Microsoft will maintain long-term policies that support the choice of customers seeking alternative ways to meet their business needs.

Enabling the Agile Enterprise

It has accelerated the need for global epidemiology companies to adopt a flexible operating approach that allows them to manage their resources – from skills to offices to technology – in a dynamic way that can be quickly scaled to adapt to changing market conditions.

As mentioned in the Blog, “The COVID-19 pandemic has forced businesses around the world to change the way that employees work, while still meeting the speed and security requirements that today’s uncertain business environment demands. Looking forward, hybrid work models will become the standard for many customers, requiring a flexible infrastructure to support, secure, and empower their teams,” says David Henshall, President and CEO, Citrix. “Together, Citrix and Microsoft can deliver a powerful digital workspace in a trusted and secure public cloud where employees can access everything they need to engage and be productive whether they are at home, in the office, or on the road.”

Providing the future of work today

As this partnership deepens today, Citrix and Microsoft are helping CIOs reduce risk, cost, and complexity in accelerating the transition to the cloud to implement greater agility, productivity, and security. Combining the power of the cloud with Microsoft Azure, Microsoft 365 and Citrix workplaces provides a flexible work platform by providing integrated access to all of the applications, content, and business services where work is required and must be productive and secure at all times.

“As organizations everywhere adapt to new ways of work, they will need to reimagine how and where work gets done,” said Satya Nadella, CEO, Microsoft. “Together with Citrix, we will apply the power of Azure to this challenge, helping our customers seamlessly and securely connect their employees to their applications, so they can be more agile and productive wherever they are.”

Deep relationships

As part of the new deal, Citrix and Microsoft will create an integrated roadmap that makes it easier to transfer application workloads to Assyria and improve the performance of Windows virtual desktops. Together, Citrix Virtual Apps and Desktops, Citrix Managed Desktops and Windows Virtual Desktops provide customers with a complete and unobtrusive way to run their application workloads and access Windows-based applications on devices or platforms.

Citrix will invest in creating the Microsoft-centric Citrix workspace and providing in-depth integrations to improve performance, functionality and Microsoft applications for the Windows Virtual Desktop for Windows 365, including Microsoft teams.

In addition, Citrix will use Azure and Microsoft 365 in its operations to accelerate innovation and improve productivity.