This week at WHD.global, Citrix is introducing a new “Cloud Provider Pack” for hosting providers delivering Windows apps and desktops as a hosted cloud service.

This powerful new collection of enabling technologies, available exclusively to certified Citrix Service Providers (CSPs), makes it easy to set up “Windows-as-a-Service” hosting businesses that are simpler to run, less costly and better optimized for mobile devices. Citrix will highlight the Cloud Provider Pack in the main.FORUM and hosting.SESSION portions of the conference, as well as the hosting.FAIR stand.

In order to grow to cloud-scale while maintaining profitability and quality customer service, cloud providers need efficiencies in the data center, superior end-user experience with all types of apps, and support for every type of device. The Citrix Cloud Provider Pack delivers the next generation of seamless app technologies that combines all app experiences into a single, cloud-hosted desktop:

• Multi-tenant, Automated Windows Apps and Desktops for Increased Cloud Efficiency:  Extensive automation is a requirement in order to attain cloud-scale and cloud-economics. “App orchestration technology” is a groundbreaking new capability in the Cloud Provider Pack that automates the design, configuration, deployment and lifecycle maintenance of Windows apps and desktops hosted by CSPs for multiple tenants, across multiple farms. Now, cloud provider admins can define a workspace, performance characteristics, network configuration, isolation requirements, and have the orchestration engine complete the deployment – hands-free – from a single interface. In addition, a new update to Citrix CloudPortal™ Services Manager provides out-of-the-box support for app orchestration, enabling the hosted desktop infrastructure to dynamically respond to account provisioning requests via the portal.
• Seamless Apps for the Cloud Era:  For decades, Citrix has led the industry in “seamless apps” – enabling an app that’s running in a remote datacenter to integrate with a local desktop environment, making it practically impossible to tell whether it is running locally or virtually. The Cloud Provider Pack takes this technology into the Cloud Era with new capabilities designed specifically for the cloud.  End users can now have their personal, local apps alongside private-cloud business apps from their employer, all seamlessly presented in a cloud-hosted desktop with standard productivity suites. This unique ability to combine personal, private and public cloud components not only improves the end user experience, but also simplifies customer on-boarding for cloud providers. It is no longer necessary to migrate every app in the entire customer desktop environment to the cloud prior to rolling out cloud desktops; providers can move the easy ones first, transition more difficult ones later, and even leave some apps local as desired.
• Mobility-Optimized Windows Apps and Desktops: With the proliferation of the consumerization of IT, most businesses today are looking for a way to bridge the gap between mobile devices and Windows apps and desktops while keeping the experience intuitive and friendly. While there are many ways to view a Windows desktop from a tablet, making the experience usable and touch-friendly is another matter. The Mobility Pack (first introduced in December 2011) transforms the standard Windows PC experience into a more touch-friendly interface, with larger icons, iOS and Android-native menus and options, and auto pop-up keyboard for text entry. The latest enhancements in the Mobility Pack include a complete SDK for customizing specific apps for mobility, and these customizations can even allow hosted apps to interact seamlessly with GPS, Camera, or SMS. Combined with the industry leading performance of Citrix HDX™ technology and the millions of mobile devices enabled by Citrix Receiver™, cloud providers can offer subscribers a new level of mobile experience.

Product Availability
The Citrix Cloud Provider Pack will be available by the end of March and will support hosted shared apps and desktops running on Citrix XenApp® 6.5. The pack will be provided free of charge to all CSPs using the “Premium” edition. The Mobility Pack is currently available for all editions of XenApp 6.5.

Citrix Service Provider Program
To learn more about the Citrix Service Provider program and join the rapidly growing base of more than 1,500 members, please visit https://www.citrix.com/csp.

Quote
Bill Burley, Group Vice President and General Manager, Cloud App Delivery
“Gone are the days when apps could be contained to the desktop or the datacenter – now they originate from personal, private and public clouds. Cloud providers need solutions to grow and manage their businesses efficiently, while providing the applications and device flexibility their customers require.  The Citrix Cloud Provider Pack brings Desktop-as-a-Service to a new level by delivering advanced technologies that make life easier for cloud providers while providing an enhanced experience for end users.”

Related Links:

• Citrix CSP Program home page
• XenApp Mobility Pack download page
• Announcement:  Citrix Extends Its Commitment to the Mobile Workstyles Revolution
• Expert blog: Mobility Pack and Mobile App SDK v1 released
• Expert blog: Mobilize Your Enterprise
• Announcement:  New Citrix CloudPortal Turns Clouds into Profitable Businesses

 

About Citrix
Citrix Systems, Inc. (NASDAQ:CTXS) transforms how businesses and IT work and people collaborate in the cloud era. With market-leading cloud, collaboration, networking and virtualization technologies, Citrix powers mobile workstyles and cloud services, making complex enterprise IT simpler and more accessible for 260,000 organizations. Citrix products touch 75 percent of Internet users each day and it partners with more than 10,000 companies in 100 countries. Annual revenue in 2011 was $2.21 billion. Learn more at www.citrix.com.