Cisco and Citrix Systems today announced that they have entered into a strategic alliance to develop and deliver solutions that help customers simplify and accelerate large-scale desktop virtualization deployments. Through this alliance, Cisco and Citrix will drive innovations that simplify the deployment of high-definition virtual desktops and applications and improve end-user experiences over a highly secure Citrix HDX-enabled Cisco network. The companies will also continue to enhance and build upon their data center solutions and cloud technologies to help accelerate deployment of cloud services.

As the industry transitions from the PC era to the cloud era where mobile work forces need to access media-rich applications from any device, anywhere, anytime, enterprises are turning to desktop virtualization to give them the benefits of the security, flexibility and cost-savings by delivering desktops and applications as a centralized service. Innovative solutions like Cisco Virtualization Experience Infrastructure (VXI) with Citrix XenDesktop span desktop virtualization, networking, datacenter, multimedia and endpoint devices to support customers through this transition.

Delivering Virtual Desktops Services Anywhere, Anytime on Any Device

Combining Cisco leadership in networking, datacenter, endpoint devices and collaboration, with Citrix leadership in virtualization and the delivery of desktops, applications and data, this alliance is aimed at delivering solutions that help enterprises easily and cost effectively deploy virtual desktops to millions of PCs, Macs, tablets, smartphones and thin clients. This alliance will also deliver data center solutions that make it easier for organizations to deploy the infrastructure required to deliver IT as a service across multiple networks and geographies. Cisco and Citrix are committed to collaborating and exploring innovative new technology integrations in key areas such as:

• Enhancing Cisco networking products with full support for Citrix HDX Technology: The companies are committed to supporting Citrix HDX technology in targeted Cisco industry-leading networking solutions to deliver an enhanced high-definition experience for users of Citrix XenDesktop and XenApp solutions.

As the first result of the strategic alliance agreement, Cisco will deliver a new release of Cisco Wide Area Application Services (WAAS) optimized for Citrix XenDesktop and Citrix HDX technology in the fourth quarter of this year. Announced today as part of the next phase of Cisco’s VXI, an open, validated virtual workspace solution, WAAS will further enhance the performance of virtual desktops and applications over Cisco networking infrastructure (see related announcement).

• Enhanced device and integrated multimedia support: Cisco and Citrix will collaborate to deliver an optimized user experience for virtual desktops and applications for Cisco endpoint devices. This will include collaboration across Cisco rich media, voice, video and collaboration endpoint devices such as the Cisco Virtual Experience Clients (VXCs) and the Cisco Cius enterprise tablet – with the virtual desktop and application capabilities of Citrix XenDesktop, and the Citrix Receiver universal software client.
• Accelerating Datacenter Innovation with Cisco UCS, Citrix XenDesktop and Citrix XenServer: Over the past year, Cisco and Citrix have been bringing the reality of virtual desktop computing to our customers. With the Cisco Unified Computing System (Cisco UCS) extended memory and Unified Fabric Cisco and Citrix virtual desktop solutions, the companies deliver the industry’s highest virtual desktop densities and best performance available on the market today. Building on this success, the companies will continue to extend the collaboration to drive further design validation and optimization enhancements with Cisco UCS and XenDesktop and Citrix XenServer.