To
make it simpler and easier for partners and customers to securely
deploy and manage apps and desktops through XenApp and XenDesktop,
Citrix today announced the acquisition of Unidesk, the inventor of the
groundbreaking Windows application packaging and management technology
known as layering.
"Unidesk
has been recognized by customers and industry analysts as the clear
leader in application layering, offering multiple unique advantages that
streamline secure app delivery and VDI deployments and make them easier
to manage," said Jeroen van Rotterdam, senior vice president of
Engineering at Citrix. "By incorporating Unidesk technology into XenApp
and XenDesktop, Citrix advances its industry leadership by offering the
most powerful and easy to deploy application layering solution available
for delivering and managing app and desktops in the cloud, on-premises
and in hybrid deployment environments."
Application
layering has emerged as the best way to separate apps from the
underlying operating system, so they can be managed once and delivered
from any end user computing solution to any device. Application
compatibility is one of the most important criteria to getting the value
out of any layering solution, and Unidesk stands apart in the industry
as having vastly greater application compatibility compared to the
competition.
Only
Unidesk offers full-stack layering technology, which enhances
compatibility by layering the entire Windows workspace as modular
virtual disks, including the Windows operating system itself (OS layer),
apps (app layers), and a writable persistent layer that captures all
user settings, apps, and data. With its groundbreaking Unidesk 4.0
architecture, Citrix customers will be able to leverage the most
scalable and feature-rich app-layering solution that simplifies the
transition to the cloud, with the need to only manage a single app image
across both on-premises and cloud-based deployments.
"Citrix
and Unidesk are a natural combination, and we see tremendous value for
customers and partners, along with significant potential for growth for
our solution," said Don Bulens, president and CEO of Unidesk. "Citrix
created the market for VDI and secure app and data delivery and is the
clear industry leader, so it makes the most sense to integrate our
offerings into a comprehensive solution that makes deployment and
management easy, while delivering an unbeatable user experience."
Citrix
will continue to sell Unidesk as a standalone product for VMware
Horizon and Microsoft virtual desktop deployment customers.