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.