Does Citrix Really have a User Environment Management and App Layering Gap?

Ever since VMware dipped their toe in the water with their acquisition of CloudVolumes and Immidio for App Layering and Better User Profile Management, rumors have been flying on what Citrix will do.

Does Citrix Really NEED to go further in UEM/App Layering?
Citrix has long focused on their core desktop offerings XenApp and XenDesktop.  They continue to lead the market by keeping their focus on their main line of business.  The estimated 100 million desktop users of XenApp and XenDesktop far outweigh the fraction of the market VMware Horizon has attained.

Citrix has basic user profile management covered with Citrix UPM while VMware never had a scalable solution.  VMware on the other had was forced throw more money after the problem of user profile stickiness after three failed attempts; User Data Disk, Virtual Profile Manager, and Mirage, all of which once touted to solve user profiles.

Citrix is also working on a layering technology built on Citrix PVD, Citrix AppDisk.   Also, we should not forget about the related exclusive solution they have with AppDNA.

Citrix UPM is often “good enough” for many POCs, Pilots, and basic Citrix environments. From an early look at Citrix AppDisk, it may too fall into the same category of “good enough” for certain use cases.  There will always be use cases where these solutions don’t fit or are limited and that’s why there is a healthy third-party market for UEM and Layering solutions.

VMware has taken another route, with a market message that competes with partners like Liquidware Labs, AppSense, etc.  Even still, many VMware customers and partners continue to select best of breed, third-party solutions for capabilities that neither App Volumes, nor VMware UEM can provide.

These are interesting times for vendors and platform partners like Citrix and VMware.

For now, Citrix seems to be filling any void for people looking beyond UPM and the forthcoming AppDisk with third-party Citrix Ready verified solutions, their enviable partner network that verifies solutions for XenDesktop and XenApp compatibility. The term “Citrix Ready Verified” means that Citrix themselves have tested the solution(s) and it is verified. Citrix also helps to market Citrix Ready solutions through many vehicles such as this Joint Solutions Brief. The net result is that customers that need something more can find Citrix Verified solutions that fit their use case best without being shoehorned into something that may not fit their needs.  It also allows Citrix to focus on the things that have made them a corporate name. Citrix also continues to differentiate themselves in other ways, such as their focus on Citrix Workspace Cloud and their exclusive AppDNA technology.

Of course not all third-party solutions are equal.  It’s no secret that VMware recently imitated Liquidware Labs market approach with their “Workspace Environment Management” bundle.  We continue to feature a long list of innovative exclusive features that solve more UEM use cases, layer more types of apps with greater flexibility, and give you more Visibility to your Windows desktop environment.  We’ll also continue to innovate to ensure customers have a clear choice for full featured User Environment Management, Application Layering, and Visibility monitoring. Liquidware Labs delivers the most complete bundle at the most affordable price in the industry.

If you want to learn more about Liquidware Labs’ Citrix Verified solutions for User Environment Management, Application Layering, and unparalleled Visibility monitoring, you can attend our joint webinar with the Citrix Ready partner program on July 21, 2015.  Register now by following this link.