As organizations continue to embrace Citrix Virtual Apps and Desktops (formerly known as XenApp and XenDesktop), they often encounter challenges related to application delivery, management, and user experience. Liquidware FlexApp is Citrix Ready verified and offers robust a solution to these challenges, making them ideal companions for Citrix environments, whether deployed on-premises or in the cloud. I’ve spoken to our partners and customers and refined seven key ways in which Liquidware’s FlexApp and FlexApp One enhance and streamline the user experience and application management in Citrix Virtual Apps and Desktops environments.

Application Layering Made Easy
Liquidware FlexApp continues to introduce more and more enterprises to a groundbreaking approach to application delivery: app attached layering. This technology decouples applications from the underlying operating system, simplifying application management, updates, and compatibility. Instead of installing applications directly onto the base image or individual virtual machines, administrators can package applications in VHDX containers then assign them to specific users or groups based on their requirements.

FlexApp allows IT teams to the possibility of maintaining a single master image for Citrix Virtual Apps and Desktops while easily customizing the application sets for different user groups. This approach reduces image sprawl, simplifies application updates, and enhances overall image management efficiency.

Reduce Base Images, Streamline Application Updates and Rollbacks
Maintaining several images and related servers to cater to departmental app delivery is commonplace in Citrix environments, it doesn’t have to be that way with FlexApp. FlexApp dynamically attaches applications per user, even in multi-user environments, user A does not see or experience applications that are assigned to user B, and vice versa.

Keeping applications up to date and ensuring that updates don’t disrupt user productivity can be complex in virtualized environments. FlexApp simplifies application updates by allowing IT administrators to update applications within a single application layer/container. This update is then automatically applied to all users who have access to that application, streamlining the update process and ensuring consistency across the environment.

Cloud-Ready Application Delivery
As more organizations migrate their workloads to the cloud, having a flexible and adaptable application delivery solution becomes essential. Liquidware FlexApp seamlessly integrates with Citrix Virtual Apps and Desktops in both on-premises and cloud-based deployments.

With native support for cloud infrastructure providers like Microsoft Azure and Amazon Web Services (AWS), organizations can easily extend their Citrix environments to the cloud while leveraging the benefits of Liquidware’s application layering and user profile management.

FlexApp One
FlexApp features an exclusive alternative delivery format known as FlexApp One. With FlexApp One you can empower users to take apps offline where they can run the app locally on their laptop, regardless of connectivity. FlexApp One packages can also be deployed with popular mainstream software deployment solutions such as Microsoft Intune, Ivanti DSM, or any other software deployment tool.

Seamless User Experience with ProfileUnity
Liquidware ProfileUnity, a companion solution to FlexApp, seamlessly manages user profiles and settings, ensuring consistent experiences across various Citrix Virtual Apps and Desktops sessions. ProfileUnity captures and stores user profiles, applications settings, and data, enabling quick and seamless logins from any location or device.

With ProfileUnity, users can enjoy personalized desktop environments regardless of the underlying infrastructure, be it on-premises or in the cloud. This ensures that user settings, configurations, and preferences persist across sessions, improving productivity and user satisfaction. The solution is compatible with Microsoft FSLogix Profiles, giving you an onramp to full user environment management with ProfileUnity.

Optimal Application Performance and Scalability
One of the biggest challenges in virtual desktop environments is achieving optimal application performance and scalability. Liquidware FlexApp significantly addresses these concerns by reducing the IOPS overhead commonly associated with traditional application delivery methods.

FlexApp’s flexibility enables you to place applications that require require low latency and more throughput on faster storage – and free them of being in main image. This approach reduces IOPS in the main image and enables you to use the fastest or most cost-effective storage available.

By leveraging advanced application layering and on-demand delivery, FlexApp ensures that applications load quickly and efficiently for end-users. This reduces the load on the infrastructure and enhances the overall performance and scalability of the Citrix Virtual Apps and Desktops deployment, ensuring a smooth experience for users, even during peak usage periods.

Liquidware Innovates while others Imitate
Liquidware has been first to market with a long list of innovations including:

–PackageOnce(TM)- Once an app is easily packaged, it works across all supported versions of Microsoft OSs.
–On-Demand with Click-to-layer – FlexApp first introduced apps on demand in 2017 with Click-to-layer. With this feature, if an apps is not clicked, it’s not attached.
–FastPackaging(TM) – apps can be attached in about the time it takes to install them one time.
–High-availability- deliver apps anywhere and anytime without load balancers.
–Packaging Automation- unattended package automation. Package hundreds of apps automatically over a weekend while you rest!
–FlexApp One- self contained apps as described above.

Liquidware FlexApp is an ideal complement to Citrix Virtual Apps and Desktops, offering revolutionary application delivery and management capabilities. From simplifying application layering and profile management to enhancing application performance and scalability, FlexApp empowers organizations to create seamless, efficient, and flexible virtual desktop environments.

Whether deployed on-premises or in the cloud, FlexApp’s adaptability and user-centric approach make it a perfect fit for organizations seeking to optimize their Citrix Virtual Apps and Desktops deployments and deliver a superior end-user experience.