Recently we delivered our “What’s new and next with Citrix DaaS and Citrix Virtual Apps and Desktops” webinar. We covered the latest and greatest features and innovations in our cloud service, as well as in our on-premises 2206 and 2209 Current Releases. We’d like to thank everyone who joined us. If you missed the webinar, a recording is available on-demand.

We received many great questions from the attendees, so we’ve compiled the most frequently asked questions here and provided brief answers to help you better understand our latest feature enhancements. Let’s look at those top questions and their answers!

Long Term Service Release (LTSR)

The Long Term Service Release (LTSR) of Citrix Virtual Apps and Desktops helps you to better align your organization with the rapid, feature-rich releases of our market-leading app and desktop virtualization solutions.

Will there be new features for on-premises customers? When will we have the new LTSR?
We typically deliver a new LTSR every two to three years. Our LTSR meets strict compliance standards, provides predictable maintenance, and offers an extended lifecycle. You can also leverage the LTSR VDA in your Citrix DaaS environment, allowing you to standardize on a VDA instance and keep it running in production while also taking advantage of the automatic updates from the Citrix Cloud platform.

Earlier this year, we announced the release of the Citrix Virtual Apps and Desktops 2203 LTSR. This latest LTSR release comes packed with purpose-built solutions such as an improved HDX graphics stack, built-in tools to optimize and manage workloads, and public-cloud enhancements. Check out our 2203 LTSR FAQ for more information.

HDX Enhancements

How can I try the latest Microsoft Teams optimizations?
As more organizations explore flexible work arrangements, we’ve seen dramatic increases in the usage of Microsoft Teams as a central component in their collaboration strategy. By default, we bundle all the necessary components into Citrix Workspace app and our Virtual Delivery Agent (VDA). We recommend the latest available version of Microsoft Teams, and for specific features and version compatibility, see our version support feature matrix.

Are there optimizations for other unified communication vendors such as Zoom?
We recognize collaboration solutions such as Microsoft Teams, Zoom, Webex, and others are critical tools for organizations worldwide. We work with these unified communication solutions to help offload voice and video content to the endpoint device to ensure the best possible user experience and server scalability when used with supported Citrix versions and endpoint client devices. When the requirements are not met, such as connecting from an unsupported platform or client device, you can use a generic fallback approach.

View our Reference Architecture to learn how to best deploy your preferred unified communication solution with Citrix.

What is the minimum VDA version needed for Microsoft Teams background blurring?
This highly anticipated feature enables users on Citrix virtual sessions to blur their backgrounds or replace them with an image during calls on Microsoft Teams (current version minus 90 days). This requires Citrix Workspace app for Windows 2207 and VDA 2112 or higher. Learn more about background blurring in our product documentation.

Citrix DaaS

How can I try out Citrix HDX Plus for Windows 365?
To participate in the Citrix HDX Plus for Windows 365 preview, you’ll need to make sure you meet just a few simple prerequisites. On the Windows 365 side, you’ll need to have an Azure Active Directory domain, Microsoft Endpoint Manager, and an active Windows 365 Enterprise subscription. Citrix HDX Plus for Windows 365 is available to all Citrix DaaS Premium and Premium Plus customers. Our short guide can help you complete the integration and customize your environment.

If you are not a current Citrix DaaS Premium or Premium Plus customer and would like to participate in the preview, please contact your Citrix account representative to request a trial.

How are LTSR upgrades handled in Citrix Cloud?
Our goal is to deliver new features and product updates to Citrix DaaS customers when they are available. We have rolling updates to Citrix DaaS that are released approximately every three weeks.

For the VDAs, customers are responsible for VDA updates as required from the LTSR VDA when using it with Citrix DaaS cloud services. See our LTSR FAQ for more information.

Can you elaborate on Citrix DaaS VDA upgrade service? How can I enroll in the preview?
Our cloud-based VDA upgrade feature simplifies the VDA upgrade process for Citrix DaaS administrators by automating upgrades to the latest version of the VDA (CR or LTSR) depending on the type of machine catalog. Since this is a service-based installation, interactive logins mid-upgrade aren’t necessary. This feature allows administrators to upgrade individual machines, or entire catalogs, either on demand or on a schedule you set. Sign up here for the preview of the VDA Upgrade service.

Are there specific requirements for using Rendezvous V2?
Yes. To configure Rendezvous V2, you will need to have Citrix DaaS and you’ll need to access your environment through Citrix Workspace and NetScaler Gateway service. Additionally, it requires VDA version 2203; the Rendezvous protocol must be enabled in the Citrix policy; and the VDAs must have Session Reliability enabled. Find the full requirements and configuration details in our product documentation.

When will MSIX support be available for GA?
MSIX support is targeted for release this quarter. Keep an eye on our Citrix Cloud Updates page for the most up-to-date information.

Is there a plan to expand the Image Portability Service to other hypervisors, such as Nutanix AHV?
Yes. Nutanix AHV support is the next supported platform for Image Portability and is expected to ship this quarter. Please watch our Citrix Cloud Updates page for the most up-to-date information.

Do you have a public roadmap to share?
Yes! You can stay up to date on new and upcoming Citrix technologies and features on our Citrix Cloud updates page.

Citrix Enterprise Browser

What subscription do I need to try Citrix Enterprise Browser?
The Citrix Enterprise Browser is embedded with Citrix Workspace app 2109 for Windows and Mac and is included as part of Citrix Secure Private Access.

Workspace Environment Management (WEM)

Is WEM available for current cloud customers?
As shown on our feature matrix, WEM is available for all editions of Citrix DaaS, as well as in our Advanced and Premium editions of Citrix Virtual Apps and Desktops. If you’re a cloud customer, the WEM cloud service is already included and lets us manage the WEM infrastructure components for you. This gives you more time to focus on the actual value that WEM can bring to up-level user experience and optimize your overall server scalability on the back end. Check out our comprehensive reference architecture on the Workspace Environment Management service on Citrix Tech Zone for more information.

Should we use WEM, group policy, or Citrix policy?
It depends, and in many cases you’ll use all three. WEM provides unique GPO filter options and the ability to apply GPOs to non-domain joined devices managed by WEM. However, it does not replace GPOs overall — it’s more of group policy preferences. Citrix policies define the environment and session settings, such as HDX virtual channel use, and customers will decide if these settings are applied via GPO or Citrix policy based on factors like delegated AD permission and control.

Are there any pre-requisites, besides a certain WEM agent version, to use the WEM Cloud Agent Auto-Update feature?
No. All current versions of the agent support this feature and integrate through the WEM cloud service for control. See our product documentation for more information.

Next Steps

That’s a wrap on our top questions from the webinar! Want a little help getting started with the features we mentioned? Reach out to Citrix support today or check out our most recent What’s New blog post for more information on what we’ve delivered the past few quarters.


Disclaimer: The development, release and timing of any features or functionality described for our products remains at our sole discretion and are subject to change without notice or consultation. The information provided is for informational purposes only and is not a commitment, promise or legal obligation to deliver any material, code or functionality and should not be relied upon in making purchasing decisions or incorporated into any contract.