Citrix Synergy always proves to be one of the most exciting points of the year because it provides opportunities for me to connect with customers and hear their stories.
However, it’s also an opportunity to see the latest and greatest innovations that help our customers on their digital transformation journey. As you saw during our Citrix Synergy keynote today, we highlighted a number of ways we’re partnering with Microsoft on delivering cool new technologies. One of those is HDX optimization for Microsoft Teams for Citrix Virtual Apps and Desktops.
This exciting announcement builds upon the momentum from our Citrix HDX Realtime Optimization Pack for Skype for Business. That delivered a native-like experience for Skype for Business in virtual environments.
Through many of my customer conversations since the release of Skype RTOP, they emphasized just how important it was for them to deliver Skype for Business for their users, without impacting end-user experience or server load. Our successful collaboration with Microsoft for Skype RTOP helped optimize the delivery of Skype for Business for more than 700,000+ daily active users, with 25 percent of them Skype for Business Online users.
With more organizations implementing Office 365, which includes Microsoft Teams, organizations were asking when Citrix would optimize Microsoft Teams for virtual environments. Microsoft Teams comes with additional collaboration tools, app integration, and file storage capabilities. Any organization looking at improving employee productivity and collaboration as part of a workplace transformation initiative knew the role Citrix and Microsoft would play in today’s workplace.
Citrix HDX Optimization for Microsoft Teams
With the upcoming release of HDX optimization for Microsoft Teams, customers will get a fully native, fully featured Microsoft Teams experience within Citrix Virtual Apps and Desktops. With a single point of authentication, this essentially also improves reliability and ease of use. The Citrix Workspace app has a built-in multi-platform HDX Media Engine that ensures optimized device and media handling, with audio, video, and screen sharing offloaded to the users device.
What This Means for You
With many customers on Office 365 or migrating to Office 365, one of the benefits of this feature release is the ability to take advantage of an intelligent communication solution, as Microsoft Teams is bundled into Office 365. With built-in tools within Microsoft Teams, people can work more efficiently and stay connected wherever they are, on any device, through centralized delivery optimized by Citrix. Not only are you giving your employees a solution that helps them be more productive, IT teams also get the added benefits of centralized management. Because information such as data and chat logs stays in a cloud environment and are not stored on native devices, you’re ensuring better control over sensitive information. You can see how it works in our brief video below.
How Do I Get It?
The release of HDX-optimized Microsoft Teams will be available in the coming weeks. Our engineering teams are putting the final touches on the optimization, but you should expect it with our next Citrix Virtual Apps and Desktops release. Customers will need to move onto that VDA once released, as well as a future release of the Microsoft Teams client.
We also currently have a private technical preview of HDX-optimized Microsoft Teams, which you can engage with your Microsoft account manager to access.
If you’re attending Citrix Synergy, be sure to check out the solutions expo area for a hands-on demo of HDX optimization for Microsoft Teams, as well as the sessions below.
SYN139: Citrix and Microsoft: a value-add across your workspace: May 21, 2:00 p.m. – 3:30 p.m.
SYN713: HDX Innovations and what they mean for your users: May 22, 2:45 p.m. – 3:15 p.m.
SYN211: HDX: it’s all about the user experience: May 23, 10:30 a.m. – 12:00 p.m.
And be sure to stay tuned to the Citrix blog for more news from Citrix Synergy!
For Citrix Investors
This release contains forward-looking statements which are made pursuant to the safe harbor provisions of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933 and of Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934. The forward-looking statements in this release do not constitute guarantees of future performance. Those statements involve a number of factors that could cause actual results to differ materially, including risks associated with the impact of the global economy and uncertainty in the IT spending environment, revenue growth and recognition of revenue, products and services, their development and distribution, product demand and pipeline, economic and competitive factors, the Company’s key strategic relationships, acquisition and related integration risks as well as other risks detailed in the Company’s filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission. Citrix assumes no obligation to update any forward-looking information contained in this press release or with respect to the announcements described herein. The development, release and timing of any features or functionality described for our products remains at our sole discretion and is 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.
