Many IT teams are familiar with the server-based computing model, which is a secure, reliable way to deliver video conference apps and ensure control of corporate assets while enabling employees to collaborate. Though that’s the most common approach, it’s not the only choice for Citrix customers.
The use of video conference services and virtualization has skyrocketed as an unprecedented number of employees have started working from home since the COVID-19 pandemic began. So, it becomes all the more imperative for IT teams to seek optimized, secure unified communication app delivery models that ensure seamless collaboration and boost productivity.
Unifying Collaboration, Diversifying Needs: Citrix and Zoom
Depending on your business needs, Citrix and Zoom have multiple integration points across our product portfolio. Broadly, you could categorize them as a reduced bandwidth consumption solution, where virtualization is applicable, and an enhanced secure web access and productivity solution, where virtualization is not needed.
This post will guide you through the different considerations and the outcomes from each, in the context of delivering Zoom.
New to VDI and DaaS? Learn the essentials in our comprehensive guide: Digital workspaces 2.0—Desktop and application virtualization.
VDI Client App Delivery to Reduce Bandwidth Consumption
Delivering multimedia apps without optimization can lead to high server bandwidth utilization, expensive cloud bills (if not hosted on-prem), and poor end-user experience, which has an impact on productivity. So Zoom built Zoom Meetings for VDI, a solution that is Citrix Ready verified for all versions of Citrix Virtual Desktops. For those familiar with Citrix terminology, Zoom Meetings for VDI is a Real-Time Optimization Pack for Zoom. The package includes a server-side installer — the VDI client — and an endpoint side installer — the Zoom Citrix Media Plugin.
End-users or IT admins managing endpoints can simply install the Zoom Citrix Media Plugin alongside the Citrix Workspace app on the endpoints to enable the offloaded media processing at the endpoint, significantly lowering server bandwidth utilization while improving the collaboration experience.
How?
Zoom leverages the Citrix Virtual Channel SDK to optimize the voice and video traffic, offloading from the VDI and sending it directly peer to peer from one thin client to another or a telephone supporting Zoom Phone. Multimedia traffic does not traverse back through the ICA channel into the VDA, unlike the control data.
Here’s a screenshot of me working from home, collaborating with myself and with few more instances of me, lonely, thanks to the pandemic, but curious, exploring the many ways that Citrix delivers Zoom Meetings. Note that the poor video resolution after the optimization is due to my limited home lab setup consisting of an old consumer laptop that runs on a dual-core 1.8 GHz processor.
If you are evaluating whether to deploy the solution, here are seven additional insights for you to consider:
- If your users are on Linux endpoints, Citrix remains the only desktop virtualization solution that supports Zoom Meetings optimized for VDI. Visit the Zoom support page to learn about options and download the plugin.
- A Citrix SD-WAN deployment can ensure high reliability and optimal audio quality between critical remote sites and audio-video conferencing servers (MCU), with QoS and audio packet duplication.
- Users can enjoy Zoom video calls with resolution up to full HD (1080p) peer-to-peer, even on a low-performant thin client. A prerequisite would be to include an external Logitech C925 webcam plugged to your windows endpoint.
- The solution supports all the windows VDA versions, including Azure Virtual Desktop (formerly Windows Virtual Desktop) and Citrix Managed Desktops. For organizations looking for temporary, fully managed, turnkey Desktop-as-a-Service (DaaS), Citrix is running special offers as part of the Citrix Managed Desktops Business Continuity Program.
- Zoom Meetings for VDI in published application mode is currently not supported.
- The Zoom Citrix Media Plugin at the endpoint accesses the peripherals required to interact with Zoom for VDI, and not Citrix Workspace app. The screenshot above depicts an example of how the camera enumerates within the Citrix session.
- The Statistics tab from the Settings wizard is a convenient tool to identify any general improvements. While there are several factors at play — network availability and the number of subscribers being the primary ones — in my limited home lab, I saw a ~65 percent reduction of bandwidth utilization (refer to the screenshots) as it came down from 539 kbps to 194 kbps upon implementing the Zoom for VDI pack.
Web Client App Delivery Aimed to Reduce Bandwidth Consumption
In some scenarios, the Zoom VDI client may not be a feasible solution due to organization-wide installation restrictions or individual preferences like the user not wanting too many apps on the desktop. In such scenarios, Zoom Web client powered by Citrix HDX’s Browser Content Redirection is an alternative solution to consider as a way to reduce bandwidth consumption and improve the end-user experience. Here’s a side-by-side feature comparison of available Zoom clients to help you dig deeper.
Web Client App Delivery Aimed to Enhance Security Controls
For other organizations, VDI would seem like overkill when what is needed is secure delivery and access to Web and SaaS apps. In such cases, the Citrix Workspace Standard edition is ideal. It includes Citrix Secure Workspace Access functionalities such as SSO to web and SaaS apps and App protection policies.
Citrix customers will soon be able to protect online meetings by protecting users from three significant risks common in web conferencing apps such as screenshot malware, accidental screen sharing, and web conferencing portal spoofing. You can learn more here.
Another security-related consideration is where you host the Zoom multimedia routers (MMR). Zoom supports an on-prem option by enabling you to set up your own Zoom Virtual Room Connector in DMZ.
One more thing!
If you follow Citrix, then you probably already know about the new low-code development platform in our Microapps service, part of Citrix Workspace. Corporate developers and ISV partners can build creative and impactful microapps that organize, automate, and guide work for an end-user within the Citrix Workspace dashboard.
What are the Zoom microapps that you would consider deploying in your Citrix Workspace? Let us know in the comments! Creative suggestions can win a special Citrix Ready business continuity goodie sent to your home address. Here are some ideas to get you started:
- Initiates an automated workflow to launch Zoom Web client within the Citrix Workspace browser
- Schedules a new meeting asking you just to input a short meeting title (Action button)
- A quick view of the total current registrations for your upcoming Zoom Webinar session. (Action button)
Citrix Workspace solutions can be the Swiss Army knife for organizations to deliver unified collaboration solutions alongside other apps, desktops and files in a secure, seamless and cost-effective way. Zoom and Citrix have validated Citrix Ready solutions for desktop, VDI and web use cases. Organizations deploying the joint solution benefits from boosted end-user productivity, reduced server bandwidth utilization, enhanced secure access and much more.
For more detail, check out the Zoom page on the Citrix Ready Marketplace.
