Microsoft and Citrix have announced an expansion of their partnership to help organisations deal with the move to remote and agile business models.

The multi-year deal between Citrix and Microsoft aims to help businesses accelerate the move to the cloud and speed up adoption of digital workspaces and virtual desktops.

Citrix and its workspace portal will become Microsoft’s «preferred» digital workspace, while Citrix has chosen Azure as its preferred cloud platform.

The thinking behind the deal is to help businesses address the «workplace of the future» with the pandemic drastically changing the way companies operate. Citrix believes that more organisations will make remote work a permanent part of their cost and workforce management strategies, which will mean that office structures will change. 

Virtual desktops has been an area of heavy investment from Microsoft, with the pandemic forcing many businesses to shift to working from home. As a result, Windows Virtual Desktop usage has almost trebled in recent months and the company’s CEO, Satya Nadella, has prioritised work on both Microsoft Teams and Windows Virtual Desktops.
 
The two companies will provide joint tools and services to simplify and speed the transition of on-premises Citrix customers to Azure. They will also devise a connected roadmap to enable a consistent and optimal flexible work experience that will include joint services comprised of Citrix Workspace, Citrix SD-WAN, Microsoft Azure and Microsoft 365.

«The COVID-19 pandemic has forced businesses around the world to change the way that employees work, while still meeting the speed and security requirements that today’s uncertain business environment demands,» said David Henshall, president and CEO of Citrix.

«Looking forward, hybrid-work models will become the standard for many customers, requiring a flexible infrastructure to support, secure and empower their teams.
 
«Together, Citrix and Microsoft can deliver a powerful digital workspace in a trusted and secure public cloud where employees can access everything they need to engage and be productive whether they are at home, in the office or on the road.»