Citrix Systems

Citrix Systems, Inc.
legal form	Incorporated
ISIN	US1773761002
founding	1989
Seat	Fort Lauderdale , United States
management	David J. Henshall (President, CEO )
Number of employees	8,200 (2018)
sales	$ 2.97 billion (2018)
Branch	software
Website	www.citrix.com

The Citrix Systems, Inc. is a US-based software company , which in 1989 by Ed Iacobucci was founded (1953-2013) and now Fort Lauderdale in Florida is a resident. Citrix shares are traded on the NASDAQ under the symbol CTXS. Citrix Systems is active in 35 countries. The company is a member of the Linux Foundation .

The headquarters of the "Central Europe Sales Region" are located in Munich . Citrix Systems International GmbH is based in Schaffhausen , Switzerland .

According to their own information, 230,000 companies worldwide use Citrix technology, including 99 percent of all Fortune Global 500 companies . Citrix Systems has been responsible for the Xen Open Source Hypervisor project since taking over XenSource Inc. in October 2007 .

history

Citrix was founded in 1989 by the former IBM developer Ed Iacobucci in Richardson ( Texas , USA) with start-up capital of 3 million US dollars. Shortly thereafter, the company moved to Coral Springs (Florida, USA).

The original company name was Citrus . After another company had claimed trademark rights, it was renamed Citrix . This is a case word from Citrus and UNIX .

Many of the original founding members were already involved in the IBM OS / 2 project. Iacobucci's vision was to develop an OS / 2 with multi-user support . Because IBM showed no interest in this idea, Iacobucci decided to leave the company. He was then offered a job as Chief Technical Officer at Microsoft , but preferred to start his own company.

The first product, Citrix MULTIUSER, was based on OS / 2. Citrix licensed the OS / 2 source code from Microsoft, bypassing IBM. It was hoped to secure market share from UNIX by simplifying the use of text-based OS / 2 applications. However, the product found only a few buyers because Microsoft announced in 1991 that it would no longer support OS / 2.

In 1990, Roger Roberts, who previously worked for Texas Instruments , took over as CEO of the company. Three years later bought the product Citrix Netware Access Server from Novell . This was a remote access application based on DOS and Quarterdeck Expanded Memory Manager . Similar to today's terminal servers, it already offered the possibility of providing desktops and applications from one server to several users. Citrix continuously developed this product and released it under the name WinView . As such, it became one of the first commercially successful Citrix products.

In December 1995, Citrix went public. The following company growth also took place through company takeovers. Between 1997 and 2015, Citrix bought almost 50 companies. In 1997 the company opened its new headquarters in Fort Lauderdale , United States . In 1998 Iacobucci succeeded in negotiations with Microsoft to license the Citrix technology for Windows NT Server, which strengthened his market position.

This article or section needs revision: History between 1995 and 2015 is missing
Please help to improve it , then remove this checkmark.

In 2015, Citrix laid off 900 employees. In 2016, the company sold its GoTo business to LogMeIn for $ 1.8 billion . In January 2017, Citrix announced the acquisition of Unidesk .

Relationship with Microsoft

The close cooperation between Citrix and Microsoft today is the result of more than 30 years of collaboration. It began in 1989 when Citrix licensed the OS / 2 source code.

In 1995, Citrix brought out WinFrame, a Windows NT multi-user version with remote access . At the time, it was the first product of its kind and was specifically aimed at the needs of large companies. During the development of WinFrame for Windows NT 4, Microsoft decided against licensing the source code to Citrix. In addition, Microsoft threatened with its own version of WinFrame. Microsoft and Citrix then began negotiations to resolve this situation. An agreement was reached which resulted in the licensing of Citrix technology by Microsoft for Windows NT Server 4.0 and ultimately the Windows Terminal Server Edition.

In return, Citrix agreed not to bring any competing product onto the market. However, the company retained the right to sell extensions to Microsoft products. This was initially done under the name MetaFrame . This partnership continued until the era of Windows 2000 Server and Windows Server 2003 with MetaFrame XP and Presentation Server.

However , Microsoft did not buy the key technology, the ICA protocol . Instead, Microsoft further developed the Remote Desktop Protocol (RDP) used in NetMeeting as an extension of the T.Share protocol. It originally came from a deal with PictureTel (now Polycom).

In January 2008, Citrix and Microsoft announced their expanded collaboration. With this alliance, more comprehensive virtualization solutions can now be offered. In the area of ​​desktop and server virtualization, the companies want to ensure better compatibility of both technologies.

A good year later, in February 2009, the collaboration with Project Encore became a little closer again. This announcement was accompanied by the introduction of Citrix Essentials . Complex configurations of Microsoft Windows Server 2008 Hyper-V were now also possible. In addition, joint activities in the areas of marketing, training and channel sales were decided.

A further step in the collaboration on "desktop computing" then took place in July of the same year through further agreements in the field of desktop virtualization. This included, among other things, an improved integration of both technologies. IT managers were now able to manage distributed and centrally hosted applications with Citrix XenApp and Microsoft System Center Configuration Manager. XenApp has also been expanded to include support for Microsoft Application Virtualisation (App-V). This means that the so-called “self-delivery” of applications can be carried out on any device running Citrix Receiver and Citrix Dazzle.

Products

Citrix is ​​primarily known for its application and terminal server applications. As a result, the name of the company "Citrix" is now often used as a synonym for such an application. In recent years, however, Citrix has expanded its product portfolio through a Virtual Desktop Infrastructure (XenDesktop), SSL VPN solutions (Netscaler Gateway), software-defined WAN solutions (NetScaler SD-WAN), and solutions for WAN optimization (NetScaler SD-WAN WANOP ), Solutions for web application acceleration or web application firewalls (NetScaler), monitoring (EdgeSight) as well as single sign-on (Password Manager) and other security solutions.

Citrix Hypervisor (formerly Citrix XenServer)

Since October 2007, the Citrix product portfolio also includes the virtualization technology Xen . This enables completely homogeneous infrastructures. From the bare metal virtualization platform in data centers to platforms for application delivery (Windows / Web / OS via ICA protocol), to application or OS streaming to appliances for security and WAN optimization, Citrix supplies various products, which thanks to their modular design can be used together or separately.

Since April 2009, Citrix has also made a slightly restricted free version of XenServer available.

Citrix Virtual Apps (formerly XenApp)

The long-known Citrix product is currently being sold under the name Virtual Apps (formerly XenApp , Presentation Server or MetaFrame ). It offers the possibility of accessing the company network from a computer / device with a supported operating system from anywhere via a terminal application without the actual company software having to be installed on the computer used; only a Citrix ICA client is required there. This client software is also available for older Windows versions as well as other operating systems, so that programs can be used from these that cannot run on the actual end device, be it due to a lack of hardware resources or because the application is only for certain operating systems (or versions of these) is available. Often, for this purpose, low-power end devices, so-called thin clients , are used, which serve exclusively as virtual apps clients and do not run any application software themselves.

Citrix Virtual Desktops (formerly XenDesktop)

Citrix Virtual Desktops is VDI software for publishing applications and complete desktops under various operating systems. With the help of a software client, the Citrix Receiver (available for various mobile and desktop operating systems), the published content is displayed.

Citrix Workspace App (formerly Receiver)

The Workspace App is a client for the use of provided Citrix server services. The software can be used on almost all common end devices ( PC , Mac , smartphone , tablet, etc.) in order to use provided applications and entire desktops "on demand". The type and location of the device are irrelevant, which generally minimizes the administrative effort.

Citrix ADC (formerly NetScaler)

Citrix ADC (NetScaler) is a network load balancer , a Layer 7 content switch, VPN gateway and a web application firewall . The NetScaler product family also includes NetScaler SD-WAN, a software-defined networking solution, which is characterized by the fact that it offers per packet load balancing based on a UDP-based VPN.

Training program

Citrix operates its own training program, whereby exams must be taken here to document a certain level of training.

The previous degrees in this program, called certificates, were Citrix Certified Administrator (CCA) , Citrix Certified Advanced Administrator (CCAA) , Citrix Certified Enterprise Administrator (CCEA) , Citrix Certified Enterprise Engineer (CCEE) , Citrix Certified Integration Architect (CCIA) , Citrix Certified Sales Professional (CCSP) and Citrix Certified Instructor (CCI) .

Since summer 2013, the Citrix certifications have to be subject-oriented in the fields of Apps and Desktops , Networking and Mobility as well as the levels of Associate , Professional and Expert .

Certification	Short name	Subject area	step	according to the old certification system
Citrix Certified Associate - Virtualization	CCA - V	Application and desktop virtualization	management	CCA
Citrix Certified Professional - Virtualization	CCP - V		Deployment	CCEE
Citrix Certified Expert - Virtualization	CCE - V		design	CCIA
Citrix Certified Associate - Networking	CCA - N	network		CCA
Citrix Certified Professional - Networking	CCP - N			-
Citrix Certified Expert - Networking	CCE - N
Citrix Certified Professional - Mobility	CCP - M	Enterprise Mobility Management		-

Web links

• Official website

Individual evidence

1. ↑ Executives
2. ↑ ^{a b} 2018 Annual Report. 2019, accessed January 22, 2020 . 
3. ^ Wave of accession to the Linux Foundation . On golem.de , April 7, 2010.
4. ↑ Citrix Systems Inc (CTXS.OQ) In: Reuters (English).
5. ↑ Citrix Unveil's End-to-End Virtualization Strategy. ( Memento of the original from February 22, 2011 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was automatically inserted and not yet checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. In: citrix.com (English).  
6. ↑ ^{a b c d e} Citrix Systems, Inc. - Company Profile, Information, Business Description, History, Background Information on Citrix Systems, Inc. . In: referenceforbusiness.com . Retrieved May 7, 2011.
7. ↑ Simon Sharwood: Citrix looks like it has escaped 'not dead yet' status. February 1, 2017, accessed February 1, 2017 . 
8. ↑ LogMeIn acquires Citrix GoTo for $ 1.8 billion , ZDnet July 27, 2016
9. ↑ Citrix takes over app layering provider Unidesk - the end for AppDisk? , SearchDataCenter.de from January 10, 2017
10. ↑ Kevin Maney: Tiny tech firm does the unthinkable . In: USA Today , USA Today, June 11, 1997. Retrieved November 4, 2008. 
11. ^ Microsoft: Microsoft and Citrix Sign Technology Cross-Licensing and Development Agreement . In: Microsoft PressPass - Information for Journalists . Microsoft. 1997. Retrieved January 15, 2017.
12. ↑ Jim Freer: Citrix rebounds - after a close call with Bill Gates . In: South Florida Business Journal , American City Business Journals, June 23, 1997. Retrieved October 24, 2008. 
13. ↑ Nefsis.com: Video Conferencing History . In: Video Conferencing History . Nefsis.com. 2005. Archived from the original on July 28, 2010. Info: The archive link was automatically inserted and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. Retrieved October 23, 2008. 
14. ^ Microsoft: Microsoft Announces Vision and Strategy to Accelerate Virtualization Adoption . January 21, 2008. Retrieved January 25, 2017.
15. ↑ http://blogs.zdnet.com/virtualization/?p=723 ( Memento from February 26, 2009 in the Internet Archive )
16. ↑ Timothy Prickett Morgan: Microsoft and Citrix mix 'n' match fake desktops . In: The Register , July 13, 2009. Retrieved May 7, 2011. 
17. ↑ So far, the Linux virtualization solution Xen has been considered rather complicated. This is no longer true with the free XenServer. ( Memento of the original from August 5, 2011 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. In: c't , 11/2009.  
18. ↑ Citrix Receiver product website