10 Reasons to Keep Citrix or Add it to Your VDI Strategy with Microsoft AVD or Windows 365

As organizations continue to embrace Microsoft Azure Virtual Desktop (AVD) or Windows 365 for their virtual desktop infrastructure (VDI), the question often arises: should you keep Citrix to simplify management ? While these cloud platforms offer significant capabilities, Citrix provides additional layers of optimization, performance, and cost management that make it an indispensable part of your VDI strategy. 

Altanora recently hosted a webinar about explaining  why Microsoft Azure Virtual Desktop (AVD) and Windows 365 + Citrix: Better Together. Missed it? No worries! We’ve put together this summary to highlight the key takeaways and explain why Citrix remains a crucial component when using or migrating to AVD or Windows 365. If you would like to watch the full webinar, you can access it below.

Key Takeaways

• Citrix can help you save up to 25% on compute costs when added to AVD.

• Unlike competitors, Citrix offers full-stack optimization beyond just management.

• Citrix DaaS reduces Azure storage costs significantly, improving cost efficiency.

• Enterprises benefit from Citrix’s scalability, security, and high-performance protocols.

• Altanora, as a Platinum Citrix Partner, provides access to exclusive funding to support your transition or adding Citrix to manage your environment.

Here’s why Citrix should stay in your virtual desktop infrastructure (VDI) strategy:

1. Save Up to 25% on Compute Costs

Managing AVD environments at scale can get expensive, especially with fluctuating compute requirements. By adding Citrix as a management layer, you can optimize compute resources, reducing cloud expenses by up to 25%. Citrix ensures that virtual machines (VMs) are efficiently allocated, helping you avoid overprovisioning and lowering your cloud infrastructure costs. This intelligent resource allocation provides a more cost-effective, scalable solution than relying on AVD alone.

Ready to optimize your compute resources and save on cloud costs? Contact Altanora today to learn more about how Citrix can streamline your VDI environment.

2. Citrix Offers More Than Just a Management Layer

Some IT teams compare Citrix with Nerdio, an alternative management layer for AVD. However, there are key differences that set Citrix apart. Nerdio offers a basic management solution starting at $12 per user per month, but it focuses only on the administrative layer. On the other hand, Citrix DaaS goes beyond just management—it provides superior session transport for smoother user experiences, optimizes infrastructure, and reduces resource consumption. Citrix’s comprehensive optimization features not only lower costs but also improve overall performance and scalability.

3. Improved Session Transport and End-User Experience

Citrix excels at providing a high-performance protocol for virtual desktop environments. Unlike AVD on its own, Citrix’s advanced session transport technology reduces latency, enhances responsiveness, and ensures smoother application delivery, even in demanding scenarios. This leads to better end-user experiences, particularly for remote and hybrid workers who require seamless, high-quality access to applications and data.

In comparison, Nerdio lacks the same level of session optimization. Without Citrix, you might face session lag, resulting in a poor user experience and decreased productivity. Citrix makes layering applications safer and more efficient by ensuring they are delivered with minimal latency, reducing application errors and enhancing security through advanced data transport protocols.

Need a seamless, high-performance user experience? Schedule a free VDI assessment with Altanora to see how Citrix can enhance your virtual desktop environment.

4. Lower Storage Costs

Azure storage costs can quickly accumulate, especially when dealing with large-scale deployments. Citrix helps optimize storage, reducing Azure storage costs by up to 50% compared to AVD on its own. By reducing the consumption of unnecessary storage and optimizing resource management, Citrix ensures you can scale without inflating your cloud storage expenses.

5. Simplified Scalability and Management

Citrix simplifies the scaling process for large-scale deployments, making it easier to manage complex virtual desktop infrastructures. With Citrix DaaS, scaling becomes seamless. The ability to automate configurations and optimize resource utilization ensures that your virtual desktop environment can grow with your organization without adding complexity. Citrix also offers better centralized management tools that make administration easier, even in environments with multiple users and configurations.

Nerdio only provides basic management features without the same level of comprehensive support for large-scale deployment, which can cause inefficiencies and increase operational costs.

6. Citrix DaaS Pricing

Citrix DaaS pricing starts at $10 per user per month, more cost-effective compared to Nerdio. Additionally, Citrix adds significant value by offering a robust management layer, optimizing session delivery, and providing enhanced infrastructure management—all at the same competitive price point. In comparison, Nerdio offers limited features for the same base price, making Citrix a more cost-effective solution in the long term for businesses that want a comprehensive solution for their virtual desktops.

Comprehensive VDI Solutions Comparison: Citrix Virtual Apps & Desktops, Nerdio, and Omnissa

7. Better Security & Compliance

Citrix enhances security within your AVD or Windows 365 environment. Citrix DaaS offers enterprise-grade security features, including data protection, secure access controls, and compliance with regulations such as HIPAA, GDPR, and PCI-DSS. This is crucial for businesses in highly regulated industries like healthcare, finance, and government.

Citrix’s security layer makes it easier to ensure secure access, helping mitigate risks associated with data breaches and unauthorized access. By leveraging Citrix for secure application layering, businesses can maintain a higher standard of security within their virtual desktop environment.

8. Optimized Resource Utilization

Citrix is designed to optimize resource utilization, ensuring that your AVD deployment runs efficiently. By reducing overhead and preventing resource wastage, Citrix ensures your virtual desktop environment performs at its best. This optimization leads to lower cloud costs and higher performance, ensuring resources are allocated based on real-time demand, rather than static allocations.

9. Altanora DaaS – Lower-Cost VDI Solutions

For organizations running VDI on hyperscalers like Azure, Altanora DaaS offers industry-leading VDI solutions at a significantly lower cost. By leveraging Citrix’s advanced features, Altanora DaaS delivers enhanced performance, scalability, and security, ensuring you get the best value for your virtual desktop environment. Altanora’s solution allows you to optimize your virtual desktop infrastructure while maintaining a lower total cost of ownership.

Looking for a more affordable VDI solution? Get in touch with Altanora to see how we can help reduce your VDI costs.

10. Access to Exclusive Funding for Your Citrix Project

As one of the few preferred Platinum Citrix partners in North America—and the only French Quebec firm with this designation—Altanora has exclusive access to funding to help support your Citrix project. If you’ve been hesitant to integrate Citrix due to cost, Altanora can assist with funding opportunities to make your transition to Citrix more cost-effective. We help you navigate the financial aspects of implementing Citrix solutions while ensuring a smooth, cost-effective deployment.

Feature Comparison Table: AVD with Citrix vs. Third-Party Add-Ons

Table Commentary: Why Citrix Stands Out for AVD and Windows 365

This comparison table underscores the significant advantages of integrating Citrix with your Azure Virtual Desktop (AVD) or Windows 365 environment. While many third-party solutions may offer certain functionalities for AVD, Citrix’s comprehensive solution provides all these features and more, often at a more competitive price.

1. Desktop & App Virtualization Management:
   Citrix excels in providing enterprise-level management and scalability without the need for third-party add-ons like Nerdio. While third-party solutions can range from $6 - $12 per user per month, Citrix’s management tools come included, helping to keep costs predictable and optimized.

2. Hybrid Cloud & Multi-Cloud Support:
   AVD on its own offers limited hybrid cloud support, but Citrix ensures a robust multi-cloud infrastructure, providing seamless scaling across various cloud environments. This flexibility is especially valuable for enterprises with diverse cloud strategies.

3. Monitoring/Analytics:
   Citrix includes monitoring tools directly within its platform, while third-party add-ons like Veam or ControlUp often add extra costs ($10 - $20). This means Citrix delivers built-in, effective monitoring without the complexity or additional cost of third-party solutions.

4. Printing Optimization:
   AVD doesn’t provide native printing optimization, but Citrix includes advanced universal printing tools like ThinPrint or PrinterLogic, reducing the need for separate investments in third-party printing solutions. This can significantly cut down operational costs for businesses with high printing requirements.

5. Session Recording:
   Session recording, critical for monitoring user activity and troubleshooting, is not included with AVD. Citrix, however, includes session recording features as part of its platform, eliminating the need for third-party tools like TSFactory or RDPSoft, which can range from $13 - $40 per month.

6. Disk & Resource Management:
   Citrix offers advanced disk management and optimization out-of-the-box, a functionality that would otherwise require third-party tools such as Liquidware or Ivanti, adding additional complexity and costs ($6 - $12 per user/month). With Citrix, this feature is included, streamlining your VDI infrastructure.

7. User Experience/Protocol:
   Citrix’s advanced protocol enhancements improve overall user experience by optimizing network performance and reducing latency, which isn’t standard with AVD. Third-party tools may offer similar protocol improvements, but at an additional cost ($2 - $20), making Citrix a more cost-effective choice for enhancing user experience.

8. Profile Management:
   Citrix’s profile management tools come bundled, offering seamless user experience customization and data synchronization, without the added expense of third-party tools like Ivanti or PolicyPak, which charge up to $12 per user/month.

Conclusion:

The table clearly demonstrates that while third-party solutions can add functionality to AVD or Windows 365, Citrix offers a comprehensive suite of features that are both cost-effective and optimized for performance. By incorporating Citrix into your VDI strategy, you eliminate the need for multiple third-party add-ons, streamlining your infrastructure and reducing ongoing costs.

Looking to optimize your VDI infrastructure and save on costs? Get in touch with Altanora for a personalized consultation.