Citrix DaaS (formerly Citrix Virtual Apps and Desktops service) Reviews

The solution is primarily used for provisioning the desktop for the employees in the company, including different layers of employees. We have different groups using the PVS, the provisioning tool. We are provisioning different groups according to the level, according to the department, et cetera, to deliver a specific desktop for employees who are working at home.

The PVS technology itself, the provisioning, is great. It's very easy. It's very simple to alter the main image or the golden image. 

It's also very secure. 

I find Citrix is a stronger option in many other aspects since it's one of the most mature in the market. It's ancient and it's always developing itself to add new things. 

The initial setup is easy.

Scaling is straightforward. 

We have had issues with certain aspects, which is why we are looking for alternatives. For example, the firewall solution from Citrix is a bit complicated. Integration is hard. It needs a higher understanding of the network. It's not plug-and-play. When I deal with it, I always need assistance from the network team if I need to alter anything. It should be simpler to deal with. 

When I was doing comparison research, the thing that I found really interesting in Horizon is that the firewall setup is easy. It's like a wizard menu, and it's well-documented, so it's not hard to alter anything in the firewall. Maybe the feature that I want to be added to Citrix is well-written documentation and a wizard just to let me know what is going on in the firewall, how to edit things, and how to easily deploy something on the firewall. Do I initiate a rule or decline a rule? They just need to make it easier for me to troubleshoot firewall issues.

We're a company working for a certain customer and the customer has been working with the VDI since it started, so for a very long.

I've been working with it for a year.

The stability is pretty good and there are no real issues. The one concern is the firewall. If there's any error, U2 a firewall error, we were not able to easily modify it or easily solve it due to tissues with integration. You really need higher network knowledge. In the end, security issues or any issues on the firewall will affect the stability in the end. 

We are always adding new PVS machines. As an operator, we're always asked to add new PVS machines to batch them, update them, add new machines, and add new images. It has been very easy to scale and everything is a click away. There are no issues while scaling.

The organization is huge, so I cannot say exactly how many people are using the solution. The organization has around 750 servers. On each server, there may be hundreds of machines. There are lots of users. There are maybe tens of thousands of end users actually using the desktop as a service through Citrix.

We don't really deal with technical support. All errors that we face, we are able to detect ourselves as an operator. We don't open any tickets with Citrix support itself. We don't have any experience with the support that Citrix provides.

Since the start we were working on Citrix.

It is straightforward to set up and implement. 

I participated in editing something in the image itself or while provisioning. That said, the main deployment happened long ago, and we are operators, so we were not really in the middle of the actual process of the deployment. 

The errors that we had during maintenance are typically all due to the firewall and its networking of it. Other than that, things are smooth, and all the errors are detectable. If it's an error in configuration and any other aspects except, of course, the networking of the firewall, it may be difficult. Otherwise, for other aspects, everything is easy to maintain.

I'm the operator for a customer, so I'm not really aware of the licenses. They do the deal with Citrix and we just operate the infrastructure or the VDI. I don't really know how much it costs in reality.

I was comparing this product against Horizon. I wanted to compare both solutions in case we need to migrate from one solution to another.

The company wants to migrate to the cloud so that's why we are searching for an alternative - to see if we should replace Citrix or keep on working on Citrix.

We are working with Citrix VDI, and we are mainly working on the PTS for provisioning.

I'm a system integrator. I'm dealing with the latest version of the product.

It's a very well-known solution, and it's very efficient. However, you need to dig deep into the architecture of it just to understand it and grasp it well, especially how things are calling one another, how things are operating inside the APIs and all the networking inside, and how things are working in the architecture to be able to work with Citrix and actually understand everything that's going on it. 

If you face any error, you'll be able to know the cause and easily go to the root cause. However, you must first understand the architecture, understand how things are calling one another, and how the networks play. Then, start step-by-step working on it, on the application itself. If you have good knowledge, you'll find working with it very easy.

I'd rate the solution a seven out of ten based on the fact that we did rin into a lot of issues related to the firewall. Other than that, Citrix works fine. 

Our primary use case of this solution is for secured access to design data.

The most valuable feature of the solution is that it supports team clients. That is the major advantage where a user can at one point in time work in a secure environment, where they don't have access to the internet, but just by switching the window, they can go to an environment from the same device and can start using the internet, the two are mutually exclusive. You can't share data unless there is authorization given.

The solution can use more promotion to spread awareness. The cost of the solution needs to be reduced to compete with the other competitive solutions that are available. The setup is currently complex and can be easier.

I have been using the solution for over five years.

The solution is stable.

The solution is scalable.

The technical support is good.

The initial setup is complex. The deployment can take over one day.

The implementation is completed in-house by our team.

The licensing is $125 USD per user. The cost needs to come down substantially.

I give the solution a ten out of ten.

Anyone interested in the solution should definitely evaluate it and carry out POC before deciding on the requirements. You should evaluate at least one case and then make a decision.

The main use case for me is the solution’s ability to provide remote users access to enterprise LAN over thin Internet-connected devices securely and efficiently.

I have found the NetScaler or ADC devices by Citrix Virtual Apps and Desktops valuable. The product is simple to set up, and its deep integration with Microsoft is also a valuable feature.

Their customer support can be improved a lot as it lacks a lot of knowledgeable help.

I have been using Citrix Virtual Apps and Desktops for the past 14 years.

It is a stable solution. It is a fire-and-forget solution. Once you set it up, things keep happening, and you don't even have to monitor it until you want to get some statistics.

The solution is scalable. Approximately 10,000 users use the solution in my company. We often use Citrix Virtual Apps and Desktops in our company, but it all depends on the use cases. If we find the solution convenient for our projects, we will definitely use it. However, we'd only do it on a case-to-case basis. Citrix Virtual Apps and Desktops is our go-to solution for any server-based computing.

The customer support for Citrix Virtual Apps and Desktops should be more knowledgeable.

The setup is pretty simple and easy. We keep deploying it very often based on our requirements, but the complete setup can be done in three days or less than three days for a 1000 people user base. It's more of a fire-and-forget solution. It will take three days if you have the entire idea. If you want to chart out from the beginning, that could take around two months. However, if you know what you're doing, it can be done in three days.

Citrix Virtual Apps and Desktops is a decade-old technology. We don't need any consultants to set it up. Any candidate with five to six years of experience should be able to set it up. We analyze the applications, the customers, and the users. We also consider the type of user base and the type of applications, and then we plan our infrastructure to meet their requirements and do a POC before deploying the solution. Considering Citrix Virtual Apps and Desktops is a 24/7 uptime solution, we need at least six technical staff for its deployment and maintenance.

We do have an ROI using this solution.

Citrix Virtual Apps and Desktops is an expensive solution.

I use the latest LTSR version of Citrix Virtual Apps and Desktops.

Someone who needs an enterprise solution with a stable working environment should go for Citrix Virtual Apps and Desktops. If there is no 24/7 requirement, and they can manage a few hours of outage, people should look at alternatives for Citrix Virtual Apps and Desktops. This solution is for critical users who cannot do without it. Banking and finance customers should adopt the cloud version of this solution and not the enterprise version.

Overall, I rate Citrix Virtual Apps and Desktops an eight out of ten.

We use the product to give application access to external providers. It helps us publish remote desktops and applications.

Citrix DaaS’s most valuable feature is the virtualization of applications and desktops.

The product’s customization feature needs improvement.

We have been using Citrix DaaS for two years.

I rate the product’s stability an eight out of ten.

We have 400 Citrix DaaS users in our organization. We might increase its usage. I rate its scalability an eight out of ten.

The technical support services are good.

Positive

I rate the initial setup process a five out of ten. It is simple. However, you need to have some knowledge of how it works. It is a quality learning experience. It takes a few hours to complete for an advanced user. At the same time, it takes a day or two to study the process.

We recently received the product’s renewal quote, three times the last price. It is an expensive solution. I rate its pricing a nine out of ten.

I advise others to get training on how to use Citrix DaaS. It will help them understand the functionality before purchasing it. I rate it an eight out of ten.

Citrix Virtual Apps and Desktops is used to control our virtual machines and provide access to our devices from anywhere.

Citrix Virtual Apps and Desktops is capable of deploying and managing all servers or virtual desktop infrastructures.

The cost of Citrix Virtual Apps and Desktops is high and has room for improvement.

The technical support is slow and has room for improvement.

I am currently using Citrix Virtual Apps and Desktops.

Citrix Virtual Apps and Desktops is a stable solution.

Citrix Virtual Apps and Desktops is a scalable solution.

The quality of technical support is very poor. Insufficient staffing has resulted in delays in responding to tickets.

The initial setup is straightforward. The deployment process is simple. We just need to deploy the VDI server and its VDA.

The implementation is completed in-house.

Citrix licensing is expensive.

If we deploy in Azure, Microsoft has an advantage over Citrix because it provides effective solutions for deployment and management.

I give Citrix Virtual Apps and Desktops a ten out of ten.

Citrix Virtual Apps and Desktops is recommended for midsize and enterprise companies because it is not affordable for smaller organizations.

I recommend conducting an analysis of the organization's requirements and compiling a list of viable solutions before proceeding to a proof of concept.

We use Citrix for VDI and publishing applications. My company only has 50 users, but some of my customers have more than 10,000 users.

Remote access is useful.  

Citrix is a highly mature product, but they could always add more benefits by acquiring a third-party software product to integrate with their their solution and make it more complete.

I think they can improve the troubleshooting to make it easier for users to solve problems on their own. For example, it could provide an error code and some instructions on how to reconnect to the database or do something proactive to fix the issue with the system.

I have been using Citrix for more than 20 years.

Citrix Virtual Apps and Desktops is a backbone platform that organizations rely on. If Citrix is down, then the organization can't function, so it must be a stable solution. If we are working in a thousand-user organization and Citrix goes down, then 1000 employees are left idle.

If you can afford the licenses, you can scale Citrix up as much as you want. 

The initial setup is easy and only takes two or three hours. The most complex task is coordinating between the golden image and organizational resources. You need to install all the organization's applications and adjust the settings to meet the company's needs. Setting up a Citrix farm takes less than five hours, but tailoring it to the organization requires another three or four days.

The Citrix license model has changed. It costs around $240 per user for a single username, but a concurrent license costs double.

I rate Citrix Virtual Apps and Desktops nine out of 10. This is the leading solution in the world for remote work. Citrix has had the top remote display for the last 20 years, and there is a huge technological gap between Citrix and its competitors. However, Citrix doesn't have the same level of marketing as its competitors. Many times, people don't realize that Citrix is the best until they've deployed it.

I recommend taking advantage of Citrix eLearning online courses. Four or five days of online training can help you overcome a lot of shortcomings, but you need two or three years of experience working with the Citrix system and infrastructure to be a system admin. 

I use it to deliver applications and desktops over the Internet and secure data.

The main benefits include:

• enhanced security,
• return on investment since we're only delivering applications,
• flexible work hours for remote employees, and
• ensuring data and applications are always accessible and
• availability of the systems.

The challenge is that people don't want to take their data or applications from the data center. When I need to deliver an application or data securely to a laptop connected to the Internet, or to someone working from home who may not be able to have the application installed due to GDPR or compliance issues, or because the laptop or desktop lacks the power to run those applications or process that data, in this situation, Citrix DaaS allows for secure delivery over the Internet without exposing it to the rest of the world, keeping it within the data center.

To integrate Citrix DaaS with other infrastructure components, such as Active Directory, which is an integral part, and other applications like SaaS or the printing system, these need to be locally installed or packaged and delivered to our Citrix infrastructure. 

The integration depends on various factors:

• type of applications, 
• connectivity, and 
• actual business use case driving that integration. 

So, it's quite subjective, but it largely depends on these factors.

There are many features that I like, but the stability over the Internet is exceptional. Even if there's bandwidth fluctuation or network jitter, it performs well, offering a seamless experience to end-users without noticeable disruptions.

From the productivity perspective, the seamless end-user experience is key for productivity and user experience. This is managed through the HDX technology, which ensures a smooth and efficient workflow.

The experience with HDX technology has been amazing, especially for organizations dealing with videos, AutoCAD, and 3D image rendering. 

Unlike competitors like VMware or AVD, Citrix DaaS handles these tasks smoothly without the choppiness, providing excellent video playback and stable collaboration tool calls, like Teams, Zoom, or Webex, by efficiently compressing voice data to utilize minimum bandwidth without distorting the original quality.

I would like to see simplification in the management of the on-prem infrastructure component of Citrix DaaS, particularly in the studio tool used to manage the DaaS infrastructure. 

This simplification should make it easier for admins to understand and execute their tasks, possibly through an overview of operations and the availability of helpful articles or resources. 

Making the studio tool more user-friendly would not only ease the administration of the Citrix infrastructure but also ensure it is configured correctly.

I'm also interested in a feature that would allow end users to hide their screens. For instance, when launching a Citrix VDI on my laptop, as soon as I start sharing my screen, the VDI should lock out, preventing the person I'm sharing my screen with from seeing anything on that VDI. 

However, there are scenarios where an end user might want to share the VDI screen as well. Currently, whether this is possible or not is not controlled by the end user. Introducing a feature that provides end users the ability to share their screen along with the VDI would be beneficial.

I've been working with it for nearly 12 years.

In my 12 years of customer-facing experience and managing over 80+ accounts, the environment, once stabilized, remains stable for a good amount of time unless it's tampered with.

I manage around 80+ accounts for Citrix virtualization across the entire virtualization stack, involving approximately 1.4 million users.

Both scalability and reliability are really good. If supporting components like Active Directory, networking, and storage are functioning well, then Citrix DaaS proves to be highly reliable. 

Scalability is easy too, thanks to Citrix's image management system, which allows for quick expansion, scaling thousands of machines in hours, a feat not possible with physical infrastructure.

The technical support is neutral, indicating there is room for improvement.

Neutral

I also handle accounts for VMware Horizon, Azure Virtual Desktop, and AWS Workspace, among others.

The main challenge with Citrix is its pricing. However, it offers a robust feature list, great stability, and the best audio and video experience over the Internet.

I would classify the initial setup as medium complex. It's not extremely complex, but due to the involvement of various technologies and the need for advanced configuration—such as coordination with the Active Directory team, understanding storage, and networking—it's not straightforward either. 

For someone familiar with these technologies, the setup process might be seen as straightforward.

I work with both on-premises and cloud versions.

The implementation strategy is always very simple, though people often confuse deployment strategy with mere installation. 

Before deployment, it's crucial to understand the business use case for deploying Citrix infrastructure. This involves assessing what type of users are involved, whether they're suitable for VDI, and if there are any within this user base who cannot use VDI and instead need physical laptops. 

This assessment covers their profile needs, required bandwidth, and resources. After this assessment, a testing phase, followed by a pilot, should be undertaken before a full rollout. This thorough approach is essential; without it, many customers face issues.

Therefore, the timeframe truly depends on several factors, such as the type of applications, the number of servers, and the number of users involved. So, it really varies.

On average, it might take around eight weeks. A lot of resources would not be needed if you have the right resource or a team with the right skill set. They would be able to deploy and scale it very easily.

Citrix itself doesn't require much maintenance, but it's important to have people with the necessary skill set to identify issues related to other components like networking or storage.

Implementing Citrix DaaS with thin clients, rather than physical laptops, has resulted in savings of 27% to 29%. 

Additionally, moving 1,000 users from physical laptops to thin clients and VDI solutions can save around 40,000 kilograms of carbon emissions, benefiting both the environment and the company's economy, provided thin clients are used.

Anyone looking to deploy Citrix DaaS needs to first understand their business use case and determine why they want to offer Citrix DaaS as either an application or desktop version to their end users. 

It's crucial to assess whether their end users truly need this solution. If so, they should understand the profile requirements and how applications will behave when virtualized or moved to the cloud. 

After this assessment, proceed with testing, then a pilot, and finally, roll out to production.

Overall, I would rate the solution an eight out of ten. 

My company started with Citrix Virtual Apps and Desktops service, which is presently renamed and referred to as Citrix DaaS. The majority of my company's customers use Citrix DaaS to deploy specific kinds of virtual desktops. Citrix DaaS is also used to deploy virtual machines with GPU or with a certain graphics capacity.

In general, Citrix DaaS has the ability to be very granular in the policies part to achieve the best user experience possible, even in cases where the bandwidth is very poor.

Recently, my company has started to face some troubles with Citrix at an organizational or corporate level, meaning we have no problems with Citrix as a product. After some new company recently acquired Citrix, my company has observed that it has become quite complex for our partners to maintain apps and follow the vision of Citrix, which expects its users to use Citrix products. I have issues with Citrix as a company and not with the products.

I have experience with Citrix DaaS (formerly Citrix Virtual Apps and Desktops service) for twenty years. My company deals with multiple versions of the product. My company has a partnership with Citrix.

For our company's customers, I feel that the product is stable. My company has planned out well enough to do some periodic checkups and update patches for our customers, but not in the time frame that falls in less than six months.

My company deals with around 12 to 15 customers Who need the product in their complex Citrix-based environment.

In our organization, we have very little installation of Citrix products for our administrative purposes, so not more than five people use Citrix DaaS in the company. If you look at the number of our customers using Citrix DaaS, I would say that there are about 2,000 users.

The solution's technical support is not so good. The solution's technical support was great in the past. Considering the past, I rate the technical support an eight out of ten.

Under the present circumstances, I rate the technical support a six to seven out of ten.

Neutral

Half of my company's customers deployed the product on an on-premises model, while the other half deployed it on Citrix Cloud Broker. I feel that the majority of my company's customers have deployed the product on an on-premises model. Citrix Cloud is for the brokering process only.

Speaking if the product is worth the money, I would say that I need to think twice or thrice before investing in it.

In the past, the prices of the product were great. With the acquisition of Citrix by your company, the prices have drastically increased. For my company, it has become a bit of a problem to sell products from Citrix.

We started to use Citrix DaaS in our company, and I had the opportunity to hold on to my experience related to products from Citrix even when I moved from one company to another. I used Citrix in my company, Quanture, to deploy applications from the beginning, but it is mostly used for virtual desktops. My company uses Citrix DaaS for some specific phases in the tile industry, where the work is about manufacturing or producing tiles. In the production area, the tile company I deal with needs to develop a schema and design of the tiles using virtual desktops and virtual workstations with a certain graphic potential functionality. Citrix DaaS was a solution my company could provide to our customers so that they could replace costly workstations with virtual machines.

To those who plan to use the solution, I suggest that they initially take care of the PoC area because it is only useful, and they would appreciate the product if they intend to use it.

Citrix DaaS is a powerful solution. I recommend the product to only those who involved their IT staff during the PoC process, along with some end users, since if you don't involve the right people in the initial phases, there could be future problems with the product.

I rate the product a nine out of ten.

I rate the company named Citrix a six or seven out of ten.

I rate the overall product an eight out of ten.