Citrix Cloud, Virtualization Shopping Spree Continues With App-DNA

The terms were not released, but Citrix said it expects the acquisition to close in the fourth quarter.

According to Citrix, App-DNA technology will give a boost to its Citrix Desktop Transformation strategy, which is aimed at helping customers speed enterprisewide desktop virtualization deployments. App-DNA makes AppTitude, a product that lets companies quickly assess their application portfolio and migration plans. When wrapped into Citrix's Desktop Transformation Model, AppTitude will give customers information to help them plan and quickly implement a strategy to deliver desktops and applications as a service to enterprise users.

"Customers want to move to virtual desktops faster but often don't know how to evolve their application portfolio," Bob Schultz, Citrix group vice president and general manager, Enterprise Desktops and Applications, said in a statement. "App-DNA provides customers a clear road map and the ability to automate the migration of their applications to new virtual environments. As part of a complete desktop transformation strategy with a proven methodology for deploying virtual desktops across all users, Citrix and App-DNA together help customers more quickly realize the business benefits and operating efficiencies of creating a virtual computing environment."

According to Citrix, virtual desktops are a key component of the shift from the PC era to cloud computing, and the consumerization of IT coupled with the proliferation of mobile devices have created a need for applications to be delivered anywhere, at any time, to any device. The Citrix Desktop Transformation Model, which comprises Citrix Receiver, Citrix CloudGateway and Citrix XenDesktop, offers anywhere, anytime access by aggregating and controlling Windows, Web and SaaS applications and "follow-me data" to deliver virtual desktops and applications as services to users no matter where they are.

The Citrix Desktop Transformation Model focuses on three key phases: assessment, design and deployment. And the addition of App-DNA will help Citrix offer rapid application portfolio analysis, intelligent application remediation and automated application packaging, the company said.

The App-DNA acquisition continues a recent cloud computing and virtualization buying spree from Citrix as the company stages an all-out war to own the personal cloud and desktop virtualization markets and tackle the continuing consumerization of IT.

Earlier this month, Citrix acquired ShareFile, a six-year-old cloud storage, file-sharing and collaboration player. In August, Citrix scooped up RingCube Technologies, a desktop virtualization vendor that tackles challenges in large-scale virtual desktop deployments. And in July, Citrix beefed up its cloud computing portfolio with the acquisition of cloud infrastructure upstart Cloud.com.