Citrix targets SMEs with investment in Kaviza

Virtualisation giant invests in rival vendor to capitalise on VDI's growing popularity with SMEs

Goswami: Investment validates desktop-specific approach to virtualisation

Citrix Systems has joined forces with desktop virtualisation specialists Kaviza to capitalise on the growing interest in virtual desktop infrastructure (VDI).

Citrix said interest in VDI is “beginning to reach beyond large enterprises” and its “strategic investment” in Kaviza would help it to build on the burgeoning popularity in the SME market.

Kaviza’s main product is VDI-in-a-box, which is aimed at SME users. The company claims the product offers customers an immediate return on investment because it costs less to implement than buying a PC.

Andy Cohen, senior director of strategic development at Citrix, said: "Small and medium enterprises are starting to see the benefits of providing employees with access to virtual desktops. We are impressed with how simply Kaviza enables customers to deploy desktop virtualisation with minimal investment, making it an ideal choice for SME customers.”

Kumar Goswami, chief executive at Kaviza, said: "Citrix's investment will enable us to continue pushing the envelope in providing affordable and simple desktop virtualisation solutions for our customers,” Goswami said. “This investment further validates our desktop-specific approach to virtualisation.”