Citrix acquires VDI specialist Kaviza

Virtualisation giant follows up investment in virtual desktop start-up with wholesale buyout

Virtualisation giant Citrix has acquired virtual desktop specialist Kaviza for an undisclosed sum.

The two firms have been technological allies since Citrix decided to invest in Kaviza more than a year ago.

Kaviza's flagship product is an SMB-focused desktop virtualisation offering called VDI-in-a-Box. Citrix claims the product will help it gain ground in the lower end of the market.

Gordon Payne, general manager of the desktop division at Citrix, said: "The innovative technology [Kaviza] has built will add significant value to our desktop virtualisation product line as more and more SMBs adopt virtual desktops."

The product will be available to buy through Citrix Solutions Advisors from 1 July. Meanwhile, Kaviza partners wanting to resell the rest of the Citrix portfolio will need to join the vendor's partner programme first.

Kumar Goswami, chief executive of Kaviza, said Citrix was a natural fit for the firm's technology and channel partners.

"By joining Citrix, we will be able to leverage the benefits of increased investment, global presence and a large channel footprint," explained Goswami.

In a letter to partners, Goswami added that all the Kaviza team will be joining Citrix, which should cause little disruption to their traditional supply chain arrangements.

"Since the release of our first product in October 2009, Kaviza has grown at double-digit rates every quarter, with several hundred customers now worldwide and partners in every continent," said Goswami.

"All Kaviza employees will become part of a new organisation within Citrix. Your support and sales contacts and processes remain unchanged, as do order management and pricing."