Citrix buys company that containerizes Windows desktop apps independently of the OS

Citrix has acquired Numecent, a company that specializes in containerizing Windows desktop applications. This acquisition follows a joint effort in April to integrate Numecent's management tool, Cloudpager, with Citrix's Desktop-as-a-Service (DaaS). Cloudpaging technology packages Windows applications into isolated containers that run independently of the underlying operating system, streaming them to Windows endpoints as needed.

Citrix plans to further integrate this technology into its platform and continue supporting Cloudpaging and Cloudpager for physical Windows devices. Shawn Bass, SVP and GM of Citrix DaaS, stated that this acquisition addresses a significant pain point for enterprise customers in managing Windows applications. However, analysts and consultants believe that while this move benefits Citrix customers, it may also increase vendor lock-in and present potential data security risks.

Gartner VP Analyst Stuart Downes noted that while there will likely be high compatibility for most applications, low-level integrations into the kernel are generally unsuccessful due to the need for direct hardware links. Justin Greis, CEO of Acceligence, sees potential for significant cost savings for enterprises, but warns that the benefits may be lost when attempting to migrate away from the technology.

Noah Kenney of Digital 520 emphasizes that while the theoretical advantage is promising, it may ultimately result in an enterprise IT scenario where customers pay less initially but more later. Sanchit Vir Gogia of Greyhound Research acknowledges the validity of the containerization premise but argues that the ability to execute applications on non-Windows platforms is limited.

Nevertheless, Gogia acknowledges the value in separating applications from specific Windows images and carrying them across various Windows environments. However, he points out that the final 1% of applications can carry a significant portion of the business risk. Brian Levine, executive director of FormerGov, warns that this new capability could expose users to serious security issues, particularly the risk of data exfiltration through a privileged switch for mass software distribution.