by Jo Harder, CTP, Tampa CUGC Leader, CUGC Women in Tech Founding Mentor

It’s July 14, 2015, and Citrix is announcing Citrix Receiver for Windows 10, as well as the XenDesktop VDA Tech Preview for Windows 10.  It’s also the date that Windows Server 2003 officially falls into end of life, but XenApp 4.5/5.0 for Windows Server 2003 still has one more year to go.

What does all this mean to Citrix administrators?  It means that change is probably on the horizon for your Citrix environment, like it or not.  It means that users and even the person sitting in the corner office will be asking about how Windows 10 will be supported from the perspective of virtual desktops, as well as user devices.  Interest in Windows devices, from the phone to the Surface to the desktop, will likely be increasing now that Microsoft is bringing back the beloved start menu and other new features.

Technical change gives you the opportunity to reassess the good, the bad, and the ugly in your current environment.  Now may be the right opportunity to upgrade or migrate to newer Citrix products, as well as consider specific third-party products.  But how do you know what’s best for you?

CUGC is the perfect environment to ask fellow members about their experiences.  While some may be hesitant to provide public feedback about a product or service that has been tried or used, having these discussions offline will ensure that you gain the most knowledge in the shortest period of time.  For example, some third-party products are absolutely awesome but not top of mind because they are small companies and/or not well marketed, and some third-party products are, well, not so good, but have incredible marketing that make them appear great. 

The point is that whether it’s a Windows 10-related product or anything else that impacts your Citrix environment, save some time and make a new friend by reaching out to your fellow CUGC members.