#CitrixSynergy 2018 Video Interview with Citrix VP Sridhar Mullapudi and VMblog

Sure, my name is Sridhar Mullapudi. I'm a VP of Product Management and I lead the product for workspace services.

Sure. The key announcements we made is the Citrix workspace unification and the goal behind that is to build a general-purpose workspace applicable for every user in the organization. It doesn't matter what type of device they use — web-based SaaS, mobile, or native application — they'll get work done through a unified experience. It comes in three flavors: web-based, native (Windows or Mac), or mobile. The same application talks to all six cloud and workspace services powering the workspace you saw today.

A big part has been creating the products and cloud services to get right, moving away from point products toward solutions. Integration is key — we focus on integrating all these parts and cloud services in the backend so it's seamless for users and administrators. For users, we kept it simple: the workspace app is where you start. It doesn't matter what type of application or content — the user doesn't care where it's hosted (on-prem, cloud, or new services). It's all hidden behind one place to get work done on any device.

One thing we built into the workspace app is workflows, powered by ShareFile and the content collaboration platform. When working on documents, you can initiate workflows for approvals or signatures. We're also expanding third-party workflow integrations. You might need a workflow that cuts across multiple SaaS applications, and you can do that within the workspace context.

On the backend of the workspace, we have a common policy framework. You define policies — device, application, authentication — and they apply uniformly across access types. If you're at a Starbucks on an untrusted Chromebook, the policy enforces step-up or multi-factor authentication, or denies access to certain content. It's all driven by a common policy engine, so the user gets the right experience based on context.

There's a ton of innovation happening. Beyond the next 90 days, looking six to twelve months out: workspace productivity is key. One example is micro apps — Christian talked about it on stage — allowing users to do simple tasks without jumping into full applications, saving time. We also talk about AI providing productivity analytics, not just security analytics. Securing SaaS applications with SSO is important, but we want to enhance productivity when users interact with different apps and share content. Voice integrations and a rich third-party ecosystem are also priorities — we want this to be a platform for third parties to integrate, like ServiceNow.