The deal between Microsoft and Citrix to share each other’s cloud channel rosters is an alliance which appears to have paid off.
The pair struck up a partnership to encourage greater integration of the Citrix Cloud technology in the Azure universe. This was seen as being a bit tricky because the two have overlaps in products where they are in direct competition.
However it is turning out that the relationship between Citrix and Microsoft is bearing channel fruit for both vendors finding it is bringing some fresh resellers into the respective partner programmes.
The pair have been building a hybrid cloud offering has been the focus of the relationship.
As a result Citrix partners are being introduced to a Microsoft world of Azure and vice versa with the software giant’s channel getting the option to know the VDI player.
Justin Sutton-Parker, partner director at Northern Europe at Citrix, said that although there was some overlap between the two firms in their partner rosters there were still plenty of new names it was being introduced to.
“Lots of Microsoft partners are waking up to this and saying that this will help them”. he added “We are starting to see more Microsoft partners engage with us.”
Citrix has developed play books and put in place support to make life easier for Microsoft partners looking to add Citrix to their offerings. The vendor also recently hired a former Microsoft staffer to run its operations in this area.
“There are a healthy number of Azure partners that have not yet come to look at Citrix and these are new partner brands, added Sutton-Parker.
