Companies are having to adapt ever more frequently to changing conditions in an agile way. In the case of short-term demand, as at the beginning of the crisis, it became apparent that many companies were not able to provide fully equipped laptops, desktops, and tablets for all home-working employees on an ad hoc basis. In addition, access to digital business tools was often not possible for security and privacy reasons. The solution: with Collaboration 365 and managed hybrid services for Citrix Cloud, virtual workstations with the highest security standards can be rolled out in just a few hours. For example, for a globally active energy group. Here, thanks to a project of 5 days only, more than 40,000 employees were able to work from their home office on the basis of the Citrix Cloud, as if they were at their office workstation.
Collaboration 365 brings together all the individual parts of a comprehensive collaboration strategy. Central components of the solution are Microsoft Online Application Services and the Citrix Cloud, which companies use to securely connect their internal teams, external freelancers, consultants, partner companies, and suppliers with any computer and ensure that it is fully operational. You have the choice between obtaining software and tools from a public cloud such as Azure, a private cloud in your own data centre, or the Future Cloud Infrastructure from T-Systems. This paves the way for hybrid delivery models. It also allows data protection or other compliance requirements to be mapped.
Pre-configuring and installing software on laptops, desktops, or tablets for mobile teams usually takes time. This is made easier with Microsoft Intune, Windows as a Service, and the Citrix Cloud. The device is centrally registered in the cloud with its ID. The tools, data accesses, and policies intended for the user are assigned to this ID. The user then logs in with their blank device using the ID and gets access to all tools and policies assigned to them. The only thing the mobile worker needs for this is an Internet connection.
To enable team collaboration from the home office or on the road, companies also use solutions from the public cloud. However, when working with business-critical software and personal data, and with strict security and compliance requirements, it is advisable to set up collaboration tools in the private cloud. This does not have to be more expensive; in the range of 500 to 15,000 workstations in particular, the private cloud is more cost-effective as a sourcing model, as the licences for the tools used can be optimally adapted to the needs of the company. At the same time, additional features such as telephony services can be integrated and data exchange encrypted.
When companies must adhere to very strict compliance policies or legal requirements, data can be held within a private cloud and in a defined legal space. T-Systems' private cloud is operated in its own data centers according to German standards. The data centers meet all regulatory requirements for operators of sensitive infrastructures.
In the private cloud, adaptations to your own instances are possible, as well as extensions for everything from archiving to integration to encryption, plus hybrid scenarios connected to your own data centers. Updates are only carried out after consultation.
Collaboration 365 holds its own on the market in terms of price thanks to favorable licensing conditions. Compared to the prices for Microsoft Office 365 tools for the public cloud, costs are up to 30 percent lower. Single sign-on and service management are included in the price per user. Existing licenses can usually continue to be used.
Managed hybrid cloud services for Citrix optimize access to software and the network. The solution thus ensures that users receive a flawless user experience, regardless of location. Remote working feels like working from the office.
* Microsoft will continue to support the Skype for Business product beyond 2025. A new release has been announced for 2021.