An update on the Citrix Workspace Hub: Citrix is serious about their low-cost thin client

Citrix keeps improving it

Vendors like NComputing and ViewSonic remain the only way organizations can purchase the hardware, but Citrix continues to work on the software stack to improve the Workspace Hub experience for all customers.

Citrix Casting, which was the real standout to me when I first looked at the Hub, has been expanded to include proximity roaming (Android only for now) alongside QR code scanning for quicker log in (especially useful for healthcare). Wayne and the others I spoke with explained that Citrix wants to develop around the idea of trying to save users time and money by connecting quickly to any workstation. 

They explained that they were adding Citrix Casting to more OSes, with iOS and Android already in GA. Windows is currently able to mirror screens on multiple displays, while extending remains experimental. Meanwhile on macOS, the Hub can mirror the display, but cannot extend yet.

Overall Citrix believes user experience is key for the Workspace Hub; it needs to provide the perfect experience. To me, it looks like they’re adding in the extra features to make it more competitive with the more entrenched thin client vendors, while still keeping the overall project much more inexpensive. 

Roadmap features

Cheng and the others explained some upcoming roadmap additions coming to the Citrix Workspace Hub (though no specific timelines), with the current focus on making the management side easier. They're adding more device management features to the Hub to make it easier for admins to work with. Some forthcoming features include remote troubleshooting, centralizing ways for upgrading, getting the Hub to work better with local devices like keyboards, and making it easier for multiple Hub devices to extend displays.

They want the Citrix Workspace Hub to be a cheap thin client option, but at the same time to be the best one available. One way to do this is to improve the image management, which I was told is currently a little weak, so they’re working to bring the mobile device management concept to the Hub. You can currently manage each Hub through Citrix Endpoint Management or Stratodesk’s NoTouch Center.

Future of Work

In a separate conversation, Chris Fleck (VP and technical fellow) and Roger Cao (director of solutions development) showed off some more future-looking ideas that revolved around the Citrix Workspace Hub. It’s anyone’s guess whether any of these concepts ever make it to market (something a reporter loudly questioned), but each is still neat to talk about.

The first thing they demoed was making it easier for employees to personalize their desks in open seating offices using hot desking setups. Rather than spending several minutes every morning making your non-persistent physical desk feel more like yours (e.g., adjusting the desk height, displays, and everything else), you simply log in. Once authenticated, using the Workspace Hub’s IoT connections, everything connected automatically adjusts at the desk to your preference.

The setup Citrix showed off included a standing desk moving lower to adjust to a shorter person, a lamp light changing colors, and preparing the Alexa for Business for that specific user. They mentioned smart devices like Alexa could be useful for employees with disabilities, and then showed off using the digital assistant to send a spreadsheet to a colleague. Jack also saw the presentation and thought the smart assistant integration was neat. 

Overall, the idea centered around extending Citrix Workspace beyond just the desktop or mobile device and instead incorporating the entire office ecosystem. Organizations could use the Citrix Workspace Hub as a Wi-Fi dock, extend desktop screens for presentations, and for meeting room setups. And, tying back around to hot desking, employees could see a display showing all the open/occupied desks in the office in the morning—this could also be used to help employees find where someone is that day if you needed to talk to them (users could opt out over privacy concerns, if desired). Additionally, this could even be expanded with the recently announced Workspace Assistant and Workspace intelligent experience.

Citrix takes the Workspace Hub seriously

Citrix seems to be serious about continuing to improve their inexpensive thin client—it was obvious even before I sat down and spoke to anyone about the Hub just based off its presence at the show, from the Expo Hall to breakout sessions.

Still, despite the obvious use cases the Citrix Workspace Hub remains perfect for, I do struggle to see how it helps Citrix increase their growth. They make money indirectly off the Hub as it makes the Citrix platform more interesting, but actual hardware sales go to the partners.