Citrix acquires Zenprise to boost BYOD portfolio

Extending its line of enterprise management software for mobile devices, Citrix is acquiring device management software provider Zenprise.

Citrix will fold the Zenprise software into its own Citrix CloudGateway and Me@Work packages. The company claims the combined portfolio will let customers manage mobile devices, applications and data with a single package of software.

The purchase addresses the growing workplace trend of BYOD (bring your own device), in which employees use their personal devices, such as Apple iPhones, to complete work tasks. Citrix is building a portfolio of software to secure and manage these consumer devices with the same rigour with which other enterprise systems are typically protected and controlled.

Zenprise’s mobile device management (MDM) software helps system administrators secure and manage the software and data on employees’ mobile devices. Citrix’s own CloudGateway provides the ability to access applications across a wide variety of platforms, including mobile devices. And Me@Work is a collection of applications for sharing files, running virtual meetings and securing email.

Founded in 2003, Zenprise is located in Redwood City, California. A variety of industries have used Zenprise’s software, including many customers in the fields of defence, financial services, health care, energy, law, telecommunications, retail, entertainment and government.

Citrix has acquired a number of companies recently, including mobile-network-optimization software vendor ByteMobile in 2012, and, in 2011, data synchronisation software company ShareFile and cloud software provider Cloud.com.

Terms of the deal were not disclosed. The deal is expected to close in the first quarter of 2013.