Understanding the Changes to Citrix Licensing
Citrix, a leader in secure workspace solutions, announced significant updates on 4th March 2024 to better align with the hybrid multi-cloud era.
At the centre of these updates is a major shift in Citrix licensing — simplifying the range of options, introducing clearer subscription models, and streamlining how customers access Citrix and NetScaler features.
This article explains what the new Citrix licensing changes mean, why Citrix has made the shift, and how Ultima can help you transition smoothly.
Why Citrix Changed Its Licensing Model
Citrix's licensing changes are motivated by a desire to simplify, increase value, and promote customer success:
- Simplify: Before, Citrix and NetScaler had many product versions, editions, and add-ons that made the transaction process complicated, limiting usable functionality. The complexity sometimes prevented customers from accessing high value features due to cost implications.
- Value: The introduction of three new subscription models aims to optimise the benefits of Citrix and NetScaler features, perfectly suited to customer deployment needs.
- Customer Success: By lowering package options and enriching the Universal and Platform subscriptions with more capabilities, the focus shifts towards improving customer adoption and satisfaction.
The New Citrix Licensing Options
The simplification has led to the reduction of licensing options to four, described below:
- Citrix Universal Hybrid Multi Cloud: Based on the success of the Citrix Universal subscription launched in 2023, this option will serve most customers in 2024. It provides unlimited access to all Citrix and NetScaler features across any cloud or on-premises setup,
- Citrix for Private Cloud: Customised for customers needing to stay fully on-premises for compliance or specific requirements, offering unrestricted access to all Citrix and NetScaler features for on-premises deployment.
- Citrix Platform Licenses: A special offering for select customers, providing all Citrix and NetScaler capabilities with infinite capacity through a single license. Secure Private Access, Analytics, and everything else that Citrix and NetScaler have to offer.
- NetScaler Fixed Capacity: Designed for those only requiring NetScaler functionality with a preference for a fixed capacity model.
Transitioning to the New Citrix Licensing
For existing Ultima customers, moving to the new Citrix licensing model will be seamless. Ultima provides:
- One‑to‑one support during migration.
- Optimisation to ensure you’re matched with the right subscription option.
- Ongoing assistance to adapt licensing to your business growth and budget needs.
For new customers, Ultima can guide you through the updates and help you select the best subscription to fit your environment.
Why Ultima?
As a Citrix Platinum Partner with over 20 years of experience, Ultima has the expertise to help customers adapt to these licensing changes. Our specialist teams cover licensing, technical deployment, and integration services — ensuring you gain maximum value from Citrix while aligning with your wider IT environment.
We don’t just understand Citrix in isolation; we know how to integrate it with the other critical systems in your environment to deliver a complete end‑to‑end solution.
Next Steps
The March 2024 Citrix licensing changes represent one of the most significant updates in recent years, consolidating offerings and moving towards a subscription‑first model. For organisations already invested in Citrix, this is the right moment to review your current licensing and plan your transition.
If you’d like help assessing your options or have questions about how the new licensing structure impacts your business, contact Ultima today.
