Cisco Integrates Citrix NetScaler into Cloud Network Services

Six months after the two companies announced they would expand their strategic alliance around three pillars – cloud, mobility and networking – Cisco (News - Alert) and Citrix have formed a stronger bond through a new bundling deal for the networking giant’s unified fabric network services line of products.

Cisco has integrated the Citrix NetScaler application delivery controller (ADC (News - Alert)) technology into its Unified Fabric Cloud Network Services portfolio. The virtual application delivery controller will be tightly coupled into Cisco’s virtual networking framework to provide superior network service provisioning and performance. In addition, Citrix NetScaler 1000V will be sold by Cisco and its channel partners and supported by the Cisco Technical Assistance Center. 

As enterprise IT continues its movement toward cloud rollouts and virtualization, datacenters are becoming the cornerstones of business, driving the need for closer integration between functional elements, and optimizing how applications are delivered over IT and network infrastructure, according to Rohit Mehra, vice president of network infrastructure at IDC (News - Alert).

“In that context, the cloud network services-focused partnership between Citrix and Cisco is clearly a step in the right direction,” Mehra said in a statement.

Cisco’s cloud network services architecture is designed to make cloud network deployments faster and easier without compromising the security and application services that data center applications require. 

Citrix NetScaler 1000V offers new application delivery capabilities to Cisco Cloud Network Services through a unified, integrated approach and represents the next evolution in ADC technology, changing and uniquely enabling a tight integration with the Cisco network infrastructure, according to Ram Appalaraju (News - Alert), vice president of products at Cisco’s Data Center Group.

 “With the addition of the Citrix NetScaler best-in-class application delivery controller tightly coupled into our virtual networking framework, Cisco is furthering our cloud network services strategy,” Appalaraju said. “By partnering with Citrix, we will be able to offer critical application delivery services to our virtual networking and cloud customers on the Nexus 1K platform.”

Company officials said Citrix NetScaler 1000V will be available through Cisco’s normal sales and global channels in the third quarter of 2013.