I’ve been thinking a lot lately about what a workstation has traditionally looked like. What tends to pop into my head is a laptop, a monitor, and a mouse. But workstations, and people, are much more flexible than that. That workstation may work great for some but be less than optimal for others. Here at Citrix, we think your workstation should work for you, not the other way around.

Being a part of the Workspace app for iOS team has allowed me to run with this notion and expand what a Citrix + iPad workstation can look like. The flexibility and mobility of an iPad paired with the security and robustness Citrix Workspace is an incredibly powerful combination. That’s why we are excited to keep growing the capabilities for iPad with the new 20.7.0 version of Citrix Workspace app for iOS!

Workstation powered with Citrix Workspace

Over the last few years, we’ve seen a shift toward enterprises utilizing tablets, specifically iPads, to replace traditional workstations. The introduction of new iPadOS last year expanded capabilities for iPad users and increased productivity.

This new OS, in combination with Citrix Workspace technologies, has enabled users to access corporate applications, data, and intelligent feeds from anywhere. Whether their workstation is at home or in the office, users can take lightweight and powerful iPads, attach them to a keyboard and monitor, and get to work.

What’s New?

With more and more companies using iPads to power full workstations, we are continuing to bring new capabilities and enhancements to the iPads to make the user experience as seamless as possible. With the release of the 20.7.0 version of Citrix Workspace app for iOS, we are now supporting a number of ancillary accessories like external monitors, generic mouse/trackpads, and keyboards in addition to supporting advanced authentication to further enhance productivity and security.

Let’s take a deeper dive into what the features mean for your end users.

Comprehensive Resolution Support of an External Monitor

Starting with the Workspace app 20.6.0 release, users now have an even more delightful and seamless experience for launched sessions on external monitors. Here are a few pointers about this new capability that are worth noting:

  • The launched session will adapt and show the resolution of an external monitor, if connected, automatically.
  • On-the-fly display resolution changes with our newly introduced Display Setting option inside the session toolbar.
  • There is now access to the display setting option without adding an account in Workspace.
  • The session toolbar notch can be moved horizontally for an immaculate experience.

Please note, Citrix suggests using Apple’s recommended connectors with the iPad.

Generic Mouse/Trackpad Support

Apple added rudimentary mouse and trackpad support with the initial launch of iPadOS 13 last year. Now, with iPadOS 13.4, trackpads and mice work perfectly. Citrix Workspace app fully supports this improvement that includes gestures, customization settings and so much more. No matter what iPadOS supported mouse or trackpad you bring to your workstation (or have lying around the house ready to be used), it can be used both inside and outside of your Citrix session on the iPad. Take a look at the detailed experience of this new feature in this blog post by Chris Fleck.

Magic Keyboard trackpad in use with Workspace app

Please note, the support is for the iPad only and for the native display (iPadOS limitation). When in a session with an external display connected, the generic mouse/trackpad cursor remains on the native display. You can use a Citrix X1 mouse to access the session/toolbar on the external display.

Special Keys Support

Apple recently added the input strings for special keys. Having this capability within the Workspace app has been highly requested from the field. Users can now leverage the input strings with an external keyboard inside the session launched from the Workspace app.

N-factor Authentication Support

Multi-factor authentication (MFA) enhances the security of an application by requiring users to provide multiple proofs to identity to gain access. Authentication steps and the associated credential collection forms are completely configurable by the administrator. In the Workspace app for iOS, MFA is achieved using the Common Forms Protocol. The Common Forms Protocol is server-platform independent and currently used by NetScaler, StoreFront, and XenMobile Server.

Please note, different server types may have platform-dependent pre- and post-amble steps around the Common Forms Protocol, in order to support the necessary functionality for that server. For more information see SAML Authentication and NSG V3 logon protocol

With all of these new features and capabilities, leveraging iPads to power your full workstations is easier than ever. Download Citrix Workspace app for iOS today to leverage the latest and greatest features.

Don’t forget, you can always get up-to-date technical information on the Citrix Workspace app for iOS product documentation page. And if you have any questions about the Citrix Workspace app, let us know in the comments below.