*This post originally appeared on the AppSense blog prior to the rebrand in January 2017, when AppSense, LANDESK, Shavlik, Wavelink, and HEAT Software merged under the new name Ivanti.

In my last post, I highlighted that the channel is central to AppSense’s strategy moving forward. Solution Providers play a critical role in turning products from industry leaders like AppSense, Citrix, and VMware into solutions to real world customer problems.

Partners have a unique vantage point into what it takes to make VDI deployments and other desktop projects successful. Customer relationships are the lifeblood of their business, and as technology vendors we need to earn a place in their solution stack. If we’re not adding value, we don’t get to come along for the ride.

CRN recently spoke to a group of AppSense channel partners to understand where AppSense fits into their VDI practices. This is a key topic on people’s minds as VDI vendors build more profile management capabilities to their products.

The overwhelming response: AppSense isn’t just a luxury during VDI deployments. It’s a requirement.

Presidio, a major joint AppSense / VMware partner, told CRN that they now include AppSense in every VMware VDI proof-of-concept.

 "Going back almost five years, I haven’t done a successful VMware VDI project that didn’t include AppSense," said Mark Vaughn, a consulting principal at Presidio.

It’s a similar story in the Citrix ecosystem. Mike Strohl, CEO of joint AppSense / Citrix partner Entisys Solutions, told CRN that his firm now includes AppSense on every Citrix VDI deal over 1,000 users. But the most exciting part of what Mike had to say is that AppSense’s success in the channel isn’t coming at the expense of alliance partners like Citrix and VMware.

 "They are helping us increase our Citrix number significantly," he said. "And my Citrix sales are off the charts. I have sold more Citrix in the first quarter than all of last year. I expect that trend to continue."

Check out the full CRN article for more success stories like this. The bottom line: when you put user experience at the center of a VDI project, customers win, partners win, and technology vendors win.

We want to repeat this winning formula in every VDI project, which is why we’re making an unprecedented investment in our channel. Next week, we’re hosting two events that will bring our global network of channel partners together:

  • AppSense Elevate, kicking off on April 19 in Orlando.
  • AppSense University, kicking off on April 23 in London.

The whole AppSense team is really excited for this opportunity to get together with our partners and chart out our next stage of shared growth. As CRN’s findings show, we have a tremendous amount of momentum to build on.