On-Premises Application and Desktop Virtualisation
Full control over virtualised applications and desktops without handing your infrastructure to a cloud provider. OAS brings 40+ years of Citrix Platinum Partnership to every CVAD deployment.
What Is Citrix Virtual Apps and Desktops?
CVAD is Citrix's on-premises platform for delivering virtual applications and desktops to any device, anywhere. All infrastructure components — Delivery Controllers, StoreFront, Licensing, Director — reside within your data centre. You manage every layer, from hypervisor to user session.
CVAD supports single-session (VDI) and multi-session Windows desktops, along with published applications. The HDX protocol ensures high-definition session quality even over constrained networks, with adaptive transport and EDT (Enlightened Data Transport) adjusting automatically to bandwidth conditions.
For South African organisations that require air-gapped environments, strict data residency, or complete infrastructure sovereignty, CVAD remains the proven choice.
Key Capabilities
CVAD 2511 — Current Release
CVAD 2511 (released February 2026) delivers Windows Server 2025 support, image management GA for XenServer environments, and policy tampering detection enabled by default. Session reconnect duration metrics in Director give administrators precise visibility into reconnection performance. The 2402 LTSR track with Cumulative Update 3 remains available for organisations that prioritise stability over feature velocity.
XenServer — Optimised Hypervisor
XenServer (v8.4) is the hypervisor purpose-built for the Citrix platform. It supports Windows 11, handles all workload types, and is included as an entitlement in UHMC, Platform Licence, and Citrix for Private Cloud subscriptions. For organisations re-evaluating VMware after the Broadcom acquisition, XenServer provides a proven alternative with deep CVAD integration.
Citrix Provisioning (PVS)
Citrix Provisioning streams a single shared disk image to multiple target devices. This reduces storage requirements and simplifies image management at scale — instead of maintaining individual images per machine, administrators manage one golden image that every VDA boots from. PVS is essential for large CVAD deployments where image sprawl drives operational overhead.
Workspace Environment Management (WEM)
WEM optimises the user environment by managing profiles, policies, and application settings. It reduces logon times and improves session performance through CPU and memory management, lowering resource consumption across your virtual desktop estate. For organisations running hundreds or thousands of concurrent sessions, WEM delivers measurable performance gains.
deviceTRUST — Continuous Access Control
deviceTRUST provides context-aware access control for CVAD sessions. Unlike traditional authentication that validates only at login, deviceTRUST monitors device compliance continuously throughout each session. If a device falls out of compliance — location change, missing security agent, failed health check — deviceTRUST triggers real-time actions to restrict or terminate access.
Citrix Aidrien — AI-Powered Administration
Generally available since March 2026, Citrix Aidrien translates natural-language queries into OData API calls against the Monitor database. Administrators troubleshoot session issues, analyse usage patterns, and generate reports without writing complex queries.
Why OAS for CVAD
Citrix Platinum Partner — 40+ Years
OAS holds Citrix Platinum Partner status — the highest tier available. With 40+ years of continuous partnership, OAS has deployed CVAD across healthcare, financial services, government, and mining throughout Southern Africa.
End-to-End Delivery
OAS handles every phase: discovery, architecture design, pilot deployment, production rollout, user onboarding, and ongoing managed services. Our structured engagement process ensures nothing is left to assumption.
LAS Migration Support
The Citrix Licence Activation Service (LAS) deadline of 15 April 2026 marks the end of file-based licensing. OAS provides licence audit, migration planning, and execution to ensure uninterrupted service.
VMware Horizon Alternative
Broadcom's acquisition of VMware has disrupted Horizon licensing and roadmaps. OAS provides migration assessments for VMware Horizon customers, including workload mapping, user-acceptance testing, and phased cutover to CVAD with XenServer.
Deployment Options
| Model | Best For | OAS Role |
|---|---|---|
| On-Premises (Nutanix AHV) | Organisations eliminating VMware dependency with Nutanix hyperconverged infrastructure | Full CVAD architecture on Nutanix AHV, deployment, and managed services |
| On-Premises (Traditional) | Existing data centre environments with established hypervisors | Architecture design, CVAD deployment, integration with current infrastructure |
| Hybrid (CVAD + DaaS) | Organisations extending on-premises CVAD into cloud-managed DaaS | Integration design, phased migration, unified management |
| CVAD on Azure | Organisations running CVAD workloads in Azure South Africa regions | Azure IaaS deployment, data sovereignty architecture, optimisation |