Citrix Synergy 2017: The Future of Work

Although last week's trip to Orlando already feels like an eternity ago, we're still feeling the excitement and energy from Citrix Synergy 2017. Presented as the premier industry conference on digital business transformation, Synergy did not disappoint. Keynotes given by innovators (and great people!) like General Colin Powell and Malcolm Gladwell served enough inspiration to fuel the team for the remainder of the year and beyond. Tricerat team attendee Hannah B. said, "I attended Malcolm Gladwell's keynote. This was truly exhilarating for me because I’ve been a fan of his for quite some time. He delivered his speech in typical Gladwell fashion: presenting practical life examples to allow the reader, or attendee in this instance, the ability to digest his claims, followed by a declaration of his theory. After presenting three major practical workforce examples: healthcare, education, and sports entertainment, he concludes one thing: experts in the machine world age are not problem-solvers, but rather, mystery solvers."

This year's conference theme, 'future of work,' meshed perfectly with what we had prepared to share at the Tricerat expo hall booth. As the modern workspace changes and adapts, Tricerat has kept pace with additional advanced printing features and mobile printing options to keep up with these complex new environments. With the growing demand of Apple product use and mobile printing in the enterprise workspace, much of our time at the expo booth was spent demoing Simplify Printing TX, our mobile printing solution for interested Citrix users. Tricerat team member Mic D. mentioned, "I wasn’t sure how ubiquitous printing issues were (are) in Citrix, especially with newer versions of the Citrix UPD being released. It became very apparent that printing is still an issue in Citrix environments. Everyone we talked with had issues they needed to solve. Our advanced print features were a very hot topic and a key differentiator when discussing our solutions with attendees. I also had a chance to speak to how our solutions streamline the print environment and make management simpler. I had a host of great conversations that focused on efficiencies around our solutions."

While in Orlando, we had the opportunity to meet with attendees and organizations from a wide array of industries. The 'usual subjects' like healthcare, education and finance were top of mind, but we also took part in great conversations with attendees who worked in smaller, more niche industries like sports entertainment and manufacturing. One common theme? The advanced print features that we offer are unlike anything else in the space. Tech lead Paul mentioned, "It’s always fun to demo APF (advanced print features) and to watch the customer’s reaction when they see the manufacturer’s UI and the full functionality of the printer.

Here's what we learned:

• Citrix admins still struggle with printing - Despite Citrix’s improvements within the UPS/UPD, printing is still a persisting issue.
• Our advanced print features are the best in the business - We met with dozens of users whose ears 'perked' up when we started reviewing advanced features. They deliver a distinct competitive advantage compared to our competitors that users can't ignore.
• The market is mobile - There's no avoiding 'it'...so we do 'it' well. Simplify Printing TX was the shining start of the Tricerat booth for a reason, mobility is a must!
• Our team of rockstars are, well...rockstars. The Tricerat team returned home with a brand new energy-- one that was enhanced by a common goal, exciting events and of course, the stellar Citrix organization. We are very proud to be a Citrix Partner.

And the food?

Conference center turkey sandwiches? Not so good.