Application delivery infrastructure developer Citrix has announced updates to its Access Gateway Appliance. The new additions will make it easier for enterprises to deliver virtual desktops to end users in a secure manner.

Citrix Access Gateway 8.1 will now integrate with XenDesktop, the firm said, giving a combined solution that will let firms control access to applications and desktops regardless of user location.

Three new features support these claims; SmartAccess for Virtual Desktops, which lets the IT department control who access what, and from where. Improved scalability for Secure Virtual Desktop Access – a feature that the firm said would enable a wide geographical and user number spread for any rolled out applications. And faster configuration and deployment. The latter speaks for itself, but the firm explained that new configuration wizards and automation tools had made this possible.

“Enterprise customers can now restrict the access and use of desktops and approved applications from a central location, without network reconfiguration or end client software changes,” said Sanjay Uppal, vice president of product marketing at Citrix Systems. “By integrating scalable secure access with the Citrix XenDesktop product line, we greatly simplify the control of critical datacenter resources without compromising security.”

The new features are available as of now. Appliances start at $3500.