Client Profile
A Fortune 100 aerospace and defense organization, supporting 7,000+ employees, requires secure, high-performance virtual desktop access for complex mission-critical operations. Their distributed workforce needs reliable VDI for specialized engineering, manufacturing, and ITAR-compliant applications across diverse facilities, all while ensuring stringent security and compliance.
Challenges
The aerospace manufacturer’s existing Citrix environment has become a critical bottleneck threatening operational efficiency and regulatory compliance across multiple dimensions. Key challenges included:
- Performance Issues: Applications were slow to launch — often taking over 4 minutes — and users faced frequent connection drops and crashes, which impacted engineering teams the most. The system also struggled to manage over 150 virtual desktop images spread across business units and locations.
- Compliance Risks: With strict ITAR (International Traffic in Arms Regulations) requirements, the existing VDI lacked the advanced security and access controls needed, putting sensitive defense operations at risk.
- Operational Inefficiencies: A lack of standardized processes led to inconsistent user experiences and project delays. IT teams were spending up to 40% more time on routine maintenance due to poor prioritization and fragmented workflows.
- Limited Scalability: As business needs grew, the legacy Citrix infrastructure couldn’t keep up. Rolling out new desktops took weeks, slowing the company’s ability to respond to new initiatives.
- Rising Costs: Licensing and infrastructure expenses kept increasing, but system performance wasn’t keeping pace — resulting in high costs with low returns.
Anunta’s Solution
Anunta Technologies led a smooth, zero-disruption migration from Citrix to Horizon, delivering a scalable and secure VDI environment tailored to the customer’s business and compliance needs.
Phase 1: Discovery & Assessment (30 Days): Conducted comprehensive assessment of 405 delivery groups serving 7,000 users, cataloged 200+ critical applications including CAD/CAM software, manufacturing execution systems, ERP platforms, and ITAR-compliant defense applications.
Phase 2 : Infrastructure Buildout (60 Days)-A complete Horizon environment was built alongside the existing Citrix setup. Security frameworks were implemented to meet ITAR compliance, and all applications underwent thorough compatibility testing.
Phase 3: Phased Migration (90 Days)- Users were migrated in controlled waves of 50–100 based on business priority. Real-time monitoring and 24/7 support ensured issues were addressed immediately during the transition.
Zero-Disruption Methodology– Citrix and Horizon environments ran in parallel during the migration. Migrations were scheduled during off-peak hours and weekends, with pre-migration testing, rollback options, and proactive monitoring to avoid disruptions.
Technology Highlights
- Horizon VDI platform optimized for aerospace workflows
- Workspace ONE Experience Management (12,000 named users)
- ITAR-compliant security with fine-grained access controls and audit logging
- Dell infrastructure integrated for service desk and hardware support
Migration Scope & Timeline:
The 6-month project (Nov 2024 – Apr 2025) successfully transitioned 7,000 users across engineering, manufacturing, corporate, and defense teams:
- 67% of delivery groups (273 out of 405) were migrated
- Over 200 applications were transitioned
- 40% of the legacy Citrix environment was decommissioned, with full phase-out scheduled by fiscal year-end
Key Benefits
- Performance Transformation: Application launch times were cut by 40%, and login and connection speeds were improved by 50%. During the migration, the environment delivered 99.95% uptime, exceeding SLA expectations of 99.9%, and 95% of users reported a better experience and productivity across teams.
- Substantial Cost Optimization: Reduced VDI licensing costs by 25% and achieved significant annual cost savings of $2.3 million by optimizing license usage and infrastructure management. Streamlined processes led to a 35% reduction in administrative overhead, support ticket volume dropped by 60%, and the average issue resolution time improved from 4 hours to 90 minutes.
- Enhanced Security and Compliance: Achieved 100% ITAR compliance maintenance throughout the migration while eliminating legacy system vulnerabilities and implementing advanced security controls. Enhanced audit capabilities and documentation significantly improved regulatory audit readiness, reducing compliance gaps and export control risks.
- Operational Excellence and Scalability: The deployment of new virtual desktops accelerated by 50%. Engineering productivity metrics improved by 15% with reduced project delivery times. Standardization across departments and locations provided a unified platform experience, enabling future cloud services and advanced integrations.
