Citrix Online
| Company type | Division (formerly) |
|---|---|
| Industry | Software as a service |
| Predecessor | Expertcity, Inc. |
| Founded | 1997 |
| Founder | Klaus Schauser, Bernd Oliver Christiansen, Malte Muenke |
| Fate | Merged with LogMeIn, Inc. in 2017 |
| Headquarters | Santa Barbara , United States |
Area served | Worldwide |
Key people | Chris Hylen (CEO of spun-off company) |
| Products | GoToAssist, GoToMeeting, GoToMyPC, GoToTraining, GoToWebinar, Podio, OpenVoice, RightSignature |
| Parent | Citrix Systems (until 2017) |
Citrix Online functioned as the web services branch of Citrix Systems, focusing on internet-based remote access, support, and collaboration solutions. Its prominent offerings comprised GoToAssist, GoToMeeting, GoToMyPC, GoToTraining, GoToWebinar, Podio, and OpenVoice. This division primarily delivered its services through the software as a service (SaaS) and application service provider (ASP) frameworks.
The company originated in 1997 under the name "Expertcity, Inc.," established by UCSB Professor Klaus Schauser alongside graduate students Bernd Oliver Christiansen and Malte Muenke. Citrix Systems acquired Expertcity in 2003, subsequently rebranding it as Citrix Online. By 2014, it was integrated as Citrix's SaaS division and was renamed the Citrix Mobility Apps Business Unit in 2015. Later that year, Citrix revealed intentions to spin off this unit into an independent enterprise.
In July 2016, the collaboration suite of Citrix Online—the "GoTo" product line—was announced to merge with the business operations of LogMeIn, Inc. The merger finalized on January 31, 2017, forming a unified organization headquartered in Boston, Massachusetts. Ownership was split with Citrix shareholders holding 50.1% and LogMeIn shareholders owning 49.9%. The executive team incorporated leaders from both companies.
History
The foundational technology behind Citrix Online traces back to Expertcity, Inc., established in 1997 by UCSB professor Klaus Schauser and graduate students Bernd Oliver Christiansen and Malte Muenke. Initial funding came from investors such as Sun Microsystems, ZDNet, Bertelsmann Ventures, and Wit Capital.
In December 1999, Expertcity introduced an online marketplace for technical support services named Expertcity. Customers submitted their support inquiries through a web form and received competitive bids from experts via a Dutch auction process. Once an expert was chosen, communication occurred through chat with optional desktop sharing capabilities, enabling remote control of the customer’s computer—this remote desktop technology laid the groundwork for future offerings by Citrix Online.
The support marketplace was discontinued on January 1, 2002, with operations transferred to Tech24, Inc., which eventually phased out the platform in favor of phone-based support services.
This remote desktop innovation facilitated new product developments: DesktopStreaming (later rebranded as GoToAssist) debuted in June 2000 to enable desktop sharing for technical assistance between businesses and clients. Early in 2001, GoToMyPC was introduced to allow users remote access to their personal desktops.
Starting in 2009, Citrix Online experienced multiple rounds of workforce reductions: a 10% cut aligned with parent company Citrix Systems’ downsizing; in 2014, layoffs affected 65 employees predominantly within marketing. In November 2015, Citrix declared plans to spin off its SaaS segment—Citrix Online—and appointed Chris Hylen as CEO of the new company while executing additional staff reductions.
By 2018, Citrix Online outsourced its entire technical support team to Costa Rica, resulting in significant job losses within the United States.
Acquisitions
In 2003, Citrix Systems purchased Expertcity for roughly $225 million in a combination of cash and stock. Following acquisition, Expertcity was renamed Citrix Online but retained key development personnel along with its web-based desktop access technology. At that time, Expertcity was developing GoToMeeting, which allowed multiple participants to view and control a single desktop for collaborative support sessions and presentations. In 2006, Citrix Online broadened GoToMeeting’s capabilities to include web-based training and seminars by launching GoToWebinar and later introducing GoToTraining in 2010—both designed for large-scale online events.
In 2008, Citrix acquired Vapps, Inc., an audio conferencing provider, forming Citrix Online Audio, LLC and launching HiDef Corporate—a hosted flat-rate audio conferencing service.
The acquisition of Paglo Labs occurred in 2010; this led to the release of GoToManage—an IT management tool that merged into GoToAssist by 2012. Expanding further into cloud collaboration in 2012, Citrix acquired Podio, a platform for collaborative work management. In 2015, the company enhanced its cloud communications offerings by acquiring Grasshopper, a provider of virtual phone systems.
Current
- GoToAssist (previously DesktopStreaming) — provides remote IT support and monitors technical environments
- GoToMeeting — facilitates collaboration and virtual meetings accommodating up to 250 participants
- GoToMyPC — offers remote desktop connectivity for both individual users and organizations
- GoToTraining — delivers training sessions supporting up to 200 attendees
- GoToWebinar — hosts webinars and presentations with capacity for as many as 1000 participants
- Podio — a platform designed for teamwork, project coordination, and business process management
- OpenVoice (formerly HiDef Corporate) — audio conferencing service featuring web and mobile control options
- RightSignature — an email-integrated digital signature service
Discontinued
- BuddyHelp — provided desktop sharing capabilities for remote IT assistance
- ExpertLive (formerly Expertcity) — a marketplace specializing in technical support services
- GoView — offered screen capture and recording functionality
- Talkboard — an iPad app designed for collaborative whiteboarding; recognized with Apple’s App Store “Best of 2013” award in Business Productivity