Virtualization virtuoso Citrix used its Synergy 2011 event in Barcelona, Spain, yesterday to launch Citrix CloudGateway, a unified service broker that lets IT pros deploy Windows, web, SaaS and mobile apps to “any user on any device.” Citrix is positioning the CloudGateway product line as a way to meet the challenges of the mobile workforce while also adding a security and management layer to public cloud application delivery.

The way it works is fairly straightforward: Install the Citrix Receiver software client on the endpoint (desktop, laptop, tablet, smartphone, etc.), and it gets access to what the company is calling “foll0w-me” aggregated apps and data. In other words, for users it’s a consistent experience with the same settings and information, no matter what they’re holding in their hands.

Customers also get finer controls such as identity provisioning for authorized users, automatic deprovisioning for terminated users and remote wiping for lost devices, according to the press release. It also comes with a dashboard for SLA monitoring and license utilization.

Intriguingly, that same press release indicated CloudGateway will come in two “flavors,” one focused on delivering Windows apps and the other on the cloud:

Citrix CloudGateway is in tech preview this month, with general availability expected over the next three months. I have to admit, I’m intrigued: I’ve criticized Citrix in the past for focusing on virtual desktop infrastructure at a time when the SaaS marketplace is exploding. But this seems like a logical way to bring Citrix’s existing application virtualization expertise into its rapidly developing cloud equation.

Stay tuned for more updates from Citrix Synergy as they emerge.