Odd Couple?

Channel Futures: Citrix and Tibco are not companies that you would normally expect to see in the same room, so to speak. So, how are you rationalizing these parings to customers and to the channel?

Cloud Software Group’s Ethan Fitzsimons: It’s really about providing a unified engagement model. And for us, it’s all about becoming simpler. There were some complexities that were built in from for various reasons.

CF: What is the road to that unified experience?

EF: The first piece of that is the introduction of the new partner program. The legacy Citrix business grew pretty complex to work with. We received feedback from partners all the time. They said, “You’re too hard to work with and you need a Ph.D. in channel programs to understand how and when we make money.”