AppSense announced today that it has integrated its User Virtualization Platform with the Citrix Cortex Cloud Control Panel, now known as the CloudPortal Services Manager. The goal is to deliver customers a better interface to manage their VDI infrastructure, with an expanded set of options that include hardware and customer provisioning, identity management, and other administration functions Citrix claimed to have simplified.

“By combining the AppSense platform with Citrix CloudPortal Services Manager, service providers can deliver a perfectly balanced desktop that is tightly managed but flexible enough to maximize user productivity with selective user rights elevation,” said Bill Burley, group vice president and GM of Cloud App Delivery at Citrix.

This integration option will also be available to AppSense Certified Service Providers, a relatively new partner program that was launched late last month.  It allows these companies to further build on AppSense’s technology by incorporating Citrix components.

A previous joint venture AppSense announced was also revealed this month; a Windows 7 virtual desktop migration service provided in collaboration with App-DNA.  It’s worth a mention that App-DNA was acquired yesterday by Citrix, and its AppTitude flagship offering has already been added to the Citrix Desktop Transformation Model suite.  The buyout price was not disclosed.

In addition to the App-DNA deal, Citrix had several additional updates on Tuesday, with several partners announcing points of integration as well.  For one, cloud management platform maker ScaleXtreme will extend support to CloudStack, Citrix’s IaaS software that’s based on technology acquired from Cloud.com.

Another update from this week is a new initiative designed to improve Citrix’s high-definition virtualization technology, or HDX.  In partnership with NComputing and TI, it will develop a chip that’s designed to allow the deployment of HDX tech in devices priced under $100.  The first products will start shipping in early 2012, according to Benjamin Baer, senior director of receiver and gateway marketing for Citrix.