Case Study: Robert Gordon University achieves device-agnostic app access and improved student experience with Citrix XenApp

Scottish university delivers fantastic student experience with XenApp

Robert Gordon University (RGU), a leading Scottish institution with more than 17,000 students, faced a fragmented, PC‑centric IT estate where specialist software was tied to specific machines and faculties managed apps independently. A planned campus consolidation exposed the limits of a five‑year PC refresh model and drove the need for a location‑ and device‑agnostic approach that would deliver consistent, reliable access to course software across campus and beyond.

RGU centralized application delivery using Citrix XenApp from a shared data centre, deploying 24 virtual servers and 950 thin clients and enabling access via Citrix Receiver on students’ own devices. The rollout now delivers 600+ apps, supports about 8,000 unique devices a day (peaking at ~4,000 concurrent sessions), and provides a uniform Windows desktop experience—improving student satisfaction, simplifying management and licence compliance, increasing reliability and scalability, and freeing IT to focus on higher‑value support.

Robert Gordon University

Richard Lynch

Head of IT Operations and Support