Citrix Wednesday said it bought Copenhagen-based collaborative work platform Podio to expand its social media offerings for SMBs, figuring there's going to be a surge in demand for so-called social software by the enterprise as part of the consumerization of IT.
Forrester estimates the market for corporate social software will hit $6.4 billion by 2016 compared with $600 million in 2010.
Podio can be used by dispersed teams, contractors, partners, clients and projects in sales, recruiting, marketing or any other business function using pre-assembled apps from Podio's free app market.
Citrix says the widgetry unifies content and integrates traditional business apps and new mobile apps as well as the real-time and asynchronous communications required to work in the post PC era.
It's thinking cloud-based data storage and online collaboration and content tools like Box, Campaign Monitor, Dropbox, Evernote, FreshBooks, Google Apps, Google Docs, Google Alerts, Instapaper and Zendesk.
Users can create their workflows and social collaboration. Podio can extend and modify existing apps, or create new ones in support of the workflows needed. Real-time status updates and the ability to link to, share, manage tasks, comment and give feedback are part of the business processes.
Podio will be part of Citrix' GoTo cloud services portfolio, which includes GoToMeeting. Naturally Citrix is supposed to scale Podio, which got started in 2009 and has 27 people. Apparently Twitter uses it for an M&A application. Terms were not disclosed.