I have not personally but I'm aware of customers using a variety of VDI client machine types (ChromeOS, Dell, Lenovo, IGEL, etc). Some of them do not support a supported browser running outside of the terminal session (or admin has locked it down to not allow it). For those devices, BCR + both clients running inside of the VDI session are ideal. If the device does allow a supported browser outside of VDI, both of the models I described are fair game.
Original Message:
Sent: 01-05-2026 11:28
From: Robert Wakefield-Carl
Subject: Using Genesys Cloud In Citrix VDI
Thank you for the detail. Have you been able to test Citrix BCR with a thin client - like a Dell or Wyse terminal?
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Robert Wakefield-Carl
ttec Digital
Sr. Director - Innovation Architects
Robert.WC@ttecdigital.com
https://www.ttecDigital.com
https://RobertWC.Blogspot.com
Original Message:
Sent: 01-05-2026 11:22
From: Alan Lanteigne
Subject: Using Genesys Cloud In Citrix VDI
Hello Robert!
Phil gave a great explanation above... I'll add a bit to it combined with the context of Cordell and Francisco's comments. Apologies for talking through the basics everyone on the thread likely already knows, but it will be helpful to paint the full picture.
The ultimate goal for these technologies is success with realtime media and VDI. By success, I mean performant media quality with cost effective VDI infra usage and session density per host. The best way to accomplish this is by ensuring the RTP is routed completely outside of the VDI solution ... point-to-point between RTP endpoint and cloud media services.
You get this for free with a SIP Hardware phone but of course the usual detractors apply (buying/shipping hardware, less mobile, etc).
Genesys Cloud provides the WebRTC Media Helper so you can anchor RTP wherever you have a compatible browser. This can be on another machine, or on a terminal client machine outside of the terminal session. This is the model Francisco describes. The RTP routes outside of the terminal session and is never processed by the VDI infra, preserving resources for higher session density and cost savings.
BCR is another tool in the belt for various VDI providers that can be used to force the RTP outside of the terminal session. It allows for URL-based configuration instructing certain URLs to be rendered locally on the VDI client machine using a local browser engine built in to the VDI client application. You can, for example, configure the solution such that www.acmeco.com renders locally rather than within the VDI server session, and the VDI client is smart enough to overlay it such that the user experience seems seamless.
Ok, the basics are out of the way... now let's describe when and why both tools (BCR and Media Helper) play well together.
It is certainly valid to simply connect media helper outside of VDI, and then access the user-facing GC clients within VDI to get performant audio and the proper user experience of the GC app and any other apps the agent needs (CRM, etc). The drawback is the minor complexity of running and authenticating that client outside of the VDI session. Easily solved with agent training and the Require Media Helper setting enforces it. This is a fully supported and typical implementation.
You could choose to forgo the media helper and leverage BCR to render the GC browser application itself locally via BCR URL policy and force the RTP outside of the VDI session/tunnel. However, this would come at the expense of the GC application existing in the same context as the other terminal applications and you'd lose things like click-to-call handling, common clipboard, etc. The user experience is less than ideal. These problems are solved by using the two tools together. In this model, the user launches both media helper and their preferred GC client within the VDI environment but the BCR configuration is crafted such that the media helper renders locally on the VDI client machine rather than in the terminal session. The result is the RTP is routed between the VDI client machine's local browser engine and cloud media server, but the main GC client experience is conveniently within the same context as the other VDI applications. This is the model Cordell described.
As you can see, there are a lot of options for how customers can maximize RTP performance for GC in VDI scenarios. Customers should evaluate and choose the option that makes the most sense given their VDI solution (client machine resources, host resources, bandwidth, BCR availability, agent capabilities, etc).
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Alan Lanteigne
Senior Product Manager, Purecloud Sip, Media, Edge
Original Message:
Sent: 01-05-2026 09:53
From: Robert Wakefield-Carl
Subject: Using Genesys Cloud In Citrix VDI
These are two entirety different use cases. BCR is for audio that flows through the terminal tunnel and Media Helper is for passing audio direct from desktop to Genesys, not passing it through the tunnel. What use case is there for both of these at the same time?
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Robert Wakefield-Carl
ttec Digital
Sr. Director - Innovation Architects
Robert.WC@ttecdigital.com
https://www.ttecDigital.com
https://RobertWC.Blogspot.com
Original Message:
Sent: 01-05-2026 08:47
From: Phil Whitener
Subject: Using Genesys Cloud In Citrix VDI
@Robert Wakefield-Carl My understanding is that it is recommended to use BCR and Media Helper together, as referenced by the Resource Center link Cordell shared. Although it seems odd to open both Genesys Cloud and Media Helper independently "in" a Citrix based web browser tabs - with the BCR configuration - the Genesys Cloud Web UI is fully running within the VDI session (the network connections are initiated by the remote host) while the Media Helper with BCR is rendered by the client (the network connections are initiated by the client). I am not an expert in this as I don't have recent frontend experience with Citirx. If you could provide me details why they should not be used together, I can talk to others and get better clarification.
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Phil Whitener
Genesys - Employees
Original Message:
Sent: 12-28-2025 22:38
From: Robert Wakefield-Carl
Subject: Using Genesys Cloud In Citrix VDI
These two should not be used together. BCR is for when you have the RTP traffic inside of the VDI and you are passing audio from the VDI session down to a local USB or BT port device. MediaHelper is used at the local fat client to pass RTP traffic directly from the local device to Genesys and not pass it through the VDI tunnel.
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Robert Wakefield-Carl
ttec Digital
Sr. Director - Innovation Architects
Robert.WC@ttecdigital.com
https://www.ttecDigital.com
https://RobertWC.Blogspot.com
Original Message:
Sent: 12-28-2025 18:51
From: Cordell Donovan
Subject: Using Genesys Cloud In Citrix VDI
Good Day, Robert,
I believe this is in response to my post. But according to the Resource center Genesys supports running Mediahelper via BCR. https://help.mypurecloud.com/articles/configure-webrtc-media-helper-to-run-in-a-citrix-environment/
It is recommended by them if you want the user to launch Mediahelper from within the Citrix session while providing the benefit of offloading the call traffic and device management to the endpoint. It does work as we are currently leveraging but have found it to not be the best experience as the redirected page does not adhere to any chromium policies. Citrix recently made enhancements to BCR as well which has slightly improved the experience but users are having to deal with the BCR page timing out. We are also seeing heavy resource usage running both Mediahelper via BCR and Genesys Cloud after working for half a day. So I'm interested in what solutions are working for others in a stable manner.
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Cordell Donovan
IT Director
Original Message:
Sent: 12-28-2025 15:09
From: Robert Wakefield-Carl
Subject: Using Genesys Cloud In Citrix VDI
BCR and Media Helper are not the same. BCR does not natively support Genesys WebRTC unless they have released something recently. Media Helper allows redirection of RTP traffic from the local directly to Genesys Cloud, but this only works when you have a fat client, not a thin client like Wyae or Dell terminals where you need BCR.
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Robert Wakefield-Carl
ttec Digital
Sr. Director - Innovation Architects
Robert.WC@ttecdigital.com
https://www.ttecDigital.com
https://RobertWC.Blogspot.com
Original Message:
Sent: 12-27-2025 13:51
From: Francisco Das Chagas Carvalho Junior
Subject: Using Genesys Cloud In Citrix VDI
Hi Tim, good afternoon!Here at the bank, we use the same environment as you, we use Media Helper, but it's used on the local machine, meaning the operator first logs into Media Helper, then into Citrix VDI, and finally into Genesys Cloud. Is that the sequence you're using in your environment?
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Francisco Das Chagas Carvalho Junior
Analista Sr
Original Message:
Sent: 11-24-2025 21:35
From: Tim Seneca
Subject: Using Genesys Cloud In Citrix VDI
Hi Everyone,
Does anyone have experience with deploying Genesys cloud in a Citrix environment?
We recently deployed Genesys Cloud CCaaS last week. We are constantly running into issues of agents microphones losing permission in Chrome or headsets stop working. I have worked with getting end-users working only for some to call me back in 5-10 minutes saying it's happened again. I have been working with my systems team. We've pushed out GPOs to enable microphone permissions in Chrome, kept Genesys media helper from going to sleep in both Chrome & Edge on the local desktop. Microphone permissions are enabled in Citrix. I constantly have to reset microphone permissions in Chrome or completely reset Chrome. Today I've been running into not being able to enable microphone permissions no matter what I do. I have checked all Windows settings as well as browser/HID settings. These permission were enable the previous week. I have to completely log the user out of their VDI and reboot their PC and start over. This can happen to the same users a few times a day. We also seem to have an issue of headset profile getting wipe out in Genesys Cloud. Our end-users have 2 headsets each for in office and when working from home. Also, Media Helper tends to jump to the local PC microphone or speaker sometimes and I have to just disable the devices all together..
Currently we are using both Media Helper & Genesys cloud in browsers.
We just recently learned 3 days after deployment that there is a desktop app. We are going to test that out on VDI and in Media Helper mode locally.
Headsets: Listed as compatible on Genesys website.
Jabra Evolve2 55 using the Jabra Link 390 USB Dongle (not Bluetooth)
Jabra Evolve 20 wired.
Using Jabra Direct app on local PCs
Environment:
Citrix version 2402 (for most endpoints), some have a couple versions higher.
Local desktops are a mix of Windows 10 & 11.
Any help is greatly appreciated.
Thank you,
-Tim
#System/PlatformAdministration
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Tim Seneca
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