AppSense Preps for IPO as Facebook Hangover Fades

NEW YORK (TheStreet) -- Virtualization specialist AppSense is planning to take the plunge as a public company, according to The Wall Street Journal's AllThingsD Web site.

AppSense investor Goldman Sachs(GS) is working with the company to help it prepare its filing, along with Citigroup(C) and JPMorgan(JPM) , AllThingsD reports.

A spokesman for AppSense told TheStreet that the company "doesn't comment on rumors or speculation."

AppSense has already started to attract attention by touting a new approach to virtualization. Whereas companies like VMware(VMW) , Microsoft(MSFT) and Citrix(CTXS) virtualize servers, applications and desktops, AppSense has developed what it describes as "user virtualization."

The company's software lets users securely access content, applications and data, both personal and corporate, across devices such as desktops, laptops, tablets and mobile phones, according to CEO Darron Antill, in a recent interview with TheStreet.

Last year, AppSense received $70 million from Goldman Sachs -- Goldman's largest technology investment other than Facebook(FB) , which raised $450 million from the bank.

AppSense has told TheStreet that the company has grown its business an annual 40% to 50% for four years, generating cash and profits since day one.

Based in the U.K., with a U.S. headquarters in Manhattan, AppSense has racked up more than 3,000 customers worldwide since its founding in 1999, including 18 of the top 20 banks.

The virtualization company has also amassed an impressive list of partners, including HP(HPQ) , IBM(IBM) , Cisco(CSCO) and Microsoft, along with VMware and Citrix.

After a Facebook-induced hiatus, tech companies are again hitting the IPO trail. Recent offerings include Palo Alto Networks(PANW) , online travel specialist Kayak(KYAK) and cloud specialist ServiceNow(NOW) .