We put our client-server applications on Horizon.
Owner at Innovisie
Helps deploy complex applications with ease and handles security and compliance well
Pros and Cons
- "The product helped us deploy complex applications."
- "The tool is not future-proof anymore."
What is our primary use case?
How has it helped my organization?
The product helped us deploy complex applications.
What is most valuable?
The product’s scalability makes the deployment easy. It is important to us. The product handles security and compliance in the virtual infrastructure well.
What needs improvement?
The tool is not future-proof anymore.
Buyer's Guide
Horizon 8
January 2025
Learn what your peers think about Horizon 8. Get advice and tips from experienced pros sharing their opinions. Updated: January 2025.
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For how long have I used the solution?
I have been working with the product for about ten years.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
I have a good impression of the tool’s stability.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
I have a good impression of the tool’s scalability. We have five users.
How was the initial setup?
The initial setup is complex. It is not easy to deploy. It could be much easier. The vendor must build a SaaS solution. The deployment takes too long.
What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?
The license could be cheaper.
Which other solutions did I evaluate?
Everyone is working with Teams after COVID-19. Relatively, Teams is a bit better than VMware Horizon View. I believe there is no future for VMware Horizon View.
What other advice do I have?
I will not recommend the solution to others. Overall, I rate the product an eight out of ten.
Disclosure: My company has a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer: Reseller
Chief Enterprise Architect at a financial services firm with 10,001+ employees
Stable, with a straightforward setup, but could offer better pricing
Pros and Cons
- "The initial setup is pretty straightforward."
- "The solution isn't quite mature yet. It needs more time to mature and to get more market recognition."
What is our primary use case?
Horizon basically protects you're VMware and your Bring Your Own Device (BYOD). BYOD connecting to your network and these can be secured using VMware Horizon.
With COVID there is a very big impact. There is a hybrid kind of workforce model now. People will be able to connect using their own devices. If it is BYOD case, the number of assets is going to increase. It will almost double the number of the secured assets out there. This means that as the asset size grows, there's a lot of traffic. If you talk about the Horizon it is Zero Trust Architecture plus Micro-segmentation. It has to level both into one platform.
You then need to physically test that your endpoints are all secured so that there is no way for somebody connecting from their own device or laptop to accessing the network with any kind of malicious code. You're protected.
What is most valuable?
The solution is quite stable. The performance is good.
The scalability has been very good. It's easy to expand it to more endpoints.
The initial setup is pretty straightforward.
What needs improvement?
The solution could be more secure. Horizon is a recent addition in the sense that, due to COVID, we're working from home and those off-network devices also have to get secured. It's not only on-premises and the cloud infrastructure anymore. Your connectivity from the endpoints from the employees who are logged in from home also has to get brought in.
The solution isn't quite mature yet. It needs more time to mature and to get more market recognition.
The solution needs to work on its pricing. Compared to VMware Workspace ONE it should not be more in terms of cost.
For how long have I used the solution?
I've been using the solution for more than four years.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
The solution is stable. It offers good performance. There aren't crashes and it doesn't freeze. there aren't bugs or glitches. It's been good overall.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
The scalability is excellent. If you need to extend it to more endpoints, it's possible to do so, and it's not difficult in terms of a process. If a company needs to expand the offering, it can do so with ease.
We have a hybrid workforce, with 8,000 or so users who likely have both their work and home devices on the system.
We do plan to continue to use the product going forward. We have no plans to move away from it.
How are customer service and support?
Our end-user support is our level end-user computing, EUC. EUC is a separate kind of support model, and there is dedicated support if we run into issues. So far, we have been satisfied with the level of support.
Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?
VMware worked with Workspace One, which has been upgraded into Horizon.
How was the initial setup?
The initial setup is not overly complex. It's easy. It's a part of the VMware Workspace segment which makes it quite simple. A company should have no issues with the implementation.
Normally, the process from beginning to end only takes a couple of hours. It's a pretty quick process.
For maintenance, we have a team called EUC - End User Computing - that inspects all the upgrades and handles all the maintenance.
What about the implementation team?
I handled the process of implementation myself. If did not need an outside consultant or integrator. We were able to manage everything in-house.
What was our ROI?
There is a good ROI.
What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?
We do have a licensing fee that we need to pay. Horizon is expensive if you were to consider EDR. I cannot speak to the exact cost of the product, however.
EDR itself is a big investment. If you're investing in EDR be prepared to pay a bit. There are two platforms that we are using - Windows and Linux. In the Windows platform, basically, we can secure it using the Windows Defender. In the case of Windows Defender, we don't need any separate EDR. For Linux, however, we need it. That said, mostly the users are all Windows users. More than 60% to 70% of the users are Windows users and so we don't need the EDR product across the board. That saves some costs for us.
Which other solutions did I evaluate?
I did evaluate multiple EDRs before choosing this solution.
What other advice do I have?
We use the latest version of the solution at this time. It's the most up-to-date option.
From the COVID impact, the number of vulnerabilities has gone up. That means there are other challenges of coping with the security in recent times due to the deluge of more assets, basically, made on one level because people are bringing their own devices into the mix. So far, we've been able to secure everything, and we've been able to stand back and say that we're fine and, even with this new hybrid work model, we are secure and back to normal, so to speak.
The solution is a recent edition that is not been fully adopted and it is still slightly immature. It's not reached a stage where it is saturated. For that reason, I'd rate the solution at a seven out of ten.
I would recommend the solution.
Which deployment model are you using for this solution?
Public Cloud
Disclosure: I am a real user, and this review is based on my own experience and opinions.
Buyer's Guide
Horizon 8
January 2025
Learn what your peers think about Horizon 8. Get advice and tips from experienced pros sharing their opinions. Updated: January 2025.
831,158 professionals have used our research since 2012.
Senior Cloud Infrustructure Engineer at LogicEra
Can be used for various applications, including centralizing business applications and connecting remote offices
Pros and Cons
- "It is a very stable product."
- "There is room for improvement in support. The response time could be faster."
What is our primary use case?
In my previous project, we used Horizon to connect three remote offices with the main headquarters for centralized business applications.
What is most valuable?
It's centralized and secure, making it great for business.
What needs improvement?
There is room for improvement in support. The response time could be faster.
Configuration and driver support could be simplified. Integrating profiles with Active Directory [AD] is still complex.
For how long have I used the solution?
I have experience with this product for five to six years. I have worked with v5, v6, v7 and v8.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
It is a very stable product.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
We can upgrade it and even add new features. So, it is a scalable product.
How are customer service and support?
There are delays. When you're stuck, they answer the call and find someone, but resolving the issue might take one or two days.
How would you rate customer service and support?
Neutral
Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?
We used Citrix in non-production environments. But for production, we prefer VMware.
How was the initial setup?
As a technical expert, it was easy to implement. I have a technical background spanning over 17 years.
But for someone less experienced, it could be trickier, especially setting up client-side agents and drivers and integrating with AD services. But those issues can be fixed. So, deployment is easy.
What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?
The pricing depends on the use cases. It depends on the company's needs and budget. For us, it was okay, not too expensive.
Which other solutions did I evaluate?
Our company is a vendor for over 200 clients. We specialize in migrating infrastructure, on-prem data centers, Hyper-V, VMware, Boxmark, Citrix, any platform, any server, any application database, Oracle, Postgres, SQL Server, EDS, and anything. We move it all to Azure for replication, backup, and high availability.
What other advice do I have?
Just find the right vendor. Check for local experts and certified vendors. You might need their technical help later.
Local vendors usually have technical guys and certified experts who can help with any scenario. I've dealt with upgrades and daily issues for over six years now.
Overall, I would rate the solution a nine out of ten.
Disclosure: I am a real user, and this review is based on my own experience and opinions.
Enables us to have access gateway to enter VMs from outside
Pros and Cons
- "It's centralized management, and you have access gateway to enter the the VMs from outside."
- "The issue now with VMware is that we don't know the future of the solution. Because if you follow the news, it was acquired by another company, and they are changing the old product line."
What is our primary use case?
The use case is remote access to VMs. It allows us to remote access the VMs and our servers.
What is most valuable?
It's centralized management, and you have access gateway to enter the VMs from outside.
What needs improvement?
The issue now with VMware is that we don't know the future of the solution. Because if you follow the news, it was acquired by another company, and they are changing the old product line.
For how long have I used the solution?
I have been using VMware Horizon View for 34 years.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
The solution is highly stable. I rate the stability eight out of ten.
How was the initial setup?
The initial setup is easy. The deployment took a few weeks time. I would rate the setup an eight out of ten.
What about the implementation team?
The deployment was done in house with two people. One person is required for maintenance.
What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?
The solution is expensive.
What other advice do I have?
Overall I rate the solution a nine out of ten.
Disclosure: I am a real user, and this review is based on my own experience and opinions.
Head of Engineering at Informatics (Private) Limited
A scalable tool that is great in areas like configuration, deployment, and manageability
Pros and Cons
- "It is a very scalable solution."
- "The technical support offered by VMware is an area with certain shortcomings where improvements are required."
What is our primary use case?
My company had deployed the solution for one of our customers earlier, and they still use it to date with around 6,000 users and 2,000 virtual desktops.
What is most valuable?
Compared to Citrix, which is one of VMware's main competitors, VMware Horizon View is easy to manage on top of the VPN connections and, owing to the integration it allows with the VPN part, makes up for some of its main features. With VMware Horizon View, the configuration, deployment, manageability, VMware vRealize Operations Manager, and everything else is much better in my experience.
What needs improvement?
With VMware Horizon View, we could deliver it without any issues and meet the current requirements of our company's customers. The integration part and other such areas are present in the solution. If it can manage or if a user can integrate VMware Horizon View with thin clients or zero clients, then a user can have a single pane of glass for managing both the physical and the virtual environment then it could be a good addition since it is one of the only areas where the product lacks.
The technical support offered by VMware is an area with certain shortcomings where improvements are required.
For how long have I used the solution?
I have been using VMware Horizon View since 2011.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
As the product runs on VMware vSphere, my company has not faced any issues with it, and it has been very stable. The only issues my company faced with the product were related to storage and performance issues.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
It is a very scalable solution.
My company deals with four customers who use the solution.
How are customer service and support?
With the technical support team, sometimes my company faces some issues, especially when we try to contact the customer support team of VMware. The quality of support service is not that good, especially if you compare it with the other products available on the market. Sometimes, there is a need for support in my company at midnight, and then we realize that the support team of VMware operates in another time zone.
How was the initial setup?
The product's initial setup phase was neither very straightforward nor too complex.
I deployed the solution some time ago, and since then, we have had to keep upgrading the solution in my company. The deployment process doesn't take more than a week or a week and a half for VMware Horizon View deployment in the whole infrastructure.
The deployment itself is not too complex, but the planning part needs to be done properly. In our company, we plan our user groups, use cases, and everything else, including the area related to storage sizing. Deployment-wise, I don't see much complexity.
The solution is deployed on an on-premises model.
What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?
My company deals with customers who use both subscription-based and perpetual licenses. For long-term use, perpetual licenses are more cost-effective, and for short-term use, subscription-based would be more cost-effective. Price-wise, I would say that VMware Horizon View's prices are comparable to that of Citrix, but Horizon View comes with some underlying licenses.
What other advice do I have?
I recommend the solution to those who plan to use it.
VMware Horizon View is a very good product, especially if I compare it with other products, like Citrix. As a product and solution, VMware Horizon View is good.
I recommend to those who plan to use the solution to take care of the planning part related to the product, and before you use the solution, you need to identify the use cases for which the solution will be used. When it comes to VMware Horizon View, the initial planning has to be perfect, without which there will be some difficulties.
I rate the overall tool a seven and a half out of ten.
Which deployment model are you using for this solution?
On-premises
Disclosure: My company has a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer: Partner
Senior Executive Manager - Data Center Virtualization at a insurance company with 1,001-5,000 employees
High availability, user-friendly, reliable, and integrates well
Pros and Cons
- "I appreciate how simple and straightforward the operation of VMware Horizon View is."
- "Using a printer with the VDI is not a straightforward process."
What is our primary use case?
We are using VMware Horizon View in two ways - for both virtual disk infrastructure (VDI) and application virtualization.
The primary use case is for individuals external to our company to connect and access internal resources. This is done by publishing a virtual desktop point to allow access.
How has it helped my organization?
In terms of productivity, VMware Horizon View has been extremely beneficial.
We can run 100 percent of our employees remotely using VDI. We have anywhere from two the three thousand employees.
What is most valuable?
I appreciate how simple and straightforward the operation of VMware Horizon View is. It is very user-friendly and can be used on any device, anywhere, and anytime.
What needs improvement?
There are certain areas that require improvement, and in my opinion, the most important factor is with some instances where I have experienced limitations, particularly with the printing service. Using a printer with the VDI is not a straightforward process.
Overall, in my opinion, the solution works perfectly.
For how long have I used the solution?
I have been using VMware Horizon View since 2016, for seven years.
During this time, I have used several versions and performed multiple upgrades. I initially began with version 6.2, then proceeded to upgrade to 7.1, 7.4, and now to 7.13. Currently, I am planning to upgrade to version 8.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
VMware Horizon View is quite a stable solution. We have had no issues.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
In my opinion, scaling up to ten sites is easily achievable as the solution is highly scalable. It can be scaled not only within a single site but across multiple sites as well.
We have approximately two thousand people in our environment that are using VMware Horizon View.
We are not only planning to provide access to external employees but also aiming to expand access to internal employees.
How are customer service and support?
The last time I contacted them was about an issue with USB printing, which I believe was related to a Microsoft patch rather than a VMware issue. It seems that the USB printing feature was affected negatively by the Microsoft patch.
To clarify, the printer redirection feature within VMware Horizon was impacted by a Microsoft patch or update, which resulted in the feature not functioning properly. Both products are involved in this issue.
Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?
Previously, we were using We were using Citrix XenApp.
How was the initial setup?
Building the infrastructure is relatively straightforward; however, the challenge is in retrieving the master image or golden image for your desktop, which can be a time-consuming process depending on your specific needs.
For an experienced individual, the implementation of the health solution should not take more than three days.
What about the implementation team?
To be honest, I was able to implement it on my own. However, it's important to note that you may require certain prerequisites from the network team if you plan to make the solution highly available, such as utilizing LoadRunner and other tools.
What was our ROI?
In my personal opinion, the solution is worth the investment and provides good value for its cost.
What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?
I cannot provide a detailed comment on the pricing; however, I can say that it is quite expensive.
The licensing for VDI is divided into multiple modules, including standard and enterprise options. There are different types of licensing available for VDI.
Which other solutions did I evaluate?
We were considering Microsoft VDI as well as Zendesk.
What other advice do I have?
In my opinion, for large enterprise companies, if the solution is implemented properly with high availability and designed using best practices, there should be no issues.
I would rate VMware Horizon View a ten out of ten.
Nothing is perfect, but this product is amazing.
Which deployment model are you using for this solution?
On-premises
Disclosure: I am a real user, and this review is based on my own experience and opinions.
A solution with an easy setup and provides flexibility to end users
Pros and Cons
- "We have found the link loans for desktops most valuable."
- "The customer service and support team could be better."
What is our primary use case?
Our primary use case for the solution is to give end users clone desktops, and they can use their applications. So instead of providing a desktop, we give them a computer with just a client, and everything is loaded in that VDI session and not directly on that workstation. We deploy the solution on-premises.
How has it helped my organization?
The solution has provided flexibility by allowing an end user to remote in, log in, and get their VM. VDI session and have all the icons and applications they need to use and retain the same booking view regardless of location.
What is most valuable?
We have found the link loans for desktops most valuable.
What needs improvement?
The customer service and support team could be better.
For how long have I used the solution?
We have been using the solution for approximately six years and are currently using version 7.0.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
The solution is stable.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
The solution is scalable. Approximately 800 users are utilizing the solution in our organization.
How are customer service and support?
I rate customer service and support a six out of ten.
How would you rate customer service and support?
Neutral
Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?
We did not previously use other solutions.
How was the initial setup?
The initial setup was straightforward, and two people were required for deployment and maintenance.
What was our ROI?
We have seen a return on investments.
What other advice do I have?
I rate the solution a nine out of ten. The solution is good, but the technical support team can be improved. My advice to new users considering the solution is that it is a good option. It is easy to set up and not that difficult to implement.
Disclosure: I am a real user, and this review is based on my own experience and opinions.
Systems Engineer at a university with 201-500 employees
Modern, integrates well, and highly stable
Pros and Cons
- "The benefits of this solution are that it is modern and it works perfectly well with the rest of the VMware environments we have. Having this vertical integration is what matters to us as an organization and this solution excels in this area. You deploy it and it works without much hassle."
- "The multimedia playback is not very good and they could improve it by increasing the quality."
What is our primary use case?
We use this solution for delivering virtual desktops and applications.
Currently, we are using version 2006 which has an older model of provisioning and there are some compatibility issues that we are going to solve in the coming months. The latest version is 2103. However, there is not much difference between 2006 and 2103 it is almost the same.
The small differences are in adjunct functionality and regarding the transference relationship between domains.
What is most valuable?
The benefits of this solution are that it is modern and it works perfectly well with the rest of the VMware environments we have. Having this vertical integration is what matters to us as an organization and this solution excels in this area. You deploy it and it works without much hassle.
What needs improvement?
The multimedia playback is not very good and they could improve it by increasing the quality.
In an upcoming release, there could be more integration support for Linux and better Linux user profile management. This is a feature we use in the universities but most other normal businesses will not be interested in Linux.
For how long have I used the solution?
I have been using this solution for approximately six years.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
95% of the features work without any issues and 5% of them have issues that are normally difficult to pinpoint. However, since these small issues can normally be corrected by support, this solution's stability rating is high.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
We have 5,000 users on the system but only 200 of them are using it together at the university. Scalability was not ever an issue.
How are customer service and technical support?
We have contacted technical support and they have been responsive.
How was the initial setup?
The initial setup is a moderate level of difficulty.
What about the implementation team?
We did the implementation of the solution.
Which other solutions did I evaluate?
In my organization, we use a lot of VMware solutions for vertical integration and have evaluated other solutions, such as Citrix.
What other advice do I have?
I would have said this solution needs to improve in profile management a couple of years ago because VMware does not have profile management that works out of the box. However, this issue was solved by Microsoft by releasing a solution that works very well with VMware Horizon.
Those who are wanting to implement this solution should consider the Cloud offerings for VMware Horizon. There is a possibility it could cut the time for delivery and it is more scalable. You will not have scalability issues.
I rate VMware Horizon 7 an eight out of ten.
Which deployment model are you using for this solution?
Public Cloud
Disclosure: I am a real user, and this review is based on my own experience and opinions.
Buyer's Guide
Download our free Horizon 8 Report and get advice and tips from experienced pros
sharing their opinions.
Updated: January 2025
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