The solution is useful for anyone working from home. It enables connection to office workstations and open corporate portals. We can access all files and folders, and collaborate with other team members. I'm a company manager.
Cloud transformation & migration manager at Accenture company
Very flexible, reliable and user-friendly
Pros and Cons
- "This product works quickly and is reliable."
- "Lacks sufficiently robust audio redirections."
What is our primary use case?
What is most valuable?
This product works quickly and is reliable. You feel like you're working on your own desktop and not on a remote desktop.
What needs improvement?
The one thing that could be improved would be to implement more robust audio redirections. When we are talking on headphones, using Teams, or any other communicator, there shouldn't be any lag time, voices cutting out, or interrupted connections. It has improved from what it was initially, but there's still a way to go.
For how long have I used the solution?
I've been using this solution for two years.
Buyer's Guide
Horizon 8
November 2024
Learn what your peers think about Horizon 8. Get advice and tips from experienced pros sharing their opinions. Updated: November 2024.
816,406 professionals have used our research since 2012.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
The solution is definitely scalable. If you want to change computer size, or need more horsepower, it can be done. You can also work with multiple flavors of operating systems and if you need to test and work with Linux servers, or open two or more windows, you can do that too.
How are customer service and support?
The solution requires very little technical support because the environment is very stable. The vendors provide great training and have a good knowledge base if any assistance is required.
Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?
I previously used Dell vWorkspace but they halted development when it was sold. We had concerns regarding ongoing support and the lack of development so we switched to Horizon.
How was the initial setup?
The initial setup is really straightforward. It doesn't take more than five minutes and doesn't require external help.
What other advice do I have?
I recommend this product and rate it nine out of 10.
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.
Technical Director at Fairgreen Limited
Provides virtual desktop environment with low bandwidth consumption
Pros and Cons
- "The solution's most valuable feature is low bandwidth consumption. It helps to improve user experience."
- "VMware Horizon View needs to improve orchestration and integrate additional images. I would also like to see its statistics."
What is our primary use case?
We use the solution for the virtual desktop environment. Our customers are mostly from the financial sector.
What is most valuable?
The solution's most valuable feature is low bandwidth consumption. It helps to improve user experience.
What needs improvement?
VMware Horizon View needs to improve orchestration and integrate additional images. I would also like to see its statistics.
For how long have I used the solution?
I have been working with the solution for eight years.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
I rate the solution's stability an eight out of ten.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
I rate the product's scalability an eight out of ten. My company has four financial enterprise customers using it.
How are customer service and support?
The technical team assigned someone promptly whenever we encountered any issues, and the issues were resolved.
How would you rate customer service and support?
Positive
How was the initial setup?
I rate VMware Horizon View's deployment a five out of ten. You must install different components to get it working, which is cumbersome. We completed the deployment in three to four days. Once the hardware is in place, you proceed to provision your password and select the components you want to use.
What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?
I rate the product's pricing a seven out of ten. Pricing can be an obstacle for smaller businesses. Pricing is fixed, and there are no additional costs.
What other advice do I have?
I rate the overall solution an eight 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
Buyer's Guide
Horizon 8
November 2024
Learn what your peers think about Horizon 8. Get advice and tips from experienced pros sharing their opinions. Updated: November 2024.
816,406 professionals have used our research since 2012.
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.
Solutions Architect at shellsoft
Focused on VDI and application delivery but lacks stability
Pros and Cons
- "The console is straightforward and easy to understand for the end user. It can be deployed on any device, including iPads and Mac OS. Users can access their daily applications and resources provided by the VMware Horizon environment from any device."
What is our primary use case?
VMware Horizon is focused on VDI and application delivery. Organizations use VMware Horizon to deliver third-party applications to their end users. This is facilitated by Horizon's VDI solution, which provides the necessary infrastructure and management capabilities.
What is most valuable?
The console is straightforward and easy to understand for the end user. It can be deployed on any device, including iPads and Mac OS. Users can access their daily applications and resources provided by the VMware Horizon environment from any device.
It covers and deploy legacy applications to customers who are using outdated operating systems. Legacy applications run only on older computers, but with the power of Horizon, they can be deployed on any device. With recent changes, Horizon operates with a high degree of independence. It enables users to work anytime, anywhere, on any device.
What needs improvement?
VMware Horizon is best in class product, but they should the improve its connectivity of the agents deployed. They should create their own virtualization infrastructure to host their horizon moving forward.
For how long have I used the solution?
I have been using VMware Horizon for four years.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
We encountered licensing issues. It uses a newer type of licensing, leveraging the cloud for auto licensing rather than using a traditional license key. This change should be discussed with the customer moving forward. To address this, we needed to replace some of our components to connect with the tenants for auto licensing.
I rate the solution's stability a seven out of ten.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
The scalability depends on the underlying infrastructure. Horizon operates with VMware vSphere. As long as the company regularly reviews the scalability and virtualization information, Horizon can be easily scaled up or down based on the requirements.
I rate it a seven out of ten.
How are customer service and support?
Currently (Q1 of 2024), raising a ticket with VMware Horizon can be challenging with recent changes (Migration due to recent product acquisitions). Some of the customer portals and support portals are undergoing migration, making it difficult to access them directly and submit tickets.
How would you rate customer service and support?
Negative
How was the initial setup?
The initial setup of VMware Horizon can be time-consuming since it involves deploying various components. There are separate components that you need to deploy as part of Horizon. You may have to deploy other components that can be integrated with Horizon. For instance, a Microsoft server that hosts the RDSH can be added to the Horizon environment. This kind of integration with different products can add complexity, making the implementation of VMware Horizon medium in terms of difficulty.
Deployment depends on the number of agents to be deployed on end-user devices & the number of VM's or VDI components to be deployed in the implementation. On average, it takes two weeks for deployment.
I rate the initial setup a six out of ten.
What was our ROI?
Which other solutions did I evaluate?
Compared to other VDI providers like Citrix or other VDI provider, it stands on par in terms of cost. It is neither cheaper nor expensive, but comparable to the standard pricing in the market.
What other advice do I have?
VDI can be beneficial in many instances and use cases. One example is when you have existing users accessing the company network. For users who shift roles or locations but use the same laptop, VDI is advantageous. Instead of purchasing a physical hardware device for each individual user, you can build the infrastructure and deploy VMs for them to use moving forward. This approach simplifies onboarding and offboarding users, as VDI allows easy management of user accounts.
VMware Horizon is a key component in deploying and providing a comprehensive digital workspace for organizations. Horizon can be used independently or integrated with other VMware products to create a unified digital workspace. It supports VPN and enhances the digital employee experience by using AI functionality to learn user behavior. This AI capability helps seamlessly identify and analyze any issues within the company, ensuring a smooth and efficient working environment. It includes various networking and monitoring tools, such as those provided by VMware virtual infrastructure VMware, which contribute to a robust and secure organizational framework.
VMware Horizon is still undergoing a migration process. This could be attributed to VMware's acquisition by Broadcom, followed by the sale of the digital workspace pillar, which includes the Horizon product. Horizon may have established its own company as part of this migration process, leading to issues, particularly with the portals.
Overall, I rate the solution a seven 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:
Last updated: Jun 11, 2024
Flag as inappropriateITSM Administrator & Analyst at Ministry of Interior
A scalable solution for deployed applications with good support
What is our primary use case?
We use the solution for deployed applications.
What needs improvement?
The solution’s stability and pricing could be improved.
For how long have I used the solution?
I have been using VMware Horizon View for one and a half years.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
The product is stable.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
It will be difficult to manage or to scale if the deployment is complex.
We have the product countrywide.
How are customer service and support?
We always use the tech support and health check. Everything is excellent.
How was the initial setup?
The initial setup is complex. Depending on the project, it can take one year, one and a half year to deploy. We have to take a lot of things in the configuration.
What about the implementation team?
We do the deployment in-house. We too have many vendors onboard like Dell.
What other advice do I have?
VMware Horizon has been changing a lot in the past years. It is a good option. The company should adopt more technology as it went on cloud.
Overall, I rate the solution an eight out of ten.
Disclosure: I am a real user, and this review is based on my own experience and opinions.
Research Engineer
A big, stable solution with good user profiles and policies
Pros and Cons
- "The solution includes good user profiles and policies."
- "The standard license does not include certain features."
What is our primary use case?
Our company uses the solution as a virtual desktop for clients at universities and banks. One customer has more than 200 users who log in from anywhere.
What is most valuable?
The solution includes good user profiles and policies.
The solution integrates well with other VMware products.
Productivity is improved with use of the solution.
What needs improvement?
The standard license does not include certain features.
Customers do not understand the requirements for VGA solutions so education and marketing are needed.
For how long have I used the solution?
I have been using the solution for four years.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
The solution is stable compared to other platforms.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
The solution is scalable to any number of devices or users and integrates well with other VMware products.
How are customer service and support?
Technical support is responsive and solves issues quickly so I rate support an eight out of ten.
How would you rate customer service and support?
Positive
Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?
I previously used Citrix.
How was the initial setup?
The setup is straightforward in comparison to Citrix.
What about the implementation team?
Our internal team implements the on-premises solution for clients and utilizes third-party providers for VGA components.
Ongoing maintenance only requires two team members.
What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?
The pricing can be a challenge because certain features are not standard and require a separate license.
The solution can be costly for customers who do not run mission-critical applications or who have less than 50 users. For these use cases, we recommend alternative products.
Which other solutions did I evaluate?
I evaluated other options that included RDS.
What other advice do I have?
The solution is big and stable with many features. Integrations and user scalability are easy compared to other products.
I rate the solution an eight 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
Tech Lab Engineer Analyst at AARP
It allows us to do a lot from the back end where we don’t have to impact the users at all, including spinning up a VM for solutions any end-user needs.
What is most valuable?
The administrative console – it allows us to do a lot from the back-end where we don’t have to impact the users at all.
How has it helped my organization?
We can spin up a virtual machine real quick for any solutions that any end-user needs. That’s what I really like.
What needs improvement?
Well, one of the features we would like to have (even though it was released last year), was NSX. We’re providing a web portal services so that we can spin out any servers that they need, so those things would help. The NSX is something that we are looking at right now.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
It’s very stable. We have a very stable environment. We use a cloud provider to provision our desktop, just trying to get our servers to collaborate together takes a bit of a challenge. It’s an ongoing transition, so the knowledge transition takes a bit of time.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
We’ve scaled up a lot. When we first started out, we’re fairly young using a virtual environment. We started with 130, and moved to over 500 now. It’s great and it’s not time consuming at all or difficult. It’s been rewarding to us.
The only downfall in our organization is the budget constraints, as we’re a nonprofit organization, so using a third party cloud provider is not free, so we have to let our user community know about the costs associated with using the environment. It’s a direct cost.
How are customer service and technical support?
They’re great. They use the case number customer support, and the technician will contact you and you tell them your issues. They give you a knowledge based article, and then if you can’t resolve the issue they will get back with you. They also do a WebEx session with you in figuring our problems. They’re able to resolve it right away. When I have to call them, they’re very good at what they do, and especially talking to somebody on the phone, they’re very knowledgeable in diagnosing issues. They share information, they communicate well, and they give you a comfort zone to make sure you’re ok with everything.
Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?
We were using an HP appliance, and we were trying to get away and use what VMware recommended. Our HP appliance was out of warranty and old, and we just needed o upgrade.
How was the initial setup?
The design was complex to understand. When we set it up on our environment, I went through the classes but doing it hands on was a little different. However, after that initial hurdle, it was very clear.
Which other solutions did I evaluate?
Dependability, stability, and ease of use are what we look for. We looked at Citrix and Microsoft, we went with VMware as we had been using VMWare for the last ten years in our tech lab, so it was easy to just have it across the board.
Definitely. Peer reviews are one of the first things I take a look at before creating my vendor list.
What other advice do I have?
We would have to be completely VMware, i.e every product we have from VMware to have it working perfectly. However, it is great for us right now though.
Disclosure: I am a real user, and this review is based on my own experience and opinions.
Sr. Technical Architect at StarOne IT Solutions
A product that offers a good UX and is easy to maintain
Pros and Cons
- "It is a very stable solution...It is a very scalable solution."
- "In VMware Horizon View, app volume is an area of concern where improvements are required."
What is our primary use case?
My company uses VMware Horizon View for educational institutions and for the student lists maintained. My company also uses the solution in the healthcare industry.
What is most valuable?
VMware Horizon View offers something called a security gateway, which allows users to get access to VDI without a VPN. The user experience provided by VMware Blast Extreme is also good. The USB redirection from the client to VDI is another good feature of VMware Horizon View.
What needs improvement?
In VMware Horizon View, app volume is an area of concern where improvements are required. For certain applications, a lot of tremendous effort from my company's end had to be put in to configure the app volume, making it one of the most difficult parts of the product. In VMware Horizon View, for a stateless VDI, the configuration part of app volume is straightforward, as it can be done in a. When a user needs some type of persistent VDI, some more configurations need to be done.
There are some shortcomings in VMware's support team, where improvements are required. My company can only use emails and not directly contact VMware's support engineer. Even if some issues suddenly crop up in the solution, my company is not in a position to contact VMware's support team.
For how long have I used the solution?
I have been using VMware Horizon View for five years. My company operates as an integrator of the solution.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
It is a very stable solution.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
It is a very scalable solution.
Owing to the VDI part in VMware Horizon View, my company caters to the requirements of enterprise-sized companies.
How are customer service and support?
The solution's technical support is good. I rate the technical support an eight out of ten.
How would you rate customer service and support?
Positive
Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?
I have past experience with Citrix. I feel that VMware is better than Citrix. Citrix requires its users to have a bit of technical skill to carry out the deployment process.
How was the initial setup?
The product's deployment phase is difficult as it contains a lot of components, which requires a technician to have a technical understanding of integrations.
The solution can be deployed in a week, but it may vary depending on the requirements of a customer.
One architect and two engineers are required to take care of the deployment part of VMware Horizon View.
What about the implementation team?
What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?
VMware Horizon View is an expensive product. My company needs to opt for a subscription-based pricing model when it comes to the licensing costs attached to the product.
What other advice do I have?
The maintenance phase of VMware Horizon View is easy.
Two people are required to take care of the maintenance phase of VMware Horizon View as there are more than 100 VDIs.
I think that VMware Horizon View presently has a SaaS offering, an option with which the maintenance part can be made much easier. VMware and Azure have a partnership to offer a SaaS-based solution. If you are open to a product deployed on the cloud model, you can choose VMware Horizon View.
I rate the overall tool a nine out of ten.
Disclosure: My company has a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer: Integrator
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Updated: November 2024
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