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Vishal Bhatia - PeerSpot reviewer
Trainer/Consultant at a educational organization with 501-1,000 employees
Real User
Top 5
Along with the tool's ease of deployment and use, it is also scalable and stable at the same time
Pros and Cons
  • "I find the product to be quite stable...It is a scalable solution...The documentation of VMware Horizon View is quite good."
  • "Considering the tool's weaknesses, the product probably has scope for some improvement in the context of how the applications or Linux operating systems are delivered using VMware Horizon View."

What is most valuable?

The solution's most valuable features are its ease of deployment and ease of distribution of the desktops and the applications. It is quite an easy product since the end user does not have to go through much of a learning curve.

What needs improvement?

I have not come across many of the product's weaknesses. Considering the tool's weaknesses, the product probably has scope for some improvement in the context of how the applications or Linux operating systems are delivered using VMware Horizon View. In general, I want VMware Horizon View's compatibility with Linux to improve.

For how long have I used the solution?

I have experience with VMware Horizon View. I am a technical trainer who teaches others VMware technologies. My company has a partnership with VMware.

What do I think about the stability of the solution?

I find the product to be quite stable.

Buyer's Guide
Horizon 8
September 2024
Learn what your peers think about Horizon 8. Get advice and tips from experienced pros sharing their opinions. Updated: September 2024.
801,634 professionals have used our research since 2012.

What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

It is a scalable solution.

Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?

I have used Citrix VDI in the past.

I have lost track of Citrix VDI since I have not used it for a few years.

Some detailed and in-depth documentation on the protocols, like Blast and PCoIP, would be good.

How was the initial setup?

The time taken for deployments completely depends on the customer's call.

What other advice do I have?

I have seen a lot of improvement in VMware Horizon View over the years because I have been teaching it to others for quite a few years now.

I don't find any issues with the product's interface since it is easy to use and does not pose any issues.

The documentation of VMware Horizon View is quite good.

Most of the environments have many implementations going forward, and then our company regularly comes across the need for VMware Horizon View training. My company is not into advisory roles. We just get or receive and deliver the training.

The product is easy to use.

Overall, I rate the solution an eight out of ten.

Disclosure: My company has a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer: Partner
PeerSpot user
Systems Engineer at a tech services company with 1-10 employees
Real User
Great for desktop management and ensuring users have a uniform experience
Pros and Cons
  • "Great for desktop management, particularly when it comes to all the upgrades."
  • "Lacking in documentation for app settings."

What is our primary use case?

We're a payroll company and understandably security is pretty important for us. When a user takes a laptop home you have to manage encryption in case they lose it. With everything in our data center, there's no risk of lost data because everything is run in the VDI. That's our primary use case for this product. I'm a systems engineer and we are customers of VMware Horizon View.

What is most valuable?

This product is great for desktop management, particularly when it comes to all the upgrades. It enables you to update one golden image, save it and basically deploy it. Any user logging in will get that new DDI and you've only had to upgrade one machine. The other advantage is that because you're pushing out this image, it's a clone of the original so everybody has the same experience. That's not always the case when people use different laptops, adjusting and tweaking them. It makes management a lot easier. There's also the huge savings we've had with the pandemic because everybody had to work from home. Even if there weren't enough laptops to go around, almost everybody has a home computer. It was just a matter of installing Horizon on your home computer and connecting to the office using two factor authentication. They made it really simple.

What needs improvement?

I believe documentation could be improved. There's a product in the solution called DEM, which is for screening applications or importing settings into a particular app. In VDI machines your profile's replicated or just live-streamed from the supplier server. Things like Google Chrome, with all its different application settings and passwords and whatever, is stored in zip files that are extracted when you log in. Horizon works with this but documentation is lacking. The applications have changed so much, but the company doesn't seem to be keeping up with that. The product needs to be simplified, have more documentation, and some predefined applications so that users don't have to re-engineer things each time.

For an additional feature, it would be great if they had automatic replication of all the stored profiles so we're not having to use third party tools to do the replication of their users' profiles. It would mean that you can use it as a disaster recovery server, as well as just active-active across data centers.

For how long have I used the solution?

I've been using this solution for five years. 

What do I think about the stability of the solution?

It's important to set it up correctly and maintain it properly. Once it's working, it's really stable.

What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

This solution is scalable, we currently have around 300 users and about five people who take care of everything connected to the product, including maintenance upgrades and everything. We'll expand usage if the business grows. 

How are customer service and technical support?

There are certain aspects of technical support that are good and you can get a quick response. At other times there are issues where the blame game kicks in and you have to wait for somebody to take ownership of the problem. They're generally okay. 

How was the initial setup?

In this instance we were implementing in two data centers and introducing not only a VDI, but also replicating all the data from one place to the other. Deployment involved building Microsoft clustered file servers and setting up replication between those two file servers and then mirroring the configurations. It probably took us about six months but we were doing other things at the same time. If we'd focused only on that, I think it would probably have taken about a week or two. It depends how much effort is put in. 

What was our ROI?

We definitely have an ROI. Previously, we had to patch every single laptop which was a drastic pain. With everybody now working from home, that created a whole bunch of new challenges but with VMware everything's saved in our network so no matter what's happening on the home network it's not carrying over into our business.

What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?

The product requires a Microsoft license for the operating system, which is standard. If you want support and upgrades, you pay for that. 

What other advice do I have?

This is a great product but it's a massive product and you can't do anything with Horizon View alone. It requires all the other products flying together with it. It's a very complex product and it takes a lot of time to become knowledgeable about it. It's crucial to have decent hardware before implementing this solution because it's fairly resource intensive. If this is new to you, be prepared for a fairly long project because there are so many moving pieces and it's fairly complex, and it requires having a lot of things in place before you can even begin.

I rate this solution an eight out of 10. 

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.
PeerSpot user
Buyer's Guide
Horizon 8
September 2024
Learn what your peers think about Horizon 8. Get advice and tips from experienced pros sharing their opinions. Updated: September 2024.
801,634 professionals have used our research since 2012.
Tofayel Ahmed - PeerSpot reviewer
Deputy Manager at Giga Tech Ltd
Real User
Stable and scalable but expensive
Pros and Cons
  • "VMware's technical support is good."
  • "Horizon View's pricing is high."

For how long have I used the solution?

I've been using Horizon View for almost two years.

What do I think about the stability of the solution?

Horizon View is stable.

What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

Horizon View is scalable.

How are customer service and support?

VMware's technical support is good.

What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?

Horizon View's pricing is high.

What other advice do I have?

I would give Horizon View a rating of seven out of ten.

Disclosure: My company has a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer: Partner
PeerSpot user
Manager, IT at The School of Research Science
Real User
Good virtual desktop infrastructure, but login capabilities could be better
Pros and Cons
  • "The support from VMware is very good and they have amazing experts."
  • "The system is not designed to allow the client to log in easily."

What is our primary use case?

Our primary use case for this solution is the virtual desktop infrastructure.

What is most valuable?

We have found this solution valuable because it has cut our costs for purchasing new hardware.

What needs improvement?

The product could be improved by correcting how information is provided because we have issues with the client and the backend. The system is not designed to allow the client to log in easily and multiple passwords are required. This could be improved by requiring the client to input only the active directory username and password.

The primary problem we are facing is logging in locally on the SIEM client as a local, then click on the Horizon Seven and then call or connect to the server connection, then use the administrative username and password to log in, which is difficult for the students when we are dealing with the student. This is the most challenging stage because the rest of the backend is okay. We would like to see improvements to this problem and understand why there is no compatibility between the SIEM client and the backend.

For how long have I used the solution?

We have been using this solution for about four years and are currently working with Horizon Seven. It is deployed on-premises.

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. There are 200 people using it in our organization. However, it is difficult to maintain because the handover from our third party was bad. There was no adequate knowledge transfer.

How are customer service and support?

The support from VMware is very good and they have amazing experts. Whenever I raise a case to VMware technical support team, they respond immediately and fix any issues we have. They are very professional.

How was the initial setup?

The initial setup was difficult. I rate it a seven out of ten.

What about the implementation team?

We used the resellers to set up. However, the reseller we used is no longer in the market anymore. The company closed.

What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?

The product has high license costs. I cannot give an exact figure on the price as our procurement department handles this. However, we would rate the licensing fees a nine out of ten because of how high it is.

What other advice do I have?

I rate this solution a seven out of ten. The product is good, but improvements can be made to how information is provided. We recommend this solution to new users who want to start working with it.

Disclosure: I am a real user, and this review is based on my own experience and opinions.
PeerSpot user
Technical Consultant at a aerospace/defense firm with 10,001+ employees
Real User
Instant Clone feature is helpful, but it does not scale to large organizations
Pros and Cons
  • "The most valuable features are Instant Clones and AppStacks."
  • "Technical support is only average and can be improved."

What is our primary use case?

I am a system engineer and this is one of the products that I assist people with by providing support.

What is most valuable?

The most valuable features are Instant Clones and AppStacks.

What needs improvement?

Sometimes when we log on, there are applications that are not visible.

Technical support is only average and can be improved.

In general, there are many things that can be improved.

For how long have I used the solution?

I have been using VMware Horizon View for about three months.

What do I think about the stability of the solution?

As much as I have used this product, the stability looks good. We don't have many issues that require support.

What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

I feel that Horizon is more for a small business, rather than a large organization.

In our organization with 250 users, it works fine but if you're talking about 10,000 to 15,000 users then I don't know whether it would support a scale at that size.

How are customer service and technical support?

Technical support from VMware is all right, although I would not say that they're great. Overall, they are average.

Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?

I am much more familiar with Citrix and work with it regularly. I have only been working with Horizon View for fine-tuning. I also use a similar product from Microsoft.

Ranking these, I would say that Citrix is first with a mark of 80%, Microsoft is second with a mark of 60%, and VMware is third with a mark of 50%.

How was the initial setup?

The installation process is really fast.

What about the implementation team?

We use a team that sets up solutions and then moves on. They remain only for the deployment.

What other advice do I have?

In my short experience, I would say that this is a really good product that can be installed quickly for a small scale organization with not many users.

I would rate this solution a six out of ten.

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.
PeerSpot user
Fredrik Hallgarde - PeerSpot reviewer
Consulting Manager at Real Time Services AB
Real User
Top 5Leaderboard
A stable solution that can be used to provide remote access for remote users
Pros and Cons
  • "We use VMware Horizon to provide remote access for remote users."
  • "VMware Horizon's initial setup is fairly complex."

What is most valuable?

We use VMware Horizon to provide remote access for remote users.

What needs improvement?

VMware Horizon's initial setup is fairly complex.

For how long have I used the solution?

I have been using VMware Horizon for three years.

What do I think about the stability of the solution?

I rate VMware Horizon a nine out of ten for stability.

What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

VMware Horizon is a scalable solution. Around 800 users use the solution in our organization, and we have plans to increase the usage.

How are customer service and support?

I am not happy with VMware Horizon's technical support.

Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?

We previously used Citrix. We switched to VMware Horizon because it is a more efficient solution.

What about the implementation team?

VMware Horizon's deployment takes a few days. We implemented the solution through a consultant or integrator.

What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?

We pay a monthly licensing fee for VMware Horizon. The solution is reasonably priced, but it could always be cheaper.

What other advice do I have?

Overall, rate VMware Horizon a nine out of ten.

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.
PeerSpot user
System Engineer at Tarch
Real User
Top 5Leaderboard
Provides good scalability, but the initial setup process could be easier
Pros and Cons
  • "It is a stable product."
  • "The product's initial setup process could be easier."

What is our primary use case?

We use VMware Horizon View for its remote access feature.

What needs improvement?

The product's initial setup process could be easier.

For how long have I used the solution?

We have been using VMware Horizon View for a few years now. At present, we are using the latest version.

What do I think about the stability of the solution?

It is a stable product.

What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

We have 100 VMware Horizon View users in our organization. It is a scalable product.

How was the initial setup?

The initial setup is complicated. It takes one week to complete and requires two executives to work on deployment and maintenance.

What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?

It is an expensive product. We purchase its yearly license.

What other advice do I have?

I recommend VMware Horizon View to others and rate it a six out of ten.

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.
PeerSpot user
System engineir at a manufacturing company with 10,001+ employees
Real User
Top 5Leaderboard
Helps to digitalize environments but has lots of bugs and issues
Pros and Cons
  • "We use VMware Horizon to digitalize environments."
  • "The solution has a lot of issues and bugs."

What is our primary use case?

We use VMware Horizon to digitalize environments. 

What needs improvement?

The solution has a lot of issues and bugs. 

For how long have I used the solution?

I have been working with the solution for two years. 

What do I think about the stability of the solution?

I would rate VMware Horizon's stability a six out of ten. 

What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

I would rate the tool's scalability on the cloud a ten out of ten. 

How are customer service and support?

We have issues with the product's response time. The person assigned to us was entry-level experienced and we had to escalate our issues further numerous times. 

How would you rate customer service and support?

Neutral

What about the implementation team?

We sought help for some areas of deployment. 

What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?

VMware Horizon is priced high. 

What other advice do I have?

I would rate the solution a six out of ten. 

Disclosure: I am a real user, and this review is based on my own experience and opinions.
PeerSpot user
Buyer's Guide
Download our free Horizon 8 Report and get advice and tips from experienced pros sharing their opinions.
Updated: September 2024
Buyer's Guide
Download our free Horizon 8 Report and get advice and tips from experienced pros sharing their opinions.