We use Horizon View to provide virtual desktops for internal use. There are about a thousand users.
Senior IT Strategy Consultant at a financial services firm with 1,001-5,000 employees
It's relatively flexible and scalable.
Pros and Cons
- "Horizon View provides virtual desktops on demand."
- "Horizon View could be more stable."
What is our primary use case?
What is most valuable?
Horizon View provides virtual desktops on demand.
What needs improvement?
Horizon View could be more stable.
For how long have I used the solution?
I have been using Horizon View for a couple of years.
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January 2025
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What do I think about the stability of the solution?
I rate Horizon View's stability seven out of 10.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
Horizon View is relatively flexible and scalable.
How was the initial setup?
Setting up Horizon View is somewhat complex, but we got some professional services from VMware. It would probably be complicated if you tried to set it up on your own.
What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?
I rate Horizon View four out of 10 for affordability. It was pretty expensive.
Which other solutions did I evaluate?
We have performed some benchmark tests before deciding to go with Horizon View, but we chose VMware because most of our existing setup uses VMware.
What other advice do I have?
I rate Horizon View 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.
Consultant at IWM Network Solutions
Provides great functionality and has a good app virtualizing feature
Pros and Cons
- "The app virtualizing is a great feature."
- "The initial setup is a little complicated."
What is our primary use case?
Our customers are using this product on simple data and to access some applications. We are customers of VMware Horizon View.
What is most valuable?
The app virtualizing is a great feature. The system developers use it to deliver apps to targeted staff. It basically reduces the server infrastructure resource. The solution provides good functionality.
What needs improvement?
The initial setup is a little complicated.
For how long have I used the solution?
I've been engaged with this solution for almost a year.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
The solution is stable, we've hardly had any problems.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
The solution is scalable and we're planning to scale up to 700 users. I think it will be easy. The infrastructure is hyperconverged so we don't expect any issues. We currently have a license for 300 users.
How are customer service and support?
Customer support is supplied by the implementer. Problems can generally be solved by a phone call.
How was the initial setup?
The initial setup is a little bit complex at the start and that's related to the migration of the current users to the client. The setup was a little easier in the latest version. The migration to our 315 clients took a couple of weeks. We have one person dedicated to monitoring the system.
What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?
The licensing costs are quite high, we pay for a bundle.
What other advice do I have?
Customers need to know their requirements clearly and this will likely create a significant saving when it comes to working out a licensing model.
I rate this solution 10 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.
Buyer's Guide
Horizon 8
January 2025
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Systems Administrator at a financial services firm with 1,001-5,000 employees
Instant clone feature makes it easier to scale up and manage virtual desktops but troubleshooting should be better
Pros and Cons
- "Instant Clone instantly creates another VM with a Delta disk, which is just the VMware backend. This helps with scalability and management."
- "They need to make troubleshooting, diagnostics, and error reporting a little better."
What is our primary use case?
We use it to provide virtual client desktops for remote users or data center users. It's basically for people to work from home or for a call center.
What is most valuable?
Instant Clone instantly creates another VM with a Delta disk, which is just the VMware backend. This helps with scalability and management.
What needs improvement?
They need to make troubleshooting, diagnostics, and error reporting a little better. There are too many consoles with different error messages to identify a problem and figure out how to fix it
For how long have I used the solution?
I have been using VMware Horizon for 10 years.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
It's hard to generally classify this product's performance as stable or not. The performance is dependent on the hardware, not the product. If you have fast hardware, it's going to be fast. If you have slow hardware, it's going to be slow.
How are customer service and technical support?
Technical support is better than most. I would say it's above average.
How was the initial setup?
It's very complex. There are multiple steps, connectors, and servers. All of them have multiple components that all talk, so that's never going to be easy. But I think it's complex because of what it's doing. And if you use it all the time, that complexity just becomes familiar.
What about the implementation team?
We implemented in-house.
What other advice do I have?
Test it. You can't just listen to a consultant. You have to test it yourself and set up a proof of concept.
I would rate VMware Horizon a seven 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.
IT Systems Engineer at a tech services company with 11-50 employees
Enhanced security and access with advanced protocol features
Pros and Cons
- "I find the security of Horizon to be most valuable."
- "It would be beneficial to see improvements in client-side functionalities, especially for some Linux clients."
What is our primary use case?
We are continuing to use Horizon 8 for remote work. Our company data, along with customer data, is stored in the private data center. Horizon is used for accessing the data center and data.
How has it helped my organization?
If you configure Horizon well and limit access solely through Horizon 8, it enhances security by reducing the entry points for accessing data.
What is most valuable?
I find the security of Horizon to be most valuable. The Vue protocol, which is VMware BaaS, and the new BaaS codec feature of this protocol are particularly beneficial. The implementation of Instant Clone Technology also provides utility.
What needs improvement?
It would be beneficial to see improvements in client-side functionalities, especially for some Linux clients. A better in-built multi-factor authentication solution would also be advantageous. While there are ways to achieve this through Microsoft Azure and Google, a more integrated approach within Horizon would be ideal.
For how long have I used the solution?
We have been working with Horizon 8 for a long time and have continued with each version since its release.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
Stability is becoming a bigger issue for many software products these days, not just Horizon 8. Security issues can sometimes arise, which impacts stability.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
In terms of scalability, it is not a significant problem, suggesting that Horizon scales effectively.
How are customer service and support?
Our experience with VMware's customer service is limited. I would rate it a six out of ten due to possible transitions and product changes over recent years.
How would you rate customer service and support?
Neutral
How was the initial setup?
We cater to small companies, typically around 50 to 100 users. For these sizes, the setup is manageable and not overly complex. However, implementing a high-level solution for larger companies can be more complicated.
Which other solutions did I evaluate?
I primarily have experience with Horizon 8, without reference to other specific solutions.
What other advice do I have?
I can recommend Horizon to other users based on its security features and effective management processes.
I'd rate the solution eight out of ten.
Disclosure: My company has a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer: Partner
Last updated: Nov 4, 2024
Flag as inappropriateConsulting Manager at Real Time Services AB
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.
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.
Engineering Sales Specialist at Adistec
Offers a nice user experience but needs to be made available for Linux
Pros and Cons
- "We don't have to pay for HyperFlex. The solution's speed gives a nice user experience."
- "The majority of things in VMware Horizon can be done only in Windows and not in Linux. There are Linux customers who would like to use VMware Horizon's features."
What is most valuable?
We don't have to pay for HyperFlex. The solution's speed gives a nice user experience.
What needs improvement?
The majority of things in VMware Horizon can be done only in Windows and not in Linux. There are Linux customers who would like to use VMware Horizon's features.
For how long have I used the solution?
I have been working with the solution for five years.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
The solution is scalable and you need to add a load balancer to add desktops. Once it is configured, you can add as many desktops as you want to add.
How was the initial setup?
I would rate the solution's setup an eight or nine out of ten since it is easy.
What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?
VMware Horizon is expensive and I would rate it an eight out of ten.
What other advice do I have?
The solution is useful for call centers and banks and I would rate it a nine out of ten.
Disclosure: My company has a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer: Partner
Datacenter Specialist at a tech services company with 51-200 employees
It is stable and easily scalable, but remote connection and load balancing should be better
Pros and Cons
- "It is stable and easily scalable."
- "The remote connection, bandwidth usage, and error connection can be improved. Working with the load balancer sites should also be improved. For example, with Horizon, we can use two clients with a one megabit connection, but with Citrix, we can use four or five clients with the same bandwidth through ICA protocol. VMware must improve remote connection, connection stability, and load balancing."
What is our primary use case?
We use this solution for virtual desktop infrastructure and remote desktop connections on client sites with 18 clients or end-user devices.
What is most valuable?
It is stable and easily scalable.
What needs improvement?
The remote connection, bandwidth usage, and error connection can be improved. Working with the load balancer sites should also be improved. For example, with Horizon, we can use two clients with a one megabit connection, but with Citrix, we can use four or five clients with the same bandwidth through ICA protocol. VMware must improve remote connection, connection stability, and load balancing.
For how long have I used the solution?
I have been using this solution for five or six years.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
VMware is stable. We don't need to switch after installation, but for one area, the connection stability is currently lower than other solutions. We tested it, and one connection from the load balancer or the firewall needs to be improved.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
It is easily and quickly scalable and expandable.
Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?
We are also Citrix Platinum partners. We are using Citrix solutions and desktop. When we create a project, we give our clients options and considerations between Citrix and VMWare. They choose after that.
For one building or two buildings that are nearby, or one local site, we prefer Horizon Seven. If end users are connected to VDI desktops or other Citrix services or if they are using a load balancer like NetScaler, for coming from outside to the inside of corporate, we are using Citrix VDI because of the ITA protocol.
How was the initial setup?
The initial setup is quick and easy, but after that, you must configure user groups, machine groups, and delivery groups. It also requires some scripting and other tweaks, but the initial setup is easy for VMware Horizon.
The deployment duration depends on the number of users. For example, for 1,000 end users, you need redundancy servers for VMWare Horizon, and you need other servers for connecting to vCenter. Load balancing depends upon the client's sites. For example, for 10 users, I can make a connection locally in 45 minutes to one hour, but for 1,000 end users from different sites, it can take two to four days. If the complexity is high, it can take one month.
In terms of the staff required for deployment and maintenance, it depends on the end users and requirements on the customer site. I can complete installation myself, for example, of up to 100 users on one site. If more sites and more configurations are needs, it is a team job. It depends on the end users and customer expectations.
What other advice do I have?
I would rate VMware Horizon 7 a seven out of ten. If it becomes stronger like the Citrix ICA protocol, it would easily be a 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
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