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    Overview
    ProductRatingMost Used ByProduct SummaryStarting Price

    Omnissa Horizon

    Score8.1 out of 10
    N/AA VDI solution used for the secure delivery of virtual desktops and apps from on-premises to the cloud. It is used to deploy, manage, monitor and scale desktops and apps across private, hybrid and multi-cloud infrastructure using a cloud-based console and SaaS management services.

    $4.67

    per month per user

    XenServer

    Score8.1 out of 10
    N/AXenServer (formerly Citrix Hypervisor) is a virtualization management platform optimized for application, desktop and server virtualization infrastructures.N/A
    Pricing
    Omnissa HorizonXenServer
    Editions & Modules
    Horizon Apps Standard
    $4.67
    per month per user
    Horizon Standard Plus
    $5.79
    per month per user
    Horizon Apps Universal
    $6.00
    per month per user
    Horizon Enterprise Plus
    $10.71
    per month per user
    Horizon Universal
    $12.50
    per month per user
    No answers on this topic
    Offerings
    Pricing Offerings
    Omnissa HorizonXenServer
    Free Trial
    NoNo
    Free/Freemium Version
    NoNo
    Premium Consulting/Integration Services
    NoNo
    Entry-level Setup FeeNo setup feeNo setup fee
    Additional Details——
    More Pricing Information
    Community Pulse
    Omnissa HorizonXenServer
    Considered Both Products
    Omnissa
    Chose Omnissa Horizon
    We used XenServer initially for a few years, but (at the time) licensing for Omnissa Horizon was easier and the product was more reliable.
    We only used Hyper-V in a very limited test environment, so it's difficult to compare w/ Omnissa Horizon.
    Incentivized
    Chose Omnissa Horizon
    Citrix vid setup was very difficult and initially hard to set up. I believe this has changed somewhat now, but there are still multiple servers that need to be set up before it can be used. Vmware VDI was fairly easy to set up and was immediately working and up and running, …
    Incentivized
    Chose Omnissa Horizon
    VMware Horizon seems to be more powerful and adaptable to multiple operating systems than the Citrix products I have used. VMware has been simpler to use and has a lot more customization than other of the other similar products I have used. It has solved a lot of the issues I …
    Incentivized
    Cloud Software Group
    No answer on this topic
    Key User Insights
    Would buy again
    100%
    Would buy again
    19 Answers
    No answers on this topic
    Delivers good value for the price
    94%
    Delivers good value for the price
    16 Answers
    No answers on this topic
    Happy with the feature set
    84%
    Happy with the feature set
    16 Answers
    No answers on this topic
    Lived up to sales and marketing promises
    92%
    Lived up to sales and marketing promises
    11 Answers
    No answers on this topic
    Implementation went as expected
    92%
    Implementation went as expected
    12 Answers
    No answers on this topic
    Features
    Omnissa HorizonXenServer
    Server Virtualization
    Comparison of Server Virtualization features of Omnissa Horizon and XenServer
    Feature
    Omnissa Horizon
    -
    Ratings
    XenServer
    7.6
    12 Ratings
    6% below category average
    Virtual machine automated provisioning00 Ratings7.011 Ratings
    Management console00 Ratings7.012 Ratings
    Live virtual machine backup00 Ratings8.010 Ratings
    Live virtual machine migration00 Ratings8.012 Ratings
    Hypervisor-level security00 Ratings8.011 Ratings
    Best Alternatives
    Omnissa HorizonXenServer
    Small Businesses
    VMware Fusion
    Score7.4 out of 10
    Proxmox VE
    Score9.2 out of 10
    Medium-sized Companies
    VMware Fusion
    Score7.4 out of 10
    VMware vSOM (discontinued)
    Score10 out of 10
    Enterprises
    VMware Workstation Player
    Score9.9 out of 10
    IBM PowerVM
    Score9.7 out of 10
    All AlternativesView all alternativesView all alternatives
    User Ratings
    Omnissa HorizonXenServer
    Likelihood to Recommend
    8.5
    (40 ratings)
    7.0
    (12 ratings)
    Likelihood to Renew
    10.0
    (1 ratings)
    10.0
    (3 ratings)
    Usability
    8.1
    (7 ratings)
    7.0
    (3 ratings)
    Availability
    10.0
    (1 ratings)
    5.5
    (1 ratings)
    Performance
    10.0
    (4 ratings)
    6.4
    (1 ratings)
    Support Rating
    1.0
    (11 ratings)
    6.4
    (1 ratings)
    In-Person Training
    -
    (0 ratings)
    2.7
    (1 ratings)
    Implementation Rating
    -
    (0 ratings)
    7.3
    (1 ratings)
    Configurability
    -
    (0 ratings)
    5.5
    (1 ratings)
    Ease of integration
    8.7
    (3 ratings)
    5.5
    (1 ratings)
    Product Scalability
    10.0
    (1 ratings)
    6.4
    (1 ratings)
    Vendor post-sale
    -
    (0 ratings)
    8.2
    (1 ratings)
    Vendor pre-sale
    -
    (0 ratings)
    8.2
    (1 ratings)
    User Testimonials
    Omnissa HorizonXenServer
    Likelihood to Recommend
    Omnissa
    VMware is well suited to a business where there will be many remote users needing to connect to the companies desktop. The installation on a remote computer is simple and is easy to use remotely but can be complicated to set up on the back end on the office system. It may not be worth the effort for a company that has few people who need remote access.
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    Cloud Software Group
    It can be really helpful & useful if we are using Citrix Hypervisor with other provisioning tools. Here are some specific scenarios where Citrix Hypervisor (formerly Citrix XenServer) is well-suited: Server Consolidation, Virtual Desktops, Disaster Recovery, Development & Testing Environments. On the other hand, there are some scenarios where Citrix Hypervisor may be less appropriate: Small-scale Deployments, Highly Heterogeneous Environments, and Limited Virtualization Requirements.
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    Pros
    Omnissa
    • It provides a robust, secure, rich desktop environment that is able to access all internal network resources.
    • Addresses security and compliance concerns as all data resides within the internal network. All data accessed stays within the internal network and does not need to traverse a VPN to the local desktop where it may be cached, etc.
    • The connection is thin client that does not require large amount of bandwidth.
    • Client application is available for all common devices and O/S’s.
    • No need to install, configure and maintain applications on local desktop.
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    Cloud Software Group
    • Citrix hypervisor does price very well for small organizations. It is free.
    • Since this product is open source it does not have any type of vendor lockdown issues.
    • Allows live migration of VM's so you can keep systems up and running when changes are needed to the hardware in the background.
    • The GUI management tools are quite easy to learn.
    • Has Snapshot capability which is a great way to protect against malware as well as do risk-free upgrades.
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    Cons
    Omnissa
    • Move away from Adobe Flash version in UI, currently on the path but they need to hurry up
    • Speed up the boot process of the environment when servers need maintenance
    • Provide clear steps on what should be upgrade path in terms of components, the order
    • price! A bit too much
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    Cloud Software Group
    • Adding or presenting additional storage to the host can often be a task that is far more involved than competitive products.
    • The product can require reboots more frequently than competitors due to the DOM kernel getting "hung up".
    • Sometimes when a virtual machine is deleted it still leaves behind orphaned vdisks.
    • Recovering from the loss of a host can sometimes cause virtual machines to require lengthy command prompt scripting to fix so they can be powered back on from another host.
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    Likelihood to Renew
    Omnissa
    We are committed to VMware Horizon and we plan to stick with it for the future unless something drastically changes.
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    Cloud Software Group
    With the knowledge and usage of solutions from VMware and Microsoft offering more compelling cloud integrated options it makes it more compelling in many environments which I consult. XenServer is a good product and fits the bill in many smaller environments but as clients look to the cloud or a hybrid cloud it can in some cases make it a bit more difficult.
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    Usability
    Omnissa
    Because it delivers what it promises, I am giving this rating. While there is scope for improvement, it does the job and meets our requirements reasonab;y well. It helps our remote resources connect to our environment securely and improves their productivity. We also get to access our client environment from remote locations and complete the tasks assigned to us.
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    Cloud Software Group
    XenServer is a good product in its use and probably free if you have the right Citrix licenses already. However, it does require specific knowledge to manage, which makes it harder to manage if you don't have that knowledge in house.
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    Reliability and Availability
    Omnissa
    No answers on this topic
    Cloud Software Group
    It's been a little problematic in the past at larger VDI deployments requiring a bit more care and feeding than other vendors. But the latest releases (6.5.x) have brought about huge improvements in the stability and availability.
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    Performance
    Omnissa
    There are a lot of things that went into my rating from the ease of use compared to other systems to the limited amount of issues I have had with this one. Any issue with this system has been identified and resolved in a much quicker manner than I have seen with like systems.
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    Cloud Software Group
    When running like a top XenServer is a fantastic hypervisor. There is relatively low overhead on the Dom0 so workloads get the most of the resources.
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    Support Rating
    Omnissa
    It is surely way better than Citrix, but it could improve a bit. Usually, they send us the solution without saying what was the root cause so we can avoid breaking something in the future. Besides that, VMWare support answers in an OK time-frame and even speaks our language (Portuguese).
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    Cloud Software Group
    The staff I've worked with are very knowledgeable or able to get a very well articulated and capable support team member on the phone or helping them if necessary and they always want to ensure the best experience possible for you on the platform. The ability for the support team to reach out to hardware vendors for assistance is a nice plus too.
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    In-Person Training
    Omnissa
    No answers on this topic
    Cloud Software Group
    Part of a training for certification to become a trainer for Citrix included an in-person training with a Master CCI. The XenServer training at this time was pretty simplified due to the product primarily being installed however you did have to work with it and mildly configure the system.
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    Online Training
    Omnissa
    No answers on this topic
    Cloud Software Group
    Haven't given it a real go with any online training however there are some options out there. I have taught a course following Citrix material for XenDesktop which leverages XenServer and it is pre-built so not the best for XenServer specifically for installation but configuration is mildly touched on
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    Implementation Rating
    Omnissa
    No answers on this topic
    Cloud Software Group
    Ensure you review the HCL (hardware compatibility list) and reach out to the hardware vendors to ensure they support the platform and in case they have documentation that can be followed for the implementation. Also ensure the prerequisites are completed prior to implementation so that as few unexpected delays occur as you can control.
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    Alternatives Considered
    Omnissa
    Although I really prefer Microsoft Remote Desktop for accessing Windows servers (from Windows machines especially), and this can be done from off-site with a VPN, this entails much more effort, namely getting everyone's Active Directory in the correct group to have access. VMWare Horizon is a much simpler solution in terms of granting access. Chrome Remote Desktop and TeamViewer are really not viable solutions for remotely accessing servers in business settings, although they work alright for home servers and such, especially from off-site.
    Incentivized
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    Cloud Software Group
    Feature for feature they are neck and neck. I have used Hyper-V 2012 and 2016, VMware ESXi and XenServer evenly. XenServer is a fast install, good documentation, with enterprise features out the box that compare or exceed what VMWare offered with a higher cost of entry.
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    Scalability
    Omnissa
    No answers on this topic
    Cloud Software Group
    The servers latest versions have made massive improvements to scalability. But from past experience there have been issues when running workloads for extended periods of time without reboot on the hosts. I would need to run similar workloads on the 6.5 release which has changed much of the bottlenecks or issues so I'd imagine its far more capable now, Perhaps able to stand near the best in the market.
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    Return on Investment
    Omnissa
    • Saved money on PC purchases.
    • Save a lot of man hours by not having to image new PCs. We just create one Template VM and clone the others from that.
    • Bit of a learning curve to get the deployment right for the environment.
    • Ability to make sure VMs always turn back on once they are shutdown. This speeds up load times for users.
    • Less management for our PCs. If one gets a virus or something corrupts we just refresh it and within 5 minutes the user is back to work.
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    Cloud Software Group
    • Xenserver is easy to learn. We paid for support only for installation and deployment in the first three years, and now our team has the knowledge to solve most problems.
    • Low CAPEX if you have a team that uses open source software day by day.
    • But paid support is necessary to solve critical problems. The open source community is not enough. Actually, we have difficulty solving some bugs without paying for support.
    • Medium OPEX if you have a team that uses open source software day by day.
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    ScreenShots