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VMware Horizon

VMware Horizon

Overview

What is VMware Horizon?

A 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…

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Recent Reviews

TrustRadius Insights

Users of VMware Horizon View have praised the software for its ability to provide secure remote access without the need for VPN or remote …
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Awards

Products that are considered exceptional by their customers based on a variety of criteria win TrustRadius awards. Learn more about the types of TrustRadius awards to make the best purchase decision. More about TrustRadius Awards

Reviewer Pros & Cons

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Pricing

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Horizon Apps Standard

$4.67

Cloud
per month per user

Horizon Standard Plus

$5.79

Cloud
per month per user

Horizon Apps Universal

$6.00

Cloud
per month per user

Entry-level set up fee?

  • No setup fee
For the latest information on pricing, visithttps://www.vmware.com/products/horizon…

Offerings

  • Free Trial
  • Free/Freemium Version
  • Premium Consulting/Integration Services
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Product Demos

VMware Horizon 7: Demo - Feature Walk-through

YouTube

Chrome Demo - VMware Horizon

YouTube

VMware Horizon 6 and AirWatch

YouTube

VMware Horizon 6 with View

YouTube

VMware Horizon 6 Hosted Applications Demo

YouTube

VMware Horizon 6 Tutorial | VMware Horizon 6 Training

YouTube
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Product Details

What is VMware Horizon?

A 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.

The solution also provides secure remote access to corporate resources from any device and leverage intrinsic security built into the VMware infrastructure to protect from the device to the data center to the cloud.

The vendor's value proposition is that the solution drives cost savings and business value by enabling more flexible and reliable access to resources.

VMware Horizon Competitors

VMware Horizon Technical Details

Deployment TypesOn-premise, Software as a Service (SaaS), Cloud, or Web-Based
Operating SystemsWindows
Mobile ApplicationNo

Frequently Asked Questions

A 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.

LISTEQ Cloud Desktop are common alternatives for VMware Horizon.

Reviewers rate Performance highest, with a score of 10.

The most common users of VMware Horizon are from Enterprises (1,001+ employees).
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Comparisons

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Reviews and Ratings

(156)

Community Insights

TrustRadius Insights are summaries of user sentiment data from TrustRadius reviews and, when necessary, 3rd-party data sources. Have feedback on this content? Let us know!

Users of VMware Horizon View have praised the software for its ability to provide secure remote access without the need for VPN or remote desktop. This feature has allowed them to conveniently access internal web applications and legacy Windows XP applications from anywhere with an internet connection. IT staff utilize the software to connect to virtual desktops, while employees make use of thin clients to access email, file shares, and specific applications on the go. The software has been particularly valuable for organizations with multiple locations and remote workers, as it offers a cost-effective, hardware-independent solution with features like monitoring, resource utilization, and multi-factor authentication. Additionally, VMware Horizon View is widely used across various industries, including healthcare IT, where it improves end user productivity and user experience for clinical task users. However, some users have occasionally experienced connection issues and difficulties with setup. Despite these challenges, users find the software highly useful for accessing virtual desktops efficiently.

Administrative departments and clients also rely on VMware Horizon View to address hardware failures and crashes by providing access to virtual desktops. This flexible solution is used in various scenarios such as training environments, enabling external contractors' access, and providing workstations for IT staff. Moreover, towns benefit from VMware Horizon View by gaining access to shared applications for assessments, while healthcare professionals securely access internal network resources remotely. The software's reach extends even to Highway Patrol cars, ensuring complete access to internal network resources in areas with intermittent cellular data coverage.

VMware Horizon View has proven invaluable in saving time by virtualizing software and simplifying IT tasks like updates and upgrades. It has facilitated the efficient rollout of Windows 10 and provided a work-from-home solution. Additionally, VMware Horizon Mobile Manager aids with device restrictions, tracking, application deployment, email integration, and digital material delivery.

The flexibility and security offered by VMware Horizon View are highly appreciated by users as they can work from anywhere worldwide with an internet connection. The product serves as a standard platform for daily tasks requiring elevated permissions for IT administrators and developers. It finds value in providing a pool of secured desktops within backup networks, separate from standard production environments. Reviewers have commended the product for eliminating the need to ship laptops across the globe by providing VDI desktops.

VMware Horizon View has been described as a win-win situation for businesses, offering convenient solutions for remote work and data access. It also finds application in statistical analysis software like IBM SPSS. By organizing users into different groups called Pools, it efficiently manages PCs, ensuring desktops are always running or shut down when not in use. Loyola University Maryland relies on VMware Horizon as their enterprise application and VDI delivery system, providing easy access for all employees, faculty, and students across departments. Multiple departments in organizations leverage VMware Horizon View to tailor their IT experience, manage systems with less IT involvement, and ensure quick content delivery. This product has enabled a shift in the way employees work, allowing for centralized data, consolidation of offices, and remote work in different states and locales.

VMware Horizon is especially valuable for managing virtual machines and pools of virtual machines for remote classes and work, providing control over information, managing policies, and resolving problems remotely. In educational institutions, it offers dynamic management of computer and storage resources while reducing costs and complexity. Companies across industries such as operations, sales, and product teams use VMware Horizon View as a primary or remote desktop solution to provide a consistent desktop experience across locations and offices.

Overall, users find that VMware Horizon makes VDI easy with its fast and reliable connection options like VMWare Blast or PCoIP. It caters to the needs of remote agents and offsite workers by offering thin clients to connect remotely over VPN and providing a Windows application environment for Macintosh users. The product has been recommended by experts for clients in their data centers to provide standardized virtual desktops for critical groups within the company. By connecting users to Windows environments on the customer side, VMware Horizon offers a VPN-like experience for remote access.

With its wide range of use cases in various industries, VMware Horizon View continues to be a go-to solution for organizations seeking secure remote access, efficient management of desktops and resources, as well as flexible work arrangements.

Excellent Performance: Users have consistently praised VMware Horizon for its excellent performance. Many reviewers have stated that the software runs smoothly and efficiently, allowing them to access virtual desktops and applications with ease. Some users have mentioned that they experienced no lag or delay when working remotely, which has greatly enhanced their productivity.

Reliable and Efficient Virtualization Solution: Reviewers appreciate that VMware Horizon is a reliable and efficient virtualization solution. Numerous users have highlighted the stability of the software and its ability to provide stable and scalable virtual support. They find it to be a robust product that allows them to create new desktops easily and seamlessly integrate into the vSphere platform.

Easy Implementation and Use: The ease of implementation and use of VMware Horizon is another commonly mentioned positive aspect. Users appreciate the straightforward deployment process, finding it great for deploying new software quickly. They also find the user interface intuitive, making it easy for them to manage their catalogue of pools and devices.

Resource Consumption: Some users have reported that the software consumes more resources than expected, potentially leading to performance issues. This concern has been raised by multiple reviewers who have experienced slowdowns or lag while using the software.

Confusing User Interface: The user interface of the software has received criticism from several users. They describe it as confusing and not well integrated with the operating system. Users have mentioned difficulties in navigating through menus and finding specific features.

Expensive Licensing: Implementing VDI, including hardware and licensing, is seen as a constraint for small and medium-sized businesses. Users have expressed concerns about the high cost of licensing, which adds to the overall expense of adopting VDI solutions. Some users feel that more affordable options should be available for organizations with limited budgets.

User recommendations for using VMware Horizon include the following:

  • Talk with end-users to plan out application loading and day-to-day needs.
  • VMware Horizon is recommended for customer service in telecommunications due to its options for call listening and security.
  • VMware Horizon works well, gives good results, and is free.
  • Use VMware Horizon for testing purposes and to avoid losing information.
  • Ensure a stable internet connection for optimal performance and stability.
  • VMware Horizon is recommended for any company that needs to implement software and test different systems.
  • VMware Horizon provides solutions and the freedom to do anything with the virtual system.
  • VMware Horizon worked well for automating testing services.
  • VMware Horizon offers different features for configuring operating systems without adding dangerous software.
  • VMware Horizon is a good solution for central security management.
  • Understand use cases before deploying VMware Horizon and dedicate people to manage the environment.
  • VMware Horizon is a very accessible software with few glitches.
  • Set up server settings automatically to provide guidance to the vendor.
  • VMware Horizon is a lightweight solution for connecting to a virtual desktop infrastructure.
  • Using VMware Horizon improves productivity in the working environment.
  • Take advantage of the RSA generated token for extra security.
  • Design a solid backend infrastructure with enough storage for a smoother user experience.
  • Purchase enough resources for quick scalability.
  • Get solid state drives and provide extra training for help desk staff.
  • VMware Horizon is recommended for programs that require processing power or access to different operating systems.
  • Try VMware Horizon on other platforms to address bugs or issues.
  • VMware Horizon is a perfect solution for delivering virtual desktops and integrating with existing VMware vSphere environment.
  • Consider alternatives like oVirt, Spice, or Citrix XenServer if VMware Horizon is not suitable.
  • Look at all the options on the internet and choose the platform that best fits the interests, especially for medium and big size companies.
  • VMware Horizon is recommended for virtual desktop users experiencing performance issues.
  • Understand the current environment and define use cases during the testing phase.
  • Use the right infrastructure to scale the VDI solution and choose a VDI solution that meets the appropriate needs.

These recommendations emphasize the importance of user involvement in planning, the suitability of VMware Horizon for customer service and testing, stability considerations, and scalability planning.

Attribute Ratings

Reviews

(1-25 of 34)
Companies can't remove reviews or game the system. Here's why
M. Randy Harris, Jr. | TrustRadius Reviewer
Score 10 out of 10
Vetted Review
Verified User
Incentivized
  • This product was instrumental in allowing a limited staff provides a work-from-home solution during the shutdown phase of the pandemic to faculty and staff. It allowed the college to remain open even though the college was physically closed.
Score 8 out of 10
Vetted Review
Verified User
Incentivized
  • The financial area usually doesn't see the ROI until the next 2 or 3 years, due to the additional cost of hardware and software required for VDI solution.
  • The cost of licensing in the subscription model is not cheap, if your organization doesn't need all the features, you can consider and check other options.
  • Microsoft licensing is an important point to consider in VDI solutions.
  • The implementation on-premise is still a little complex due to the components required for the Horizon solution and it represents a considerable cost, a solution on the cloud could solve this issue.
Josh Justic | TrustRadius Reviewer
Score 8 out of 10
Vetted Review
ResellerIncentivized
  • We needed to expand our datacenter footprint to support the hardware requirements
  • We decreased deployment of new software and patches significantly
  • We reduced help desk tickets.
September 04, 2020

VMware Horizon Review

Score 8 out of 10
Vetted Review
Verified User
Incentivized
  • Is easier to troubleshoot individual issues in comparison to other similar products.
  • The simple installation allows it to be installed on most computers allowing it to be installed on an employees personal computer so the company does not have to provide computers for remote users.
  • Has excellent security because all the data is backed up not on the remote device but on the company computer system so there is no concern about unauthorized people accessing company information in the even a remote computer is lost or stolen. The security systems can auto kick the computer from the desktop after a certain time so remote computers are not left connected to the main system when not in use.
Score 9 out of 10
Vetted Review
Verified User
Incentivized
  • It has had a positive impact on our remote offices by decreasing the cost of equipment we are having to use to put in our remote offices.
  • We have seen a slow increase in our ROI, from hardware cost, setup time, implementation cost, and speed.
  • We plan to increase our VDI footprint with a goal of eventually replacing all of our devices and trying to use only thin clients.
Score 8 out of 10
Vetted Review
Verified User
Incentivized
  • Nothing really comes to mind, here, other than the previously stated mobility benefits. It is not cheaper or more expensive than traditional desktops, and we really didn't put this system in place to replace the core desktop experience anyway.
Stefan Semo | TrustRadius Reviewer
Score 9 out of 10
Vetted Review
Verified User
Incentivized
  • It allows us to maintain a small and agile IT team.
  • Reduces overhead in staffing and need to dispatch technicians.
  • It provides almost real-time updates and maintains consistency on the virtualized platform.
Ben Moore | TrustRadius Reviewer
Score 9 out of 10
Vetted Review
Verified User
Incentivized
  • Less time involved managing endpoint devices: Using thin clients, users are able to receive a "one size fits all" device. This makes mass configuration/roll out of new devices easy.
  • Allowed for implementation of BYOD: If desired, users can utilize their own laptops for corporate access, thus lowering the number of devices the company is required to purchase.
September 28, 2019

A real business gamechanger

Dan Reynolds | TrustRadius Reviewer
Score 8 out of 10
Vetted Review
Verified User
Incentivized
  • Positive: You can stop buying desktops and laptops. Zero clients are perfectly adequate for access to virtual desktops. Lower cost, easier to maintain, less software involved and no second level of antivirus required.
  • Positive: BYOD is way easier to implement. It's much easier to draw a line in the sand and separate the employee's "device" from the company's "desktop".
  • Negative: An order of magnitude harder to maintain over a traditional desktop infrastructure. Yes, in the end-run the work can all be done on the backside instead of standing at a desk somewhere but the level of knowledge required is harder. Experience is not cheap and inexperience is very expensive.
Score 10 out of 10
Vetted Review
Verified User
Incentivized
  • Good ROI if you can afford the initial implementation costs and training that is necessary to setup and manage. It may take 3 or more years to realize the financial ROI.
  • Desktops that do not meet minimum application requirements, can still be utilized as they are just used to access the server session though a lightweight client application, which extends replacement life.
  • Doing software and O/S upgrades/patching is a major time saver for linked clones. You update the Gold Image for the linked clones and recompose.
Score 10 out of 10
Vetted Review
Verified User
Incentivized
  • ROI is good, but from calculations it takes time, you won't see benefits in a first year or two
  • It will allow us to provide access to software on personal machines where it was not possible before
  • It is hard hunting applications that are allowed to be virtualized
Ho'omana Nathan Horton | TrustRadius Reviewer
Score 9 out of 10
Vetted Review
Verified User
Incentivized
  • This makes it easy for us to access costly software from off-campus.
  • Although I'm not sure about the administrative or implementation side of this software, there are no negatives for those of us who use software such as SPSS and want to be able to use it on our own machines, and off-site.
June 06, 2018

Virtual Success!!!!

Eric Krueger | TrustRadius Reviewer
Score 10 out of 10
Vetted Review
Verified User
Incentivized
  • Keeping support costs lower has allowed us to spend more in greater need areas.
  • Less time in troubleshooting individual hardware/software issues makes us more efficient.
  • Network infrastructure needs to have adequate bandwidth and be well configured to minimize VDI issues that can arise.
Chris John | TrustRadius Reviewer
Score 7 out of 10
Vetted Review
Verified User
Incentivized
  • Allows for remote access to files and applications
  • Able to use this in a pinch if someone has a failed machine.
  • Need to have a decent Internet connection otherwise, the connection to the VMS can be laggy.
Brad Daugherty | TrustRadius Reviewer
Score 9 out of 10
Vetted Review
Verified User
Incentivized
  • Has allowed users to use BYOD devices without sacrificing security into our network resources.
  • Has simplified PC and OS life cycle upgrade processes greatly.
  • Has provided the business a way to more accurately track assets, applications, and capacity.
Score 7 out of 10
Vetted Review
Verified User
Incentivized
  • Since we have total control to do remote wipes on employee's own devices with HMM, it allows us to bring in BYOD policies which saves big bucks on company mobile purchases.
  • If you're not a large enough company, the implementation and maintenance cost might not be justified
  • The lackluster support can sometimes cause big issues go unfixed for significant duration which can potentially cause a problem
Kurt Ferguson | TrustRadius Reviewer
Score 9 out of 10
Vetted Review
Verified User
Incentivized
  • Expensive upfront - VMWare Horizon isn't cheap to implement for an organization our size. We spent a great deal of money up front to build out our environment.
  • Cheap expansion - While expensive up-front, expanding to accomodate new users is fairly inexpensive. You just expand the infrastructure as needed and let your environment grow. We've grown in size quite a bit in the last 2 years, and it has been a fairly painless process. Where we'd be spending $1600 for a new laptop for a user, we just spend $300 on a zero client and call it a day.
  • Increased security - We don't have to worry about users losing a machine and losing data because all of their data is backed up in our VDI and Storage Infrastructure. This is much more difficult to accomplish with traditional physical PCs.
  • Accessibility - Being able to access your VDI anywhere in the world without carrying it with you definitely brings an incredible value. It's hard to put a dollar figure on the benefit of being able to do this.
Adam Borecki | TrustRadius Reviewer
Score 10 out of 10
Vetted Review
Verified User
Incentivized
  • 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.
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