Horizon 8 Reviews and Pricing

Engineer at a insurance company with 1,001-5,000 employees

May 6, 2013

VMware Horizon View Feature Pack 1 Test Drive

VMware released the Feature Pack 1 for VMware Horizon View 5.2 a week or so after the standard release. The feature pack comes with the HTML5 Access (Blast Protocol) and Unity Touch.

The new HTML5 client for VMware Horizon View 5.2 is something I was looking forward to trying out. Is it a pain to use a full client' No, but having the flexibility to roam around to different devices and not need to install an application is a nice mobility feature.

Protocol Wars

The HTML5 client doesn’t use PCoIP, and instead uses VMware’s own Blast protocol. Using a different procol piques my interest because VMware does not own PCoIP, which is a Teradici product. Could VMware buy Teradici' They certainly could, but they haven’t in the past so it seems unlikely they ever will. The talking point response here seems to be that Teradici is a ‘hardware’ company and does not fit VMware’s portfolio which focuses on software. Maybe the goal is to keep using two protocols. Or maybe the long-term goal is to develop the Blast protocol to a point where PCoIP isn’t needed. That is 100% speculation on my part, obviously, and that would be far down the road.

The agent for the Blast Protocol is an additional application install from the feature pack, and must be installed into the virtual desktop image on top of the View Agent. The software must also be installed to the connection server, and the pool(s) must be edited to enable the ‘HTML Access’ checkbox, etc. The whole process is simple, and doesn’t require a reboot.

Gunnar Berger has created a video comparing the protocols on YouTube: VMware Horizon View – Blast protocol vs PCoIP. One thing that appears different in the release than in his video of the beta is that the shadowing “functionality” is actually removed. The behavior mimics PCoIP now in that if another client connects then it disconnects the original connection.

Blast Positives

Protocol wars aside, I do like the Blast implementation. The video performance is very good, although not as good as PCoIP; the build-to-lossless functionality is relatively noticeable, for example. Watching video shows the real performance differences. Normal usage is solid and responsive, and is fine for a task worker that doesn’t require multimedia.

From testing the client on different platforms and browsers, I noticed that the client detects whether the connection is coming from a mobile or regular desktop OS and adjusts accordingly. This is very handy, as using Safari on an iPad gives the touchpad overlay option in addition to the other options the tablet interface provides. The below images compare the experience from an iPad with Safari, and MacOS with Google Chrome:

Blast’s Room-for-Improvement

This is the first release, so there are going to be rough edges that need some polish. Below are some of the issues in the current release (Feature Pack 1 with Horizon View 5.2):

No Multimedia or Flash Redirection
No ThinPrint Support
No USB Support
No Audio Support
No WebCam Support
Unsupported on Android

I tried using HTML5 client from my Droid Bionic running Android ICS, even though the documentation does not list Android in the supported platforms. The web page notifies the user of such:

Proceeding with the Android native browser fails outright, but the client does work in a degraded state with Chrome for Android. The only bug I noticed with Chrome for Android was that the client panel shows up in the middle of the screen, which results in a couple pixel tall line through the desktop when the panel is shrunk.

Unity Touch

Unity Touch is a nice feature addition for tablet users, although using Windows 7 on a tablet is not exactly a pleasurable experience. Unity Touch does make it a bit more enjoyable, though. A panel is added to the left side of the interface that gives easy access to programs, files, and running applications:

Browsing Windows Explorer and the Start Menu aren’t really built for tablets, so moving these to a panel that is made for the tablet experience is perfect. This is a great start to making a full Windows OS (Win8 excluded) more accessible for a tablet.

Thoughts

The features added by the Horizon View 5.2 Feature Pack 1 are great additions to the product, and really add functionality that competing products do not have. The Blast protocol is still a new feature and has limitations of such, but using a desktop inside a web browser is perfect when on a device without the ability to install applications, and it provides easy, quick access at that. Unity Touch is a great usability/experience additional for tablet users that make Windows on a tablet a little more more enjoyable.

It’s great to see VMware innovating in the VDI space.

Disclosure: My company does not have a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer.

it_user271026System Administrator at a university with 1,001-5,000 employees

Report as inappropriate

Sep 4, 2015

Waiting to see the improvement.

See all 2 comments

it_user5676

Engineer with 501-1,000 employees

Apr 3, 2013

Allows for the creation of linked clone VM pools

View allows for the creation of linked clone VM pools and allows for easy administration of those pools. The automated tasks allow administrators to provision, refresh pools during off hours to keep the pools clean. View administrator is an easy tool to configure the servers in the environmnet. The ability to assign thin apps to a VM or pools of VMs in vmware view is an easy way to deploy applications to users.

Disclosure: My company does not have a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer.

it_user4401Developer at a transportation company with 1,001-5,000 employees

Report as inappropriate

Feb 18, 2014

From my point of view, Horizon View has three main pros: first pro is the new HTML5 client with Blast, which allows Horizon to deliver full desktops to users' browsers and it has a touchscreen interface. Second pro is that the platform uses space efficiently through the SE Sparse disk format and provides native platform graphics processing unit support for 3D graphics acceleration. Third pro is that it features AppShift technology, which introduces gestures and UI changes that make it easier to use Windows and Windows desktop applications on touch-based devices and support for the Nvidia Virtual Graphics Platform and Microsoft Lync communicator.

Buyer's Guide

Horizon 8

September 2025

Free Report: Horizon 8 Reviews and More

Learn what your peers think about Horizon 8. Get advice and tips from experienced pros sharing their opinions. Updated: September 2025.

DOWNLOAD NOW

868,787 professionals have used our research since 2012.

it_user3573

Infrastructure Expert at a transportation company with 51-200 employees

Jan 9, 2013

Download

Review of VMware View

Valuable Features:

• Central Management • VMware vShield Endpoint • PCOIP (PC Over IP) Protocol • Linked Clones & ThinApps • Local Mode • VMware Knowledge

Room for Improvement:

• Expensive / ROI • DR • 3D and graphics performance • Required some VMware skills

Other Advice:

Who can benefit from it? • Organizations who buy lots of desktops / laptops • Call Centers • Military • High Security Profile Organizations • Many more…

Disclosure: My company does not have a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer.

PatrickCiPaaSSenior Technical Product Marketing Manager at SnapLogic

Report as inappropriate

Mar 27, 2013

Lior, your blog on vSphere 5 Certification for Datacenter Administration was featured on the IT Central Station blog. Have you have some great advice for virtual geeks! Thanks.

it_user1068

Tech Support Staff at a tech company with 51-200 employees

Jul 1, 2012

Download

VMware’s view is one of the best virtual desktop software's that I have used so far

Valuable Features:

View not only makes desktop management, storage, and provisioning easier, but also reduces the cost of management as well as automation of routine and storage duties performed by administrators.View easily allows for recovery of desktop systems in case of a disaster and enables end users to print universally using thin print, connect over the internet, and even create virtual desktop systems dynamically for them.

Room for Improvement:

I had a few challenges when using VMware's View that included support for desktops that are offline and services at the terminal as well as their management. Fortunately, the later versions of view have addressed these issues. This includes the view 3, 5.0 and 5.1 versions.

Other Advice:

View allows for remote desktop access on virtual infrastructure through a hardware device known as thin client and you can also keep your desktop offline and synchronize it again afterwards. View has many components that allow for these capabilities and includes Storage Accelerator, which ensures that virtualized shared storage capacities are optimized; USB connectivity that is upgraded improves support for USB devices, view manager, VMware vCentre Server, view client, VMware vSphere meant for desktops, view composer and a view administrator.

Disclosure: My company does not have a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer.

Bill Lim

System Engineer at Tarch

Sep 24, 2023

Download

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: My company does not have a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer.

reviewer2096580

Senior Systems Engineer at a government with 1,001-5,000 employees

Mar 17, 2023

Download

Stable, scalable, and good support

Pros and Cons

"The solution has a lot of Visual Desktop's persistent and non-persistent desktops which publish the applications."

"The integration could be improved."

What is our primary use case?

We use the solution for remote desktops for a small number of users, but we do not use Citrix. Therefore, Horizon View is sufficient for us to publish applications or desktops for small services.

What is most valuable?

The solution has a lot of Visual Desktop's persistent and non-persistent desktops which publish the applications.

What needs improvement?

The integration could be improved. For example, there could be more integration and easier integration with products such as Okta and Duo. VMware Horizon View could be a multifactor authentication and authorization product, with more options for workflows, user assignments, and group assignments. Currently, it is complicated to configure a demo, so more integration would be beneficial.

For how long have I used the solution?

I am currently using the solution.

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.

What other advice do I have?

I give the solution an eight out of ten.

Which deployment model are you using for this solution?

On-premises

Disclosure: My company does not have a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer.

reviewer1680246

Chief Engineer at a tech services company with 51-200 employees

Sep 30, 2021

Download

Performs well, good functionality, and reliable

Pros and Cons

"The solution has good performance and functionality. However, if the network connection was poor we noticed a decrease in performance."

"The installation is complex and could be easier. The full installation with testing took a couple of weeks to complete."

What is our primary use case?

We use VMware Horizon View to access our virtual application.

What is most valuable?

The solution has good performance and functionality. However, if the network connection was poor we noticed a decrease in performance.

For how long have I used the solution?

I have used VMware Horizon View for approximately four years.

What do I think about the stability of the solution?

The solution is stable.

What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

We have approximately 50 users using this solution globally.

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

I have previously used Citrix, Microsoft Terminal Servers, and Remote Desktop RDP.

How was the initial setup?

The installation is complex and could be easier. The full installation with testing took a couple of weeks to complete.

What about the implementation team?

We used an external IT team to do the implementation. I did the application installation, testing, and made sure people are able to use it.

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

We are on an annual contract to use this solution.

What other advice do I have?

I would recommend this solution to others.

I rate VMware Horizon View a nine out of ten.

Which deployment model are you using for this solution?

On-premises

Disclosure: My company does not have a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer.

reviewer1643313

ICS Cybersecurity Consultant at a computer software company with 51-200 employees

Aug 24, 2021

Download

Easy to set up, perfect for building lab environments, and free to use

Pros and Cons

"The initial setup is very simple and straightforward."

"VMware has purchased by Dell, they started to remove a lot of their support for non-Intel hardware and that's a bit of a problem. They dropped a lot of support for hardware that people commonly use and it just so happened that this hardware is not Intel. It makes it difficult to get assistance."

What is our primary use case?

The solution is primarily used to manage VMs.

How has it helped my organization?

What is most valuable?

The free version of the solution is great. It's perfect for if you have to build lab environments.

What needs improvement?

They need to improve the stabilization process of major releases.

For how long have I used the solution?

Few years.

What do I think about the stability of the solution?

The stability can be an issue when new versions are released.

What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

N/A: I use the solution for a lab environment.

How are customer service and technical support?

As a free product, they do not offer technical support. Therefore, when I use it, I am on my own and I do my own troubleshooting.

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

Some Virtual Box - I prefer VMware

How was the initial setup?

The initial setup is not difficult or complex. It's a very easy process. A company shouldn't have trouble with the implementation.

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

This product is free to use.

Disclosure: My company does not have a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer.