Azure Virtual Desktop vs Horizon 8 comparison

Azure Virtual Desktop enables remote work by allowing employees to access their desktops and applications from anywhere, centralizing management, ensuring data security, and supporting collaboration.

Azure Virtual Desktop is essential for remote work, offering centralized management of desktops, a secure environment for accessing sensitive data, and facilitating collaboration. It reduces hardware costs, supports scalability, and simplifies IT tasks. The platform is scalable, integrates with Microsoft 365, and provides robust security features. Fast deployment, efficient management tools, reliable remote access capabilities, and cost-effective pricing make it versatile for diverse requirements. However, users report slow performance during peak hours, connectivity issues, difficulty managing virtual machines, high scaling costs, a complicated setup process, and compatibility issues with specialized software.

• Scalability: Adjust resources seamlessly to match demand.
• Microsoft 365 Integration: Enhance productivity with deep integration.
• Security Features: Protect sensitive data with robust security measures.
• Fast Deployment: Quickly set up and deploy virtual desktops.
• Efficient Management Tools: Streamline IT tasks with advanced management tools.
• Reliable Remote Access: Consistent performance for remote access.
• Cost-Effective Pricing: Competitive pricing that suits different needs.
• Azure Services Integration: Leverage existing Azure infrastructure.

• Cost Reduction: Minimize hardware and operational expenses.
• Enhanced Productivity: Boost productivity with seamless integration.
• Security Assurance: Ensure data safety with advanced security features.
• Operational Efficiency: Simplify IT operations and management tasks.
• Scalable Resources: Easily scale resources based on requirements.
• Flexible Accessibility: Access desktops and applications from anywhere.

Azure Virtual Desktop is widely implemented across industries like finance, healthcare, and education. Finance companies use it to securely access sensitive financial data remotely. Healthcare providers use it to offer secure access to patient records and applications, ensuring compliance with data protection regulations. Educational institutions leverage it for virtual classrooms, enabling students and faculty to access resources and collaborate from various locations.

VMware Horizon is a virtual desktop infrastructure (VDI) solution designed to allow users to create secure and scalable virtual desktops and applications that work on any device, from any location. These virtualization capabilities help simplify and speed up application delivery and greatly reduce enterprise costs.

VMware Horizon’s centralized management console provides IT admins with comprehensive control over all of their virtual desktops and applications, making them simple to manage and secure. The solution enables using features such as identity and access management, multi-factor authentication, and encryption, to ensure ultimate data protection.

VMware Horizon benefits:

Some of key the benefits of using VMware Horizon include:

• Increased security: VMware Horizon includes multiple security features such as identity and access management, multi-factor authentication, and encryption, to ensure a high level of security and data privacy.

• Compliance: Meet regulatory and compliance requirements by providing users with secure and controlled access to data and applications.

• Reduced costs: By using VMware Horizon, organizations can reduce the costs associated with managing and maintaining physical desktops and applications, as well as reduce the costs associated with providing secure remote access to these resources.

• Easy management: VMware Horizon provides IT administrators with a user-friendly centralized management system, making it easier and faster to manage and secure their virtual desktops and applications.

• Enhanced user experience: Users are able to access their virtual desktops and applications from any device, and from any location. Work from any location, without being tied to a specific device or area.

VMware Horizon features:

Some of the top features of VMware Horizon include:

• Virtual desktops: Create secure and scalable virtual desktops, with a choice of operating systems and settings.

• Virtual applications: Create virtual applications that can be run from any device or operating system.

• Central management: Control and manage virtual desktops and applications from a single pane of glass.
  
  
• Quick duplications: Clone virtual machines and applications instantly.

• Scalability: VMware Horizon can scale on demand to meet the needs of any business large or small.

• Reporting and analytics: Gain insight into user activity and behavior with detailed analytics and reporting.

• Security features and ID management: Ensure the security and privacy of data with a wide variety of security features, including encryption, multi-factor authentication, single sign-on (SSO), and network security.

• Seamless integration: VMware Horizon integrates easily with other VMware solutions, including VMware vSphere, VMware NSX, and VMware Workspace ONE.

Reviews from Real Users

VMware Horizon stands out among its competitors for a number of reasons. Several major ones are its high performance, flexibility, and powerful virtualization capabilities.

Natnael A., a consultant at IWM Network Solutions, writes, “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.”

Rob M., a systems administrator at Saint Tammany Parish Hospital, says, “The solution has provided flexibility by allowing an end user to remote in, log in, and get their VM. VDI session and have all the icons and applications they need to use and retain the same booking view regardless of location.”