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reviewer1446579 - PeerSpot reviewer
Manager - Technical Services at a tech services company with 501-1,000 employees
Real User
Nov 15, 2020
Handles graphic-intensive applications well, and it's easy to scale
Pros and Cons
  • "VMware Horizon 7 has its proprietary Elastic streaming protocol, which is very good for delivering VDI."
  • "I would like to see seamless integration with the cloud because right now, the dependency is on the cloud providers."

What is most valuable?

VMware Horizon 7 has its proprietary Elastic streaming protocol, which is very good for delivering VDI. It helps with graphic-intensive applications.

The experience is seamless for graphic-intensive applications using this particular protocol.

What needs improvement?

It's difficult to recall any areas that need improvement. 

They are growing now, in particular with this VDI domain. VMware is now introducing new products and features, and they are onboarding new customers.

There are many competitors in the market. All of the Media in Apple products delivery is seamless. 

They need to advertise the product well and focus on their core features. 

They need to market accordingly and they will have a good future and a good experience for the end customers.

I would like to see seamless integration with the cloud because right now, the dependency is on the cloud providers. I would like to see them have their own cloud environment on any public cloud. Right now, it is split between the public cloud and the VMware cloud environment. If they could deliver a solution that integrated all of the components then it would be great. They would not have to manage two different consoles but rather, a single implementation and a single console.

For how long have I used the solution?

I have been working with VMware Horizon 7 for more than one year.

What do I think about the stability of the solution?

It's a stable solution.

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What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

It's easy to scale. Once you have it in your environment it's can be easily scaled.

How are customer service and support?

Technical support is good.

How was the initial setup?

The initial setup is straightforward.

If the customer already has a VMware virtualized platform then it's a seamless deployment.

Even the ordering and packaging is simple because it can be combined with the server virtualizing platform. You just order a one-part code that includes everything in that solution, including the VDI platform.

It can take approximately one week to deploy if it is on-premises, and if on the cloud, depending not the workload, it can take a day or two.

What other advice do I have?

They have both options of deployment models. If it is on-premises, it's as per their proprietary prerequisite. With the cloud, they have AWS and Microsoft Azure.

I would recommend VMware Horizon 7 if the customer already has the VMware virtualized environment in place.

I would rate this solution an eight out of ten.

Which deployment model are you using for this solution?

Hybrid Cloud
Disclosure: My company has a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer. Partner
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reviewer1302189 - PeerSpot reviewer
IT Systems and Network Engineer at a tech vendor with 201-500 employees
Real User
Sep 28, 2020
Easy to use and has good technical support, but the licensing models should be improved
Pros and Cons
  • "The most valuable features are that it is easy to use and easy to manage."
  • "In the future, I would like to see better support for application virtualization."

What is most valuable?

The most valuable features are that it is easy to use and easy to manage.

What needs improvement?

The licensing models should be improved in some cases.

In the future, I would like to see better support for application virtualization.

For how long have I used the solution?

I have been using this product for the last six months.

How are customer service and technical support?

VMware's technical support is very good.

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

I have also used Citrix and I find that VMware is easier to manage.

In the past, we worked with other VDI solutions that were hardware devices. We connected and worked through a centralized server. We had planned to move our 500+ users but the challenge was that we needed to have a backend server or another resource, either on the cloud or on-premises.

What other advice do I have?

VMware Horizon View supports application virtualization, which is something that companies like startups are looking for. It means that you don't need to have a cloud connector or hosting in the cloud.

It is possible to create multiple user profiles so that applications can be used. For example, we can virtualize a browser and create multiple user sessions for it. It is useful, especially for applications that are used internally because you don't have to invest as much on resources.

I would rate this solution a seven out of ten.

Disclosure: My company does not have a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer.
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Horizon 8
December 2025
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reviewer1413429 - PeerSpot reviewer
Systems Engineer at a tech services company with 51-200 employees
Real User
Sep 7, 2020
Good for VM users and developers; great sorting feature to create UI on demand
Pros and Cons
  • "Great sorting feature to create UI on demand."
  • "Deployment and configuration could be simplified."

What is our primary use case?

The company I worked for were partners of VMware Horizon View. I worked as a system engineer.

What is most valuable?

What I liked was the sorting feature to create the UI on demand. We sorted complaints from a vendor image of the virtual machine.

What needs improvement?

There could be some improvement with the automation of the set up. If deployment and configuration were simplified, more companies will choose the product. 

For how long have I used the solution?

I used this solution for about one year. 

What do I think about the stability of the solution?

The stability depends on the kind of stack that's in the configuration.

What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

The solution is scalable but it's not a simple process. If you want to add any kind of component it involves some work. You need to be prepared, you have to have a certain level of knowledge in terms of environment and in terms of stack to be able to scale it.

How are customer service and technical support?

I have a little bit of experience with technical support. It's not bad and can be useful. 

How was the initial setup?

If you don't know enough about VMware, then the initial setup can be complex. It's not for a standard user. You need to have some experience with VPN otherwise it creates issues. Standard deployment takes a minimum of one or two days. 

What other advice do I have?

I think this is the best solution for VDI in VM for VM users and developers. You can implement in other cases as well. For example, with Nutanix, you can use Horizon View, it is completely compatible, and you can use it to integrate HCI or other solutions. I think it's a very good solution.

I would rate this solution an eight out of 10. 

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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reviewer1381467 - PeerSpot reviewer
VMware Engineer at a tech services company with 51-200 employees
Real User
Jul 12, 2020
User friendly with good documentation and easy to configure
Pros and Cons
  • "The solution is very user friendly."
  • "The solution is very expensive."

What is our primary use case?

We deploy the solution for our clients.

What is most valuable?

The solution is very user friendly. 

The solution is very fast and easy to configure.

The solution offers good documentation.

Our customers maintain that they don't face any issues when using the solution and find it very reliable.

The product can really cater to specific customer environments.

What needs improvement?

Our customers haven't really experienced any issues with the solution. I'm not sure if there are any features that are missing.

The solution is very expensive.

For how long have I used the solution?

I've been using VMware for about four years. However, I've only been working with Horizon View for just less than one year.

What do I think about the stability of the solution?

The stability of the solution is great right now. We don't have any complaints about how it's operating for us. We don't experience bugs or glitches. There isn't any crashing or freezing. There might be a minimal report about the disconnection of the agent, however, I would say that it's very minimal.

What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

We have about 500 to 700 users on the solution who use it on a daily basis.

The solution is easy to scale.

How are customer service and technical support?

I haven't experienced filing anything with technical support. I don't have experience with their services just yet and therefore I can't really speak to the quality of their services. However, in terms of VMware in general, they are quite responsive to issues and resolve out requests in a timely manner.

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

I have a virtual desktop on Azure.

I did not really switch to Horizon View, but technically speaking, I am also on VDI. I'm not just focusing on the Horizon side. I've tried to explore different VDI solutions, like Azure, just to see what it's like.

With Horizon, the difference is more on the simplicity of the user experience and the speed and delivery of the application. It's also more convenient because some of the users work from home and can work in any place or use any device. 

How was the initial setup?

The solution isn't complex. It's pretty straightforward, largely due to the fact that there's only one application to deploy. We deployed one connection server and one replica. For the external users, I deployed a Unified Access Gateway (UAG). They have volumes and that's it.

With no dependency on the firewall, I think I can deploy the solution in one week. That would be the average amount of time it would take.

At this point, the solution has been running for about 10 months and hasn't required any maintenance whatsoever.

What about the implementation team?

For now, I implement the solution on my own after I have read different documentation, which I find helps me deploy everything effectively. 

I have a team with knowledge of VMware, however, most of the time, I'm the technical lead on the product.

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

The solution is costly, however, I would argue that it is worth the money as the product can really cater to unique user requirements.

What other advice do I have?

We're partners with VMware.

I'm using versions ranging from 7.9 to 7.12.

I'm not very familiar with the cloud setup and am much more comfortable with the on-premises deployment.

I deployed it to some customers. They needed to use the VDI during the pandemic. I used a setup as a work from home scenario. VDI is our solution for that kind of use case.

I would advise any organization considering the solution to learn more about the product and how it works before starting anything. It's basically not easy to deploy if you're not familiar with the product. It's important to familiarize yourself with it.

It's an excellent solution. I'd rate it ten out of 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
PeerSpot user
Manager, IT at a university with 51-200 employees
Real User
Top 10
Oct 20, 2019
Offers good graphics facilities but the performance needs to be improved
Pros and Cons
  • "It has improved our business because now we can run applications and it's easier for our students to do their exams."
  • "In the next release, the performance, the speed, and the price need to be improved."

What is our primary use case?

This solution provides centralized management with a digital platform.

How has it helped my organization?

It has improved our business because now we can run applications and it's easier for our students to do their exams.

We learned something new and gained experience regarding single digital platforms including how they work, how it is made into a single platform, and technically how the hybrid conversion works.

What is most valuable?

The most valuable feature is the graphics facilities.

What needs improvement?

They have tried to create a solution that is similar to Nutanix Citrix. Nutanix Citrix is the leader with this type of solution, a digital single platform. VMware tried to do the same, it's close but in terms of performance and how they manage a single platform, Nutanix Citrix is much better.

In the next release, the performance, the speed, and the price need to be improved.

For how long have I used the solution?

I have been using this solution for six months.

What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

There are still many unknowns as we have only been working with this solution for a short time. We don't know the level of support and the servers are new to us, but in the six months that we have been running this solution, we have not run into any problems.

At this early stage, we can't determine whether VMware is able to address any issues or not.

How are customer service and technical support?

We are still new to this solution and have not run into any issues to be able to access the level of support or response time.

To date, I am doing the support with my team with our limited knowledge.

We haven't created any tickets with VMware technical support to resolve any issues.

So far we have been able to resolve the issues immediately.

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

Previously we were using Microsoft Terminal Server. 

Microsoft Terminal server did not meet our requirements and we didn't achieve our tasks or what we need in education. The new application now, it's reported to have strong backend, and to have a graphic backend to be able to support new applications, like Photoshop, printers, and video. It has graphics facilities.

Terminal Server does not have these facilities.

The VDI with this solution is now supported and it works for us. The challenge is to have a graphical backend and we get this with VMware, which solves the problem.

How was the initial setup?

The deployment model is on the hybrid cloud.

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

This solution is expensive.

Which other solutions did I evaluate?

Nutanix Citrix is the best solution in the world. I have attended a seminar and I like it.

Unfortunately, I am not able to purchase it due to finance. Our recruitment office decided to go with Dell, not Nutanix. If the decision was mine to make I would have gone with Nutanix Citrix, not VMware or Dell VMware.

What other advice do I have?

Area 1 Horizon is a product by VMware. It's centralized management with a digital platform.

I would rate this solution a five out of ten, but to be fair, there have been several improvements to this solution. We can work with this solution. We had issues before, but now they have been resolved. Students can do the lessons that are required and write the exams.
We requested the graphics facilities and now they are available and working fine.

Overall, I would say that we can give them a rating of seven out of ten.

Disclosure: My company does not have a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer.
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Storage Specialist at a financial services firm with 51-200 employees
Real User
Top 20
Oct 12, 2019
Good organization and integration, helps reduce maintenance costs
Pros and Cons
  • "Managing all operating systems in a single environment helped a lot in organizing and integrating it."
  • "The initial startup costs for this solution are relatively high."

What is our primary use case?

Use as a test center for medical students was the primary purpose of the launch. The number of users seen included was about two hundred. The model was kiosk-mode. Each time, after the end of the virtual machine exam, it was presented. It had to change on the user.

How has it helped my organization?

Organizing and integrating is perhaps the most important feature.

Reducing maintenance costs as well as reducing end-time service to end users can be another feature.

Infrastructure equipment and Zero Client. It also has great flexibility in infrastructure changes, both in software and in hardware. You can increase the resources needed by the user or software needed in a few seconds.

What is most valuable?

Managing all operating systems in a single environment helped a lot in organizing and integrating it. Also, there is no operating system on the user-side hardware.

There is no worry that it will crash and you will be able to recover it in seconds.

Using this solution in medium to large organizations can be justified. Since virtualization is widespread in many organizations today, launching this solution may not require much infrastructure change.

Offices that do not require much processing are a good place to use this solution.

What needs improvement?

Places such as universities are not suitable for this solution.

The initial startup costs for this solution are relatively high.

For how long have I used the solution?

We have been using this solution for three years.

What do I think about the stability of the solution?

Because it's more focused on integration, it's much more flexible and easier to manage.

What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

This solution is Very Scalable

How are customer service and technical support?

The technical support for this solution is very satisfying.

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

We tried solutions from Parallels, but it didn't seem right for the organization.

How was the initial setup?

Most organizations have gone to virtualization and VMware clustering. Most of the work is already done.

What about the implementation team?

Our in-house team handled the deployment.

What was our ROI?

We have seen ROI between two and three years.

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

The initial startup costs for this solution are relatively high.

Licensing and hardware outsourcing is expensive, but can be cost-effective in the three to five-year range.

Disclosure: My company does not have a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer.
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PeerSpot user
Director of IT at a construction company with 51-200 employees
Real User
Top 20
Mar 19, 2019
The ability to reliably virtualize desktops and support them. Simple to say, but complicated nonetheless.

What is our primary use case?

We were spread across several offices and with the main production software tool and the weak WAN infrastructure, it was impossible to share data reliably. It seemed the only solution was to centralize the data and make it so the people using the data - the workers - could be anywhere. With past experiences in server virtualization, I investigated VMware View. It was the missing key that made this all work.

How has it helped my organization?

At this stage, a couple of iterations later, workers now only come to the office a couple of days a week. The company has been able to eliminate two offices entirely, and in addition, we have a much wider base of operations because employees can live practically anywhere in our "territory".

What is most valuable?

The ability to reliably virtualize desktops and support them. Simple to say, but complicated nonetheless. 

What needs improvement?

Almost all VMware products are "designed" for the enterprise and it sometimes takes some wise wrangling to make it financially viable. And VMware doesn't make that easy. I think the SMB market is largely untapped and maybe even ignored.

For how long have I used the solution?

More than five years.

What do I think about the stability of the solution?

VMware is incredibly stable. Even when you don't know what you're doing. And for the times you get stuck - that's why they offer support. VMware support is pretty good.

What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

VMware products are almost infinitely scalable. 

How are customer service and technical support?

Tech support by and large is excellent. There is some swapping out between internal VMware groups sometimes, they are very compartmentalized but they generally can get you out of just about any hole you dig yourself into. 

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

No. I had used VMware in a "past" life and didn't even consider other solutions as viable.

How was the initial setup?

It's not shake the box easy but if you do your homework, do some rudimentary testing and do a lot of research it's possible, viable - you can even do it yourself.

What about the implementation team?

I did it all in house on my own.

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

It's not cheap but compared to constant hardware refreshes it doesn't take long to pay itself back. 

Don't be afraid to search out your own solution. It's not that hard to architect a viable virtual desktop environment. You don't have to implement each and every feature. 

Which other solutions did I evaluate?

No, as stated above.

Disclosure: My company does not have a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer.
PeerSpot user
Chetan Woodun - PeerSpot reviewer
Chetan WoodunSenior Consultant at a tech services company with 11-50 employees
Real User

While the VMWARE part itself is stable, other common issues with Horizon include users unable to authenticate in the Horizon client & getting errors like " no desktop is available"

it_user370233 - PeerSpot reviewer
IT Consultant with 51-200 employees
Vendor
Jan 14, 2016
The most valuable features for us are the Horizon-linked clone desktops, App Volumes, and UEM.

What is most valuable?

  • Horizon-linked clone desktops
  • App Volumes
  • UEM

How has it helped my organization?

With Horizon view, it requires less administration from us and it provides much more flexibility for our users.

What needs improvement?

Integration of app volumes with Horizon View and integration of App Volumes with UEM would be nice additions.

For how long have I used the solution?

I've used it for three years.

What was my experience with deployment of the solution?

App volumes introduces longer login times, printer mapping issues (print spooler crashes), and short cut configuration timing issues.

What do I think about the stability of the solution?

We didn't encounter any issues with stability.

What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

We didn't encounter any issues with scalability.

How are customer service and technical support?

Customer Service:

Customer service is good.

Technical Support:

Horizon: good. App Volumes and UEM: bad. Their support does not have good knowledge of the product.

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

We previously used Citrix. VMware is a better integrated solution for virtual desktops.

How was the initial setup?

The initial setup was straightforward, but minimal. It takes time to configure all details. The default configuration should be better.

What about the implementation team?

We are a consultancy partner. We implement it.

Which other solutions did I evaluate?

We evaluated Citrix XenDesktop.

What other advice do I have?

Always use VMware Horizon Enterprise Suite. It has deep integration with the hypervisor. It is total solution.

Disclosure: My company has a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer. We're an enterprise partner.
PeerSpot user
Buyer's Guide
Download our free Horizon 8 Report and get advice and tips from experienced pros sharing their opinions.
Updated: December 2025
Buyer's Guide
Download our free Horizon 8 Report and get advice and tips from experienced pros sharing their opinions.