I have worked in education and production in one of my previous companies with VMware Workstation. In my current company, I use VMware Workstation for personal use. I have used the solution since my company has a personal server, which is not an extra production server.
System Administrator at a tech services company with 501-1,000 employees
A tool useful for testing purposes in the production environment that needs to reduce its usage of resources like CPU
Pros and Cons
- "The most valuable feature of the solution stems from the fact that it is an easy-to-use product."
- "VMware Workstation uses more resources like CPU and disk space, especially the CPU, which is a shortcoming that needs improvement."
What is our primary use case?
How has it helped my organization?
VMware Workstation is something that I have used on my laptop, while at times I have used the solution for testing process purposes, with Linux, Windows, and servers. I have used VMware Workstation for testing purposes in the production environment.
What is most valuable?
The most valuable feature of the solution stems from the fact that it is an easy-to-use product. VMware Workstation is useful for safety purposes. With VMware Workstation, you can easily select CPU hardware or hard disk and install them to the solution. In general, the product allows easy installation with any hardware specifications. If you select a 3 GB or 15 GB hard disk, you can select it.
What needs improvement?
VMware Workstation uses more resources like CPU and disk space, especially the CPU, which is a shortcoming that needs improvement.
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For how long have I used the solution?
I have been using VMware Workstation for six months.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
The stability of the solution depends on the solution's license. If you opt for a license purchased from VMware Workstation, then it remains very stable. The unlicensed version of the solution is not very suitable or stable.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
Based on what I have seen, I rate the solution's scalability a seven out of ten.
I didn't use the licensed software version of VMware Workstation, because of which I can't comment on its efficiency.
Though I am unsure, I feel that six to seven users use the solution for their personal use in my company.
Currently, I don't plan to use the version offered by VMware Workstation.
How are customer service and support?
I did not directly contact VMware Workstation's support person since I could get all the answers to my questions through VMware's blogs.
Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?
I have moved from VMware Workstation to Oracle VM VirtualBox since I got to use it for free, while VMware Workstation wasn't a free option.
How was the initial setup?
I rate the initial setup a six and a half out of ten. The initial setup of the solution is not complicated, but it may not be stable or as good as it should be if you use the tool without VMware Workstation's license or licensed software.
The solution is deployed by enabling virtualization on my laptop.
The time taken for the deployment depends on the size of your operations. The installation of VMware Workstation only takes around 20 to 30 minutes.
For deployment steps, download the free version of VMware Workstation for all the licenses, and then by clicking the next options available after clicking the EXE file, we can install the solution. You get around 60 days to use the free version of the solution, after which you need to pay for VMware Workstation.
What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?
I use the free version of VMware Workstation.
What other advice do I have?
I have stopped the use of ESXi in VMware Workstation.
It is important to note that VMware Workstation may not be a good solution for my company since it is not a perfect solution.
I don't personally recommend VMware Workstation to those planning to use it since it is a type 2 hypervisor. It is always better to use a type 1 hypervisor, but if someone prefers to use a type 2 hypervisor, then it is always best to choose the paid or licensed version of the solution.
I rate the overall solution a seven out of ten.
Disclosure: My company does not have a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer.
Systems engineer at a tech vendor with 10,001+ employees
A user-friendly desktop hypervisor product that links directly to your laptop
Pros and Cons
- "I like that it's easy to use. It's easy to deploy virtual machines. You have to insert your ISO and the image of your OS and configure it. They provide a step-by-step guide, and you have to follow it. In the end, you have to start the machine, and that's all you have to do. I liked that they synchronized the mouse, keyboard, and everything. When you finish the installation, it directly links to your laptop. This makes copying and pasting things from my laptop inside the virtual machine easy."
- "It would be better if software updates occur automatically."
What is our primary use case?
We use VMware Workstation to establish virtual machines. You can deploy it as Windows or Linux and use it as your computer.
What is most valuable?
I like that it's easy to use. It's easy to deploy virtual machines. You have to insert your ISO and the image of your OS and configure it. They provide a step-by-step guide, and you have to follow it. In the end, you have to start the machine, and that's all you have to do.
I liked that they synchronized the mouse, keyboard, and everything. When you finish the installation, it directly links to your laptop. This makes copying and pasting things from my laptop inside the virtual machine easy.
What needs improvement?
It would be better if software updates occur automatically.
For how long have I used the solution?
I have been using VMware Workstation for about two or three years.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
VMware Workstation is a stable solution.
On a scale from one to ten, I would give stability a ten.
Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?
We use VirtualBox at my company, and I use VMware Workstation for personal use. I switched to VMware Workstation because of the colors in the user interface. There is a difference in the ISO and how both products create software images.
How was the initial setup?
The initial setup is straightforward. It's very user-friendly. The deployment time depends on the software image and the configuration. If it's small, it's really quick, like five minutes. The longest deployment I did was probably almost one hour. Large enterprises with a lot of virtual machines usually have a dedicated IT department to manage them.
What about the implementation team?
I implemented this solution.
What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?
You need to pay for a license, but I don't think it costs that much. I think it's a one-time payment.
What other advice do I have?
I would tell potential users that they don't have to have any prior knowledge. They have to follow the prompts and fulfill the steps. I would recommend this solution; it's very user-friendly.
On a scale from one to ten, I would give VMware Workstation a ten.
Disclosure: My company does not have a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer.
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Senior Technical Engineer at a tech services company with 51-200 employees
Provides compatibility with a wide range of applications and ensures seamless testing and deployment
Pros and Cons
- "I appreciate the ease of backup and snapshot creation. The ability to revert to previous versions without losing data is very useful for our team."
- "I would like to see more detailed reporting capabilities, particularly around snapshot activity. It would be helpful to have a summary of changes made prior to deploying an application, allowing us to provide comprehensive reports to our management on a regular basis."
What is our primary use case?
We use VMware Workstation for testing and deploying applications in our production environment.
We use Hyper-V and VMware Workstation for our testing environment. We use it to deploy and test developer applications within our company.
We run our internal applications on virtual machines to ensure compatibility with the Windows platform.
We deploy the tested applications to our production environment.
How has it helped my organization?
We use VMware products to support our IT infrastructure and application deployment processes.
What is most valuable?
I appreciate the ease of backup and snapshot creation. The ability to revert to previous versions without losing data is very useful for our team.
What needs improvement?
Since we've been using VMware Workstation for a while, I haven't had the opportunity to test other virtualization platforms. However, we have received some proposals for alternative solutions, such as SCI.
So, maybe VMware can consider introducing this in future releases.
Moreover, I would like to see more detailed reporting capabilities, particularly around snapshot activity. It would be helpful to have a summary of changes made prior to deploying an application, allowing us to provide comprehensive reports to our management on a regular basis.
For how long have I used the solution?
We have been using this solution for three years now. We started using it in 2020.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
We haven't encountered any technical difficulties with VMware Workstation so far.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
VMware Workstation is primarily used by the IT department. We haven't yet rolled it out to all employees.
We have around five end users using this solution in our company.
How are customer service and support?
We haven't had the need to contact VMware's support team directly.
I've always found the online community to be a valuable resource for addressing any concerns or questions.
Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?
We were using VirtualBox, an open-source virtualization software. The decision to use VMware Workstation was made by our technical team. They evaluated various virtualization solutions and determined that VMware Workstation was the best fit for our company's needs.
How was the initial setup?
From a user perspective, the installation and deployment process was easy to understand and easy to deploy. Even for someone like me, who is not a fully technical person, it was manageable.
What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?
Our IT department handles all procurement and cost negotiations. They are responsible for evaluating proposals from vendors and selecting the most cost-effective solution.
Which other solutions did I evaluate?
What other advice do I have?
I would recommend VMware Workstation for critical situations, such as deploying crucial applications within the company. It provides compatibility with a wide range of applications and ensures seamless testing and deployment.
Overall, I would rate the solution a nine out of ten. I'm satisfied with its features and performance, and I haven't encountered any major issues.
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.
Owner at a construction company with 201-500 employees
Easy environment creation, stable, and simple setup
Pros and Cons
- "The most valuable feature of the VMware Workstation is the ease to create a development environment. When you have different ongoing developments, you often need to create a lot of different development environments. With this workstation solution, you can have a development environment for all the things you develop."
- "VMware Workstation could improve the export and import of virtual machines."
What is our primary use case?
We are using VMware Workstation for development purposes.
What is most valuable?
The most valuable feature of the VMware Workstation is the ease to create a development environment. When you have different ongoing developments, you often need to create a lot of different development environments. With this workstation solution, you can have a development environment for all the things you develop.
What needs improvement?
VMware Workstation could improve the export and import of virtual machines.
For how long have I used the solution?
I have been using VMware Workstation for approximately 20 years.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
VMware Workstation is stable.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
VMware Workstation can be rolled out in any workstation. However, you don't scale it, you only install it on the workstations where you need it.
We have four or five people using this solution. We are a small company and when we first purchased the solution we had ten people using it at that time.
How are customer service and support?
The support from VMware Workstation is reasonable.
I rate the support of VMware Workstation a three out of five.
How would you rate customer service and support?
Neutral
How was the initial setup?
The setup of the VMware Workstation was simple.
What about the implementation team?
We did the implementation of the solution in-house.
What was our ROI?
We have received a high ROI from using this solution.
What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?
The price of the solution per workstation is approximately 200 Francs annually. We pay a total of 800 francs. Everything is included in the price such as the support.
Which other solutions did I evaluate?
Back when we choose this solution 20 years ago there were not many virtualization tools available. There were Parallels and a few others.
What other advice do I have?
I would recommend this solution to others.
I rate VMware Workstation a ten 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.
Information Security Consultant at a cloud solution provider with 1-10 employees
Simple to install, with a helpful and supportive community
Pros and Cons
- "The technical support is good."
- "They could add more integration between them, and compatibility with the standard virtualization format."
What is our primary use case?
We use VMware Workstation for testing and development.
What is most valuable?
It is very basic. There are not many features, but it meets our use cases. It is adequate for the use case.
What needs improvement?
We don't need a lot of features because it's development; I don't think we need anything else for development testing. There isn't a huge technical requirement. It does the basics and that is fine.
There are only a few issues with compatibility between various virtualization tools. Moving virtual machines, for example, between VMware and Parallel is a challenge. As a result of the compatibility issues, it's difficult. Aside from that, both tools are fine. They are very basic, but they do the job.
They could add more integration between them, and compatibility with the standard virtualization format.
For how long have I used the solution?
I have been using VMware Workstation for two years.
I am not sure what version we're using, but it's the most recent.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
There are three of us who are currently using this solution.
We have no plans to increase our usage at this time, but we may add two more users next year. It is not a significant increase.
How are customer service and support?
The technical support is good. The community is also helpful.
Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?
I am no longer using the Proxmox VE solution for a variety of reasons, not because it's bad, but because I have a different requirement.
I am also currently working with Parallels Workstation. Their technical support is also good.
How was the initial setup?
We don't use the on-premise version often; instead, we use a cloud-based solution for the service and the production environment.
The initial setup is straightforward.
The deployment is ongoing, and we use it on a regular basis.
It is not a production environment that has been migrated to the cloud. It is ongoing and does not have a beginning and an end.
What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?
Licensing fees are paid on an annual basis.
There are no additional fees; it is standard licensing.
What other advice do I have?
I would rate VMware Workstation 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.
CEO at a computer software company with 11-50 employees
High availability, complete functionality, beneficial VLAN setup
Pros and Cons
- "The most valuable features of VMware Workstation are the DirectX support, you can run Microsoft Hyper-V in virtual environments which is good for me to test different installations. Additionally, you can set up different VLANs, and overall it is a complete solution."
- "VMware Workstation has some network limitations which could improve, it is not as flexible as VMware NSX. Additionally, it could support operating systems better. I only run some Linux versions and Windows at the moment but it would be nice to be able to take whatever operating system you want and run it."
What is our primary use case?
VMware Workstation allows me to have virtualized environments. I can run the virtual environment in my home lab.
What is most valuable?
The most valuable features of VMware Workstation are the DirectX support, you can run Microsoft Hyper-V in virtual environments which is good for me to test different installations. Additionally, you can set up different VLANs, and overall it is a complete solution.
What needs improvement?
VMware Workstation has some network limitations which could improve, it is not as flexible as VMware NSX. Additionally, it could support operating systems better. I only run some Linux versions and Windows at the moment but it would be nice to be able to take whatever operating system you want and run it.
For how long have I used the solution?
I have been using VMware Workstation for approximately 15 years.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
VMware Workstation is highly stable. I have been running a VM for a year and a half and nothing has happened with it. It is running very well.
I rate the stability of VMware Workstation a ten out of ten,
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
VMware Workstation cannot scale. It's one installation on one system, you can't scale it. It uses the resources of my computer only.
How are customer service and support?
I have used the support from VMware Workstation. The quality of the support can depend on who you speak to but they have always solved my problem. Sometimes it takes a few extra days for the solution because they have to find the right individual inside that can handle the support question.
I rate the support from VMware Workstation a five out of five.
How would you rate customer service and support?
Positive
Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?
I have previously used a Microsoft Virtual Desktop but VMware Workstation is much better with more features. You have a wider range of devices you can use, such as a smart card reader.
How was the initial setup?
The initial setup of the VMware Workstation is simple. You only need to click install and hit the next button over and over on the mouse.
What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?
With a VDI solution, there is always extra cost running a VDI solution but it's not for cost purposes anymore. In the beginning, it was to save money on hardware but at the moment it's other aspects that are more important why you should use a VDI solution.
If you run Microsoft on top of your laptop it's going to be cheaper than running a whole environment of VDIs. However, you get so much more from the VDI solution. You have security aspects and you have one place you store your data. It's closer to the data center so everything should run faster. For example, if you have an AutoCAD installation and you want to pick up a drawing that is approximately one gigabyte, it's going to take about 10 minutes over the landline but when you do it inside a VDI you can receive it in up to 45 seconds or so. These aspects are more important than pricing.
What other advice do I have?
VMware Workstation keeps working and it makes my day every time I have to use it because it starts, it runs, and it makes my life easier. I recommend it for developers.
I rate VMware Workstation a nine 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
Director at a marketing services firm with self employed
It performs well and it's easy to scale, but it's hard to set up.
Pros and Cons
- "It will not harm any of the computer settings to run a specific program. For example, if a program needs a specific security policy, we don't have to use the shared configuration. We have an individual copy of Windows installed on the virtual machine, so anybody can access that. It helps us a lot."
- "Installing VMware Workstation isn't so easy. It's highly complex compared to Windows. I rate it four out of 10 for ease of installation. Setting up a remote desktop only takes a minute or so, but the Workstation itself takes some time."
What is our primary use case?
We use VMware Workstation to deploy multiple machines, and every machine has its own configuration and software installed according to our configurations. The company has between 25 to 50 employees on virtual machines, and the usage is high.
What is most valuable?
It will not harm any of the computer settings to run a specific program. For example, if a program needs a specific security policy, we don't have to use the shared configuration. We have an individual copy of Windows installed on the virtual machine, so anybody can access that. It helps us a lot.
For how long have I used the solution?
I have been using VMware for the last 10 years.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
VMware Workstation's performance is excellent.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
VMware's scalability is high. It's usually not an issue.
How are customer service and support?
We've contact support for other VMware solutions besides Workstation. We needed support due to the complexity of the database. I rate VMware support eight out of 10.
How was the initial setup?
Installing VMware Workstation isn't so easy. It's highly complex compared to Windows. I rate it four out of 10 for ease of installation. Setting up a remote desktop only takes a minute or so, but the Workstation itself takes some time.
You need to install a tool on the host machine, and then all the features can be managed via VMware Workstation. Once it's deployed, I can maintain issues on the machines remotely. We don't often go to the sites.
What other advice do I have?
I rate VMware Workstation six out of ten.
Which deployment model are you using for this solution?
Private Cloud
Disclosure: My company has a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer. integrator/consultant
Scales well, has good technical support, quick and easy to install
Pros and Cons
- "Technical support is very good."
- "I would want to see features included that make deployment easier."
What is our primary use case?
VMware Workstation is currently being used as a test model, it is not in production.
It is used for testing, and we have a mixed solution for reduction. We are also considering moving part of our servers to virtualization.
How has it helped my organization?
It made various enhancements to the system once the deployment was completed.
What needs improvement?
I would like to see the stability improve. We have experienced some crashes on our devices.
The configuration could be simplified.
I would want to see features included that make deployment easier.
For how long have I used the solution?
I have been using VMware Workstation for five or six years.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
There are some concerns regarding the stability of this solution. We have a device that seems to be under some pressure and two others that are working very well.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
We have no issues with the scalability of the VMware Workstation.
At this time our organization has 15 to 20 users.
This solution is being used daily, and we have plans to increase our usage.
Our plan is to move part of the server to this solution.
How are customer service and support?
Technical support is very good.
Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?
I have been using several virtualization tools over the last five or six years.
Approximately six or seven years ago I used a Remote Desktop Solution but it was not a good experience.
How was the initial setup?
The initial setup is straightforward. it took thirty minutes to complete the deployment.
We only require two days a month for one person to maintain this solution.
What about the implementation team?
Using a lot of documentation, I was able to complete the installation myself.
What was our ROI?
With VMware Workstation, we have seen a return on investment, but the actual ROI will be shown in two or three years.
What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?
Licensing costs are paid on a yearly basis.
What other advice do I have?
The documentation should be thoroughly read.
I would rate VMware Workstation a nine out of ten.
Which deployment model are you using for this solution?
Public Cloud
Disclosure: My company does not have a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer.
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