VMware unleashes Horizon™ 6

VMware, Inc. has announced VMware Horizon™ 6, an integrated solution that delivers published applications and desktops on a single platform. Horizon 6 becomes the industry’s most comprehensive desktop solution with centralized management of any type of enterprise application and desktop, including physical desktops and laptops, virtual desktops and applications and employee-owned PCs.

“Customers want to transform their applications and enterprise desktops for the Mobile Cloud Era – extending access to employees on any device, from anywhere via a comprehensive solution that is simple, secure and cost effective,” said Sumit Dhawan, vice president and general manager, Desktop Products, End-User Computing, VMware. “VMware Horizon™ 6 addresses these issues and delivers amazing new capabilities to our customers at nearly the same cost as a traditional, physical desktop. Horizon 6 represents a major product milestone that continues the rapid pace of innovation from VMware, and helps customers take the next step in their desktop journey.”

An Integrated Solution with Capabilities Second to None
Innovations in application delivery, datacenter-to-device management, storage optimization and flexible hybrid delivery in VMware Horizon 6 make enterprise desktops and applications easier and more cost-effective to deliver, protect and manage. Multiple access points such as laptops, tablets, smartphones and an array of other employee-owned devices are putting pressure on IT departments to deliver a high level of service and access without compromise.

VMware Horizon 6 introduces new capabilities that are integrated into a single solution that empower IT with a streamlined approach for managing Windows applications and desktops. With Horizon 6, enterprise applications and Windows operating systems are centrally managed so updates can be made in an agile and predictable manner. In addition, Horizon 6 enables entire desktops or just applications can be delivered in a flexible manner to end-users:
· Virtually for access from multiple locations and devices
· Physically by syncing the entire desktop image to end-user laptops for online and offline access
· Securely by delivering applications and content in a managed secure container to support Bring Your Own (BYO) PC scenarios.

Regardless of the use case, VMware Horizon 6 delivers a consistent, self-service user experience for access to enterprise applications through a unified workspace.
New capabilities in VMware Horizon 6 include:
· Published Applications and Virtual Desktops Delivered Through A Single Platform – VMware Horizon 6 offers streamlined management, end-user entitlement, and quick delivery of published Windows applications, RDS-based desktops and virtual desktops across devices and locations. The new capabilities are built on a single platform that is an extension of the market leading VDI solution, VMware Horizon View™.
· A Unified Workspace for Simplified Access – With VMware Horizon 6, end-users can access all applications and desktops from a single unified workspace. The unified workspace supports the delivery of virtualized applications hosted in the datacenter or local on the device, web and SaaS applications, RDS hosted applications, and published applications from third party platforms, such as Citrix XenApp, with a single sign-on experience.
· Storage Optimization with VMware Virtual SAN™ and Delivery from the Software-Defined Data Center – VMware Horizon 6 is optimized for the Software-Defined Data Center. The solution provides integrated management of VMware Virtual SAN that can significantly reduce the cost of storage for virtual desktops by using local storage. With this innovation, the capital cost of virtual desktops with Horizon 6 can be similar to physical desktops.
· Closed-Loop Management and Automation – VMware Horizon 6 offers new capabilities for end-to-end visibility and automation from datacenter-to-device. The new VMware vCenter™ Operations for View provides health and risk monitoring, proactive end-user experience monitoring and deep diagnostics from datacenter-to-device all within a single console. Horizon 6 also supports automation and self-service, allowing IT to provide line-of-business users with the ability to request desktops and applications by using built-in workflows and automated infrastructure provisioning. This closed-loop management and automation is integrated with the vCloud Automation Center™ management console, making it easier for customers with vCloud® Suite to get started with Horizon 6.
· Central Image Management of Virtual, Physical and Employee-Owned PCs –VMware offers centralized image management for virtual, physical and employee-owned PCs from a single, integrated solution. Using the updated VMware Mirage™, IT administrators can design a single desktop with the required operating system and applications, and deliver it to end-users in a department or entire organization based on end-user needs.
· Hybrid Cloud Delivery – VMware Horizon 6 introduces a new client that seamlessly connects to virtual desktops and applications running in an on-premise cloud, a service provider partner cloud, or through VMware vCloud Hybrid Service with the same, high performance end-user experience. This flexibility gives customers the ability to deploy Horizon 6 via the hybrid cloud – balancing between business-owned and public cloud-based infrastructure to best satisfy their needs.

“Today’s announcement of VMware Horizon™ 6 continues our momentum in end-user computing, bringing the best solutions for desktop, mobile and content collaboration via a secure virtual workspace,” said Sanjay Poonen, executive vice president and general manager, End-User Computing, VMware. “As a recognized innovator in the industry, VMware’s ambition is to provide end-users their apps and content served to them securely – anywhere, anyplace and anytime – whether on a desktop, laptop, tablet, or smartphone.”

Jon Howe, systems architect, Parata Systems added, “We like VMware’s pace of innovation in end-user computing and their vision of delivering desktops and applications on a single platform. Mobility and easy access is important to end-users and IT administrators alike, and Horizon™ 6’s ability to provide both with a consistent user experience through a unified workspace across any device was a very attractive proposition.”

“Governance and compliance can only work if end-users stay within the confines of IT, but end-users are savvy with more options than ever before to work outside the purview of IT,” said Brett Waldman, research manager, End-User Computing, IDC. “If IT can provide the resources, capabilities and support end-users need, they will be less likely to stray, so IT needs vendors, such as VMware, to provide simpler, more agile solutions. With VMware Horizon™ 6's new ability to deliver published applications in addition to virtual desktops, IT can deliver just what end-users need, or more importantly – wants.”

New Editions to Support Modern Deployment Models
VMware customers can adopt published applications and virtual desktops based on their needs and environment. Three new editions of VMware Horizon will be available to customers, including:
· Horizon View™ Standard Edition: Delivers simple, high-performance, VDI-based virtual desktops with a great user experience.
· Horizon Advanced Edition: Offers the lowest cost solution for published and virtual applications and desktops using optimized storage from VMware Virtual SAN, central image management and a unified workspace for managing and delivering all applications and desktops.
· Horizon Enterprise Edition: Delivers a cloud-ready solution for desktops and applications with advanced cloud-like automation and management capabilities for hybrid cloud flexibility.