Introduction
VMware Horizon has long been one of the established platforms for enterprise VDI, alongside Citrix. Following VMware’s End User Computing business being spun off, the Horizon platform is now developed and supported under Omnissa. This page focuses on Horizon’s architecture and where it fits for enterprises evaluating it against other VDI platforms.
What is VMware Horizon?
VMware Horizon (now under Omnissa) is a virtual desktop and application delivery platform built around Connection Servers for session brokering, Unified Access Gateway for secure external access, and the Horizon Agent installed on virtual desktops. Desktops are typically provisioned from instant clones, and sessions are delivered using the Blast Extreme protocol, which is designed to perform across a range of network conditions.
Benefits of VMware Horizon
- Instant clone provisioning: rapid desktop provisioning and refresh from a master image.
- Blast Extreme protocol: designed to adapt to varying network conditions while maintaining usability.
- Broad infrastructure support: can run on-premises, in VMware Cloud, or on supported public cloud infrastructure.
- Unified Access Gateway: provides a dedicated secure access layer for external and remote users.
- Established enterprise track record: long-standing use across large-scale enterprise VDI deployments.
Key Architectural Components
- Connection Server: brokers user connections to available virtual desktops or applications.
- Unified Access Gateway: provides secure remote access without requiring a full VPN.
- Horizon Agent: installed on each virtual desktop to enable session delivery and management.
- Instant clones: lightweight, rapidly provisioned desktop images created from a master image.
- Blast Extreme: the protocol handling encrypted transmission of display, audio, and input data.
Business Use Cases
An enterprise already standardized on VMware virtualization infrastructure often extends that investment to Horizon for VDI, keeping desktop and server virtualization on a common platform. An organization with a large-scale desktop refresh cycle relies on instant clones to rapidly provision and update desktop images with minimal manual rebuild effort. A company with a substantial remote workforce uses Unified Access Gateway to provide secure external access without a traditional VPN.
Industries That Rely on VMware Horizon
- Enterprises with existing VMware infrastructure: extend familiar virtualization tooling to desktop delivery.
- Healthcare: depends on consistent, secure access to clinical applications across facilities.
- Government and public sector: values established enterprise deployment history for security-sensitive environments.
- Manufacturing: relies on broad application compatibility for engineering and operational software.
Deployment Process
Virajo AutoSoft evaluates your existing virtualization infrastructure and application requirements before designing a Horizon pod architecture, provisioning instant clone pools, and configuring Unified Access Gateway for secure external access. A pilot deployment validates image builds and protocol performance before full rollout, with managed services support continuing afterward.
Security Considerations
VMware Horizon supports multi-factor authentication, granular entitlement policies controlling which users can access specific desktop pools, and secure external access through Unified Access Gateway rather than exposing desktops directly to the internet. Virajo AutoSoft configures these controls as standard for every Horizon deployment we manage.
VMware Horizon Scale Comparison
| Deployment Scale | Typical Architecture | Key Consideration |
| Small (under 100 users) | Single pod, simplified pool structure | Cost efficiency and simplicity |
| Mid-size (100-1000 users) | Multiple instant clone pools by department | Balancing image management with performance |
| Enterprise (1000+ users) | Multi-pod, multi-site architecture | High availability and centralized governance |
Frequently Asked Questions
1. What is VMware Horizon?
It is a virtual desktop and application delivery platform built around Connection Servers, instant clones, and the Blast Extreme protocol.
2. Is VMware Horizon the same as Omnissa Horizon?
Following the spin-off of VMware’s End User Computing business, the Horizon platform is now developed and supported under Omnissa.
3. What protocol does Horizon use?
Blast Extreme is the primary protocol used for session delivery.
4. Can Horizon run in the cloud?
Yes, it can be deployed on-premises, in VMware Cloud, or on supported public cloud infrastructure.
5. What are instant clones?
They are lightweight virtual desktops rapidly provisioned from a master image, used to simplify large-scale desktop management.
6. Does Horizon support secure remote access?
Yes, through Unified Access Gateway, which provides secure external access without a traditional VPN.
7. How does Virajo AutoSoft support Horizon deployments?
We handle architecture design, deployment, security configuration, and ongoing managed support.
8. Can we migrate from Horizon to another VDI platform, or vice versa?
Yes, we assess your current environment and plan migrations between VDI platforms where appropriate.
Deploy Enterprise VMware Horizon VDI
Virajo AutoSoft architects and manages VMware Horizon environments built for performance, security, and centralized governance.
Related Resources
Get in Touch
Ask our engineers how VMware Horizon would be architected for your organization.
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