Amazon Workspaces vs Horizon 8

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Our analysts compared Amazon Workspaces vs Horizon 8 based on data from our 400+ point analysis of DaaS Providers, user reviews and our own crowdsourced data from our free software selection platform.

Amazon Workspaces Software Tool
Horizon 8 Software Tool

Product Basics

Amazon Workspaces is a robust Virtual Desktop Infrastructure (VDI) solution that enables users to provision cloud-based desktops. This service is particularly advantageous for businesses requiring scalable, secure, and cost-effective desktop management. It is well-suited for industries such as finance, healthcare, and education, where data security and remote accessibility are paramount.

One of the standout benefits of Amazon Workspaces is its ability to provide a consistent and reliable user experience across various devices, including Windows, Mac, and mobile platforms. Key features include persistent storage, seamless integration with existing IT infrastructure, and comprehensive security measures. Users appreciate the flexibility of pay-as-you-go pricing, which can be tailored to specific needs, though exact costs vary and should be confirmed through a personalized quote.

Compared to similar products, Amazon Workspaces is often praised for its ease of deployment and management, making it a preferred choice for organizations looking to streamline their VDI solutions.

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Horizon 8 is a sophisticated software solution designed to manage Virtual Desktop Infrastructure (VDI) and application virtualization. It enables organizations to deliver, protect, and manage desktops and applications across various devices and locations. This software is particularly well-suited for industries such as healthcare, finance, education, and government, where secure and efficient remote access to applications and data is critical.

One of the standout benefits of Horizon 8 is its ability to streamline IT management by centralizing desktop and application delivery. This results in reduced operational costs and enhanced security. Key features include advanced monitoring and analytics, robust security protocols, and seamless integration with cloud services. Users appreciate its intuitive interface and the flexibility it offers in scaling resources according to demand.

Compared to similar products, Horizon 8 is often praised for its reliability and comprehensive feature set. Pricing details can vary based on deployment size and specific requirements, so it's advisable to contact SelectHub for a tailored quote.

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Product Insights

  • Cost Efficiency: Pay only for what you use with hourly or monthly billing options, reducing unnecessary expenses on idle resources.
  • Scalability: Easily scale up or down based on your organization’s needs without the hassle of physical hardware upgrades.
  • Security: Benefit from AWS’s robust security measures, including data encryption, multi-factor authentication, and compliance with various industry standards.
  • Accessibility: Access your virtual desktop from anywhere with an internet connection, enabling remote work and improving productivity.
  • Maintenance-Free: Offload the burden of managing and maintaining physical hardware, allowing your IT team to focus on more strategic tasks.
  • Customizability: Tailor your virtual desktops to meet specific user requirements, ensuring optimal performance for different workloads.
  • Disaster Recovery: Leverage built-in backup and recovery solutions to ensure business continuity in case of unexpected disruptions.
  • Integration: Seamlessly integrate with other AWS services and third-party applications, enhancing your overall IT ecosystem.
  • Performance: Experience high-performance computing with SSD storage and powerful virtual machines, ensuring smooth operation of demanding applications.
  • Compliance: Meet regulatory requirements with ease, thanks to AWS’s adherence to various compliance frameworks like HIPAA, GDPR, and SOC 2.
  • Global Reach: Deploy virtual desktops in multiple AWS regions worldwide, providing low-latency access for users across different geographies.
  • Environmentally Friendly: Reduce your carbon footprint by minimizing the need for physical hardware and leveraging AWS’s energy-efficient data centers.
  • Rapid Deployment: Quickly provision virtual desktops within minutes, accelerating project timelines and reducing downtime.
  • Consistent User Experience: Ensure a uniform and reliable user experience across different devices and locations, enhancing employee satisfaction.
  • Support and Resources: Access comprehensive support and a wealth of resources from AWS, including documentation, forums, and customer service.
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  • Enhanced Security: Horizon 8 offers robust security features, including multi-factor authentication and encryption, ensuring sensitive data remains protected.
  • Improved User Experience: With high-definition video and audio capabilities, users experience seamless interactions, even in remote environments.
  • Scalability: Easily scale your virtual desktop infrastructure to meet growing business demands without significant hardware investments.
  • Cost Efficiency: Reduce operational costs by centralizing desktop management and minimizing the need for physical hardware.
  • Centralized Management: Simplify IT operations with a single platform to manage and deploy virtual desktops and applications.
  • Business Continuity: Ensure uninterrupted access to critical applications and data during unexpected disruptions, supporting remote work and disaster recovery plans.
  • Flexibility: Support a diverse range of devices and operating systems, allowing employees to work from anywhere using their preferred tools.
  • Enhanced Collaboration: Facilitate better teamwork with integrated communication tools and shared virtual environments.
  • Compliance: Maintain regulatory compliance with built-in auditing and reporting features that track user activity and data access.
  • Performance Optimization: Utilize advanced resource allocation and load balancing to ensure optimal performance for all users.
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  • Persistent Storage: Each Amazon Workspace provides persistent storage, ensuring that user data and settings are retained between sessions.
  • Scalability: Easily scale up or down based on your organization's needs, accommodating fluctuating workloads without the need for physical hardware adjustments.
  • Multi-Device Access: Access your virtual desktop from various devices, including Windows, Mac, iPad, Kindle Fire, and Android tablets, ensuring flexibility and mobility.
  • Security Features: Benefit from robust security measures such as encryption of data at rest and in transit, multi-factor authentication, and integration with AWS Key Management Service (KMS).
  • Directory Integration: Seamlessly integrate with existing Active Directory environments, allowing for streamlined user management and authentication.
  • Customizable Hardware Options: Choose from a range of hardware configurations to match the performance needs of different user profiles, from basic office tasks to high-performance computing.
  • Application Management: Deploy and manage applications using Amazon Workspaces Application Manager (WAM), simplifying software distribution and updates.
  • Cost Management: Utilize pay-as-you-go pricing models and monthly subscription options, providing financial flexibility and control over IT budgets.
  • Automated Backups: Automated daily backups ensure data integrity and facilitate quick recovery in case of data loss or corruption.
  • Global Reach: Deploy Workspaces in multiple AWS regions worldwide, ensuring low-latency access for users across different geographical locations.
  • Compliance Certifications: Amazon Workspaces complies with various industry standards and certifications, including HIPAA, GDPR, and PCI DSS, supporting regulatory requirements.
  • Performance Monitoring: Utilize Amazon CloudWatch to monitor the performance and health of your Workspaces, enabling proactive management and troubleshooting.
  • Image Management: Create and manage custom images to standardize desktop environments and streamline the provisioning process.
  • Session Management: Administrators can manage user sessions, including the ability to disconnect or reboot Workspaces remotely, ensuring operational control.
  • API Integration: Leverage AWS SDKs and APIs to automate and integrate Workspaces with other AWS services and third-party applications, enhancing operational workflows.
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  • Blast Extreme Protocol: Delivers high-performance remote desktop and application experiences, optimized for multimedia and 3D graphics.
  • Instant Clones: Rapidly deploys virtual desktops by cloning a running virtual machine, significantly reducing provisioning time.
  • Unified Workspace: Provides a single portal for accessing virtual desktops, applications, and online services, enhancing user convenience.
  • Smart Policies: Dynamically adjusts user policies based on conditions such as location, device, and network status, ensuring security and compliance.
  • App Volumes: Delivers applications in real-time to virtual desktops, reducing storage costs and simplifying application management.
  • Dynamic Environment Manager: Personalizes user settings and enforces IT policies across virtual, physical, and cloud environments.
  • Cloud Pod Architecture: Enables global entitlements and management across multiple Horizon instances, supporting large-scale deployments.
  • vSphere Integration: Leverages VMware vSphere for robust virtualization, providing high availability and resource optimization.
  • Hybrid Cloud Support: Seamlessly extends virtual desktops and applications to public clouds, offering flexibility and scalability.
  • Monitoring and Analytics: Utilizes VMware vRealize Operations for Horizon to provide deep insights into performance and usage metrics.
  • Zero Trust Security: Implements multi-layered security measures, including encryption, multi-factor authentication, and micro-segmentation.
  • Remote Experience: Enhances user experience with features like USB redirection, printer redirection, and support for multiple monitors.
  • Automated Patching: Simplifies maintenance by automating the patching process for virtual desktops and applications.
  • RESTful APIs: Offers extensive APIs for integration with third-party tools and custom automation workflows.
  • Support for Multiple OS: Provides compatibility with various operating systems, including Windows, Linux, and macOS.
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Product Ranking

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User Sentiment Summary

Great User Sentiment 19 reviews
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84%
of users recommend this product

Amazon Workspaces has a 'great' User Satisfaction Rating of 84% when considering 19 user reviews from 1 recognized software review sites.

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4.21 (19)
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Synopsis of User Ratings and Reviews

Simple Setup: Getting started with Amazon Workspaces is generally considered straightforward, which can be a huge plus for businesses wanting to get their virtual desktops up and running quickly.
Scales Easily: Seamless integration with AWS makes it easy for businesses to adjust their resources as their needs change, eliminating the need to overprovision or scramble for more resources during periods of growth.
Strong Security: Businesses with stringent security requirements appreciate the robust security features of Amazon Workspaces, such as multi-factor authentication and secure data storage, which help protect sensitive information.
Work From Anywhere: The ability for employees to access their virtual desktops from virtually any location and device is a major advantage for businesses embracing remote work models, fostering flexibility and productivity.
Cost-Effective Model: The pay-as-you-go pricing structure is particularly appealing to businesses that need to be mindful of their IT budget, as they only pay for the resources they use.
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Simple Management: Horizon 8 enables centralized control over virtual desktops and applications, simplifying IT administration.
Strong Security: The platform incorporates robust security features like multi-factor authentication and encryption to protect sensitive data.
Fast Performance: Horizon 8 delivers a responsive user experience akin to using a physical workstation, even for demanding applications.
Effortless Scalability: Businesses can easily adjust their VDI deployments up or down based on their evolving needs, ensuring optimal resource utilization.
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Administrative Headaches: IT departments responsible for large-scale deployments may find the management tools limiting, potentially leading to increased administrative overhead.
Performance Bottlenecks: While generally reliable, users have reported inconsistent performance, particularly when dealing with demanding applications or heavy workloads, which could disrupt productivity.
Pricing Complexity: The platform's flexible pricing, while offering options, can be difficult to navigate due to the various configurations and potential hidden costs, making it challenging to accurately predict expenses.
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Copy/Paste Issues: Users have reported occasional difficulties with copy/paste functionality between their local machines and virtual desktops.
Connection Stability: A weak or unreliable internet connection can disrupt the VDI connection, leading to dropped sessions and potential data loss.
Complex Setup: While Horizon 8 is known for its robust features, configuring and deploying the software, particularly on-site, can be challenging and time-consuming, especially for larger organizations with complex network security requirements.
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Is your work life feeling a bit cramped? Maybe it's time to explore Amazon Workspaces. This cloud-based solution for managing virtual desktops has garnered a mix of praise and criticism from users over the past year. On the upside, many appreciate its user-friendly interface and straightforward setup process, making it easy to deploy even for teams without deep technical expertise. The platform's seamless integration with other AWS services is another major plus, allowing for impressive scalability and flexibility in configuring operating systems and applications. Users also highlight the robust security features, such as multi-factor authentication, as a key advantage. However, some users report occasional latency and performance hiccups, particularly when using demanding applications, which can be a deal-breaker for certain workflows. Another common gripe is the complexity of the pricing structure, which can be difficult to navigate given the numerous options and configurations. Compared to similar products, Amazon Workspaces stands out for its strong integration with the AWS ecosystem, making it a natural choice for businesses already invested in AWS. This tight integration simplifies management and streamlines billing. However, the platform's lack of advanced management tools for large-scale deployments is a notable weakness compared to some competitors. This limitation might make it less suitable for enterprises with complex IT environments. Overall, Amazon Workspaces is best suited for small to medium-sized businesses seeking a user-friendly and scalable VDI solution, especially those already leveraging AWS services. Its ease of use, security features, and integration with AWS make it a compelling option for organizations looking to enable remote work or provide access to a standardized desktop environment. However, larger enterprises or those with mission-critical applications requiring consistently high performance might need to consider alternative solutions or carefully evaluate the platform's suitability for their specific needs.

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Is the grass always greener on the other side of the Horizon 8 fence? User reviews from the past year suggest that VMware Horizon 8 is a robust solution for organizations seeking to implement Virtual Desktop Infrastructure (VDI) solutions. Users praise its performance, security features, and user-friendliness, particularly highlighting its ease of deployment and management. Its ability to provide secure remote access without the need for VPNs is a major plus, as is its cost-effectiveness compared to competitors like Citrix DaaS. However, some users have reported occasional issues with specific features, such as copy/paste functionality and connection drops in areas with poor internet connectivity. One of Horizon 8's differentiating factors is its flexibility, as it can be deployed on-premises, in the cloud, or in hybrid environments. This adaptability makes it an attractive option for organizations of all sizes and with varying IT infrastructures. Another key strength is its comprehensive feature set, which includes application virtualization, profile management, and advanced security controls. These features enable organizations to create a centralized and secure digital workspace that can be accessed from anywhere, anytime. While the initial setup might require some technical expertise, users generally find the platform intuitive and easy to use once configured. Overall, VMware Horizon 8 is best suited for organizations looking for a comprehensive, secure, and scalable VDI solution. Its robust features, ease of management, and flexible deployment options make it a compelling choice for businesses seeking to empower their workforce with reliable and efficient access to their digital workspaces, regardless of location.

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