Preface

VMware Horizon View is the platform to deliver centralized, virtual desktop machines hosted on a server running a hypervisor, and located in a data center. The end user then connects remotely to their virtual desktop machine from their endpoint device such as a Windows laptop, Apple Mac, or tablet device.

This technology was first introduced by VMware in 2002, and has developed and matured to become the mainstream technology that we know today as Virtual Desktop Infrastructure (VDI).

VDI provides users the freedom to work in a way that suits them, by freeing them from the restrictions of not having to be in the office, but also allowing them the choice of device they use making them more productive, and ultimately your business more agile.

From an IT administrator's perspective, it allows you to centrally manage your desktop environment, from being able to manage desktop images, to the ease of adding and removing user entitlements, all controlled from a single management console.

VMware Horizon 7 and Horizon View version 7.0.2 is VMware's latest virtual desktop solution, designed to centralize and virtualize your desktop environment using the market leading virtualization features and technology within VMware's Software Defined Data Center (SDDC) portfolio.

Horizon View 7 builds upon this technology platform, and today goes far beyond just VDI in delivering a rich user experience, enabling BYOD, flexible working, enhanced security, application delivery, and end-to-end management.

Delivering an end user experience requires a different approach from other infrastructure-based initiatives, and getting this right is the key for a project to have a successful outcome, and this book will show you how to succeed.