VMware Launches Horizon App Manager
VMware Launches Horizon App Manager
VMware advances End-User Computing strategy with first release of its
user-centric management service for accessing cloud applications.
PALO ALTO, Calif. - May 17, 2011 -VMware, Inc. (NYSE: VMW), the global
leader in virtualization and cloud infrastructure, today announced
VMware Horizon App Manager™
(http://www.vmware.com/go/horizonappmanager), a user-centric
management service for accessing cloud applications.
VMware Horizon App Manager represents the first component of the
company’s “Project Horizon” vision first previewed at VMworld
2010. Future releases of VMware Horizon will broker user access to a
variety of application types, virtual Windows desktops and data
resources, while delivering the security and control required by
businesses. The result will be a simple, seamless user experience when
accessing work resources across the private and public cloud on whatever
device the user chooses.
“The mobile and cloud era dictates anywhere, any device access to
applications within and outside the firewall, and introduces fundamental
new challenges to the traditional enterprise security and management
model,” said Brian Byun, Vice President and General Manager, Cloud
Applications, VMware. “VMware Horizon App Manager addresses these
challenges by re-inventing end-user identity and application management
as a cloud service, and providing an easier way for IT and users to
embrace a new way to work.”
VMware Horizon App Manager™:
At its core, VMware Horizon App Manager™ includes an identity as a
service hub that securely extends a user’s existing identity in
systems such as Microsoft Active Directory or other directory options,
into third-party public cloud applications like Box.net
(http://box.net/), BroadVision (http://www.broadvision.com),
Google (http://www.google.com/), Salesforce.com
(http://www.salesforce.com/), WebEx (http://www.webex.com/), Workday
(http://www.workday.com/) and others. This dramatically simplifies the
management of multiple access credentials, a necessity brought about by
the growing number of cloud applications now found in a typical
enterprise. Simplification benefits both IT and users by collapsing
separate identity silos into a single enterprise identity that can
secure user access across private and public clouds. In addition, the
VMware Horizon App Manager provides an open, user-centric platform for
accessing cloud applications within a single application portal that is
accessible from a wide range of end-user devices.
As a result:
· Users gain the freedom of easy, single sign-on (SSO) access to their
cloud applications through a “storefront like” application portal.
The Horizon portal provides a consistent user interface from which users
can access their work and personal applications across a broad range of
devices. In addition, the user portal provides for the self-provisioning
of applications.
· VMware Horizon App Manager™ provides a simple way for IT
administrators to control entitlement and access to almost any cloud
application through a centralized application catalogue. User access is
controlled by IT via strong policy management that delivers real-time
application usage data for greater operational visibility and license
management.
· VMware Horizon App Manager™ extends and federates existing on-premise
identity infrastructure, and unlike other federation solutions does not
require an enterprise or public organization to make additional capital
investments in complex and expensive hardware.
Future releases of VMware Horizon™ will marry the management of
existing Windows applications via application virtualization and
publishing technologies from Citrix, Microsoft and VMware, alongside the
management of cloud-based applications.
Additional VMware Horizon App Manager™ features include:
· Multi-Platform/Multi-Device Support - VMware Horizon App
Manager™
supports a wide range of mobile devices and computing platforms by
providing users access to their applications via almost all major
Internet browsers, including Internet Explorer 7 +, Firefox 3.5 + and
Safari 5.
· Enterprise Directory Federation/Cloud Identity Hub - VMware Horizon
App Manager™ Enterprise Connector is a lightweight, on-premise directory
synchronization and secure authentication tool that extends Microsoft AD
and other identity directories into the Horizon Cloud Identity Hub.
Included in VMware Horizon App Manager, the Cloud Identity Hub manages
access to an organization’s third-party cloud application services
without requiring additional federation software and network gateways.
In addition to reducing the total cost associated with managing separate
identity silos and eliminating the complexity of having password
credentials for each application, the Enterprise Connector allows
organizations to keep AD passwords secure behind corporate firewalls.
· Standards Based Secure Authentication - VMware Horizon App Manager™
employs standards based authentication via Security Assertion Markup
Language (SAML) and Open Authentication (Oauth), and offers multi-factor
authentication, including options from RSA. For non-federated
authentication (for legacy web applications), Horizon App Manager
provides split-key identity storage in VMware Horizon’s secure
identity vault.
· Application Provisioning - VMware Horizon App Manager™ enables IT
administrators to entitle and automatically provision accounts for a
growing number of cloud-based applications that have provisioning-ready
APIs — including Box.net, Google, Salesforce.com, SlideRocket, VMware
Zimbra, WebEx and others.
· Roles-Based Access and Reporting - Administrators can quickly enable
access to applications by user, group, and/or role, and can identify
which entities within the enterprise have control of various
applications. VMware Horizon App Manager™ simplifies security associated
with application access-while strong policy management delivers robust
user activity reporting.
A New Way to Work in the Cloud:
More than ever, enterprises are dealing with two fundamental client
computing pain points — providing secure access to an increasingly
mobile workforce; and managing the burgeoning diversity of data,
applications and devices needed to run their business. These challenges
result from the transformative nature of cloud computing and the post-PC
era.
In this environment, a new way to work is required. The growing VMware
End-User Computing portfolio seeks to free end users and IT
organizations from more than two decades of complex, device-centric
computing and deliver a more user-centric, consumer cloud experience for
the enterprise. This approach to personal computing enables
organizations to leverage public cloud resources while extending
existing security models and providing access to applications and data
from any device, where and when a user needs it.
Establishing a new end-user computing model is a fundamental component
of the VMware vision for IT as a Service — the transformation of IT to
a more business-centric approach, focusing on outcomes such as
operational efficiency, self service, competitiveness and rapid
response. This means IT shifts from producing IT services to optimizing
production and consumption of those services in ways consistent with
business requirements. This changes the role of IT from a cost centre to
a centre of strategic value. (Please see:
http://www.vmware.com/solutions/cloud-computing/?src=WWW_VMware_HPHero2YourCloud_US#utm_source=WWW_VMware_HPHero2YourCloud_US&utm_medium=src&utm_campaign=src-tagged-url)
Pricing and Availability
Available today to select early access customers in North America and
Asia Pacific Region, and via trials in other regions, VMware Horizon App
Manager™ is US$30 per user/per year. For additional details on VMware
Horizon App Manager or to learn more about the VMware Horizon ISV
program
go to www.vmware.com/go/horizonappmanager.
Additional Resources:
- Read customer and industry comments on the launch of VMware Horizon
App Manager: http://www.vmware.com/go/horizonquotes
- Read more from Noah Wasmer, Director, Advanced Development, VMware,
about VMware Horizon App Manager on the updated VMware End-User
Computing blog:
http://blogs.vmware.com/euc/2011/05/a-new-view-of-the-horizon.html
- Read more about Box.net’s perspective on VMware Horizon App
Manager:
http://blog.box.net/2011/05/17/vmware-horizon-app-manager-and-managing-cloud-applications-at-scale
- Read more about BroadVision’s perspective on VMware Horizon App
Manager: http://www.broadvision.com/blog/2011/05/vmware-2/
- Watch a video about VMware Horizon App Manager with Noah Wasmer,
Director, Advanced Development, VMware:
- Watch a video of Box.net CEO and Co-founder Aaron Levie and Noah
Wasmer, Director, Advanced Development, VMware discussing VMware Horizon
App Manager:
- See screen shots of VMware Horizon App Manager:
http://flickr.com/gp/vmwarepr/kg87ze/
- Facebook:
http://www.facebook.com/pages/VMware-Horizon/115185821894332
- Twitter: @VMwareHorizon (hashtag #vmwhorizon)
About VMware
VMware delivers solutions for business infrastructure virtualization
that enable IT organizations to energize businesses of all sizes. With
the industry leading virtualization platform — VMware vSphere™ —
customers rely on VMware to reduce capital and operating expenses,
improve agility, ensure business continuity, strengthen security and go
green. With 2009 revenues of US$2 billion, more than 170,000 customers
and 25,000 partners, VMware is the leader in virtualization which
consistently ranks as a top priority among CIOs. VMware is headquartered
in Silicon Valley with offices throughout the world and can be found
online at www.vmware.com. VMware Canada is headquartered in Burlington,
Ontario, and can be found online at www.vmware.ca.
Forward-Looking Statements
This press release contains forward-looking statements including, among
other things, statements regarding the expected benefits of VMware
Horizon for users, features that are expected to be available in future
releases of VMware Horizon, expectations for the evolution of IT,
VMware’s vision for a modern end-user computing model and for IT as a
service, and their future value for users These forward-looking
statements are subject to the safe harbor provisions created by the
Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Actual results could
differ materially from those projected in the forward-looking statements
as a result of certain risk factors, including but not limited to: (i)
adverse changes in general economic or market conditions; (ii) delays or
reductions in consumer or information technology spending; (iii)
competitive factors, including but not limited to pricing pressures,
industry consolidation, entry of new competitors into the virtualization
market, and new product and marketing initiatives by our competitors;
(iv) our customers’ ability to develop, and to transition to, new
products and computing strategies such as cloud computing and desktop
virtualization; (v) the uncertainty of customer acceptance of emerging
technology; (vi) rapid technological and market changes in
virtualization software and platforms for cloud and desktop computing;
(vii) changes to product development timelines; (viii) VMware’s
ability to protect its proprietary technology; and (ix) VMware’s
ability to attract and retain highly qualified employees.. These forward
looking statements are based on current expectations and are subject to
uncertainties and changes in condition, significance, value and effect
as well as other risks detailed in documents filed with the Securities
and Exchange Commission, including our most recent reports on Form 10-K
and Form 10-Q and current reports on Form 8-K that we may file from time
to time, which co
uld cause actual results to vary from expectations.
VMware assumes no obligation to, and does not currently intend to,
update any such forward-looking statements after the date of this
release.
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VMware, VMware Horizon, VMware Horizon App Manager, and VMware vSphere
are registered trademarks and/or trademarks of VMware, Inc. in the
United States and/or other jurisdictions. All other marks and names
mentioned herein may be trademarks of their respective companies.
For more information please contact:
Cindy Watson
StrategicAmpersand Inc.
cindy@stratamp.com
(416) 961-5595 ext. 433