by Ben Goodman, Lead Evangelist, End-User Computing
Why do users adopt software as a service applications? Why do they prefer apps from a mobile appstore? Why do they put corporate data in a cloud based file syncing and sharing store with questionable security?
There is never just one answer to questions like this, but most answers would include words like “convenience” “productivity” and “collaboration.” Meanwhile, if you were to ask IT what these solutions mean to them, you would hear phrases like “Data Breach” “Intellectual Property loss” and “Compliance violation”. Too often it seems that the flexibility that end-users desire is diametrically opposed to the security and governance that corporate IT requires. They seem to go together like cats and dogs. Is it possible that these forces can be balanced to make end-users happy and empowered while IT protects corporate assets?
Today we shipped Horizon Workspace that aims to do exactly that, end the constant struggle between security and usability. Horizon Workspace gives users a singular interface where they can access the apps they need, securely delivered to them on the devices they want to use. Horizon Workspace gives them single sign-on to those apps, so users no longer have the frustration of forgotten and complex passwords and IT doesn’t have the support cost associated with forgotten passwords or the security risk of insecure password management. This same interface provides them access to their data securely over the web, synchronized to their laptop or PC and stored on their mobile device in an encrypted and managed store. From the Workspace, users can easily access their virtual desktops, with single sign-on and a secure connection. This allows them access to their work, while their applications and data never leave the datacenter.
Horizon Workspace’s interface is available from a browser. It includes agents for Windows and Mac and apps for Android and iOS that bring the full power of the workspace to any mobile device.
Now that Horizon Workspace is shipping, end users will get the tools they need from any location on any device They get a great experience, using one interface to access what they need while providing them single-sign on. Meanwhile IT can feel confident that corporate data and applications are secured.
With Horizon Workspace security and usability can live together in harmony, we are still working on that whole cats and dogs thing.
It has taken a tremendous amount of work by an incredibly dedicated team to deliver VMware Horizon Workspace. Bringing together once independent products and developing a platform that could setup VMWare, our partners and our customers for years of growth is no easy task. So thank you and congratulations to our amazing research and development team… Now get to work on the next version.
