VMware Horizon Cloud Is Now Allowed on Microsoft Azure Cloud

VMware has got the go-ahead from Microsoft to deliver virtualised Windows desktops and app from Microsoft’s Azure cloud infrastructure.

VMware Horizon Cloud on Microsoft Azure has been designed to expand upon the amount of cloud platforms and infrastructure options VMware’s customers can run their virtual desktops and apps upon, colloquially known as desktop-as-a-service (DaaS).

Windows 10 as a service

“The addition of VMware Horizon Cloud on Microsoft Azure puts VMware in a unique position to offer customers several infrastructure options for virtual desktops and applications with the flexibility to move between different platforms,” said Sumit Dhawan, senior vice president and general manager of End-User Computing at VMware.

It is worth noting that Citrix is also allowed to offer its virtualisation services on Microsoft Azure, so how unique the “unique position” Dhawan claims VMware to be in is arguably open to debate. However, VMware aims to offer a a single control area for virualised desktops and apps across an enterprise regardless on where they are deployed, so it may have a few features to help it stand apart from Citrix’s services.

Interestingly, Microsoft has historically been rather against the virtualisation of its desktops, preferring companies to have Windows installed directly onto individual machines or adhere to strict policies and hardware specifications.

But Microsoft is more relaxed about virtual desktops these days, and is likely encouraging the likes of VMware and Citrix to its Asure cloud in order to boost the number of end-users and enterprises using services that require the support of Redmond’s significant cloud infrastructure footprint, all of which helps add money to Microsoft’s cloud revenue.

For end-user enterprises the bottom means more flexibility in how they go about realising digital transformation strategies and moving various systems and setup out of traditional desktop and on-premise environments into more cloud-based infrastructure with the idea to consume business technology with an as-a-service mentality.

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