VMWare & Chromebook announcement, does this mean a client for Chromebook?

[HendersonD]

Yesterday VMWare and Google had a joint announcement about allowing a Chromebook to access a View desktop. As you know, this can already be done using HTML5 and the Blast Protocol. My understanding is the Blast Protocol still has several limitations when compared to PCoIP and is closer to performance with RDP. I have been searching the Internet and cannot find out whether the announcement means that a true View client for the Chromebook (using PCoIP) will be released. Will it? If not, for the people who have used the Blast protocol, how well does it work?

[amitava235]

I am utterly confused about Chromebook and VMware. I tried using Horizon View but configuring the Chromebook access is something that went over my head. I got a more viable option in terms of Desktone service. Desktone (Cloud desktop) appears to be to be a more finished product. it works very well with Windows desktop. However, for Chromebook, the instructions to enable HTML5 access is not clear. it seems that we need to use Ericom.com service for that?

If experts publish a white paper on that it will be very helpful for half knowledged people like me.

Regards

[HendersonD]

We are running View 5.2 and it has the ability to hit a View desktop through an HTML5 web browser. Supposedly View 5.3 makes this an even better experience. We tested this using Google Chrome and if I remember correctly it was just a matter of going to a particular URL, logging in, and connecting to the desktop. Wouldn't this be the same on the Chromebook, no configuration necessary?

[Pat_Lee]

The announcement with Google was talking about how ChromeBook users who need access to Windows desktops and applications can use Horizon View to get access to that today. This is based on View 5.3 that includes our latest HTML Access feature that is 80% faster than the initial release, adds sound for Chrome browser users, supports copy/paste, and far better interactive performance dragging windows and the like.

To access a View desktop on a ChromeBook, the View administrator needs to install and configure HTML Access on the View administrator console. Then the admin just needs to tell the users the URL for the broker and users enter that into Chrome to access their Windows desktop.

No configuration for the user is necessary.

Hope that helps.

Pat

[HendersonD]

So what was the significance of the announcement besides getting the word out that Chromebooks can access View desktops? This has been available since View 5.2 and as you point out much better in View 5.3.

How does the performance of browser access compare with using the client with PCoIP?

Does USB pass through work?

It would be nice if a View client for ChromeOS was in development unless VMWare is moving towards eliminating the client and moving everyone to web based access

[Pat_Lee]

ChromeOS has a very different security model and API model than a traditional OS like Windows or Linux, so many features we do on those clients aren't achievable today like broad USB redirection for example. Those features will require additional ChromeOS APIs to enable in the future.

We spent a great deal of time looking at what was the right delivery vehicle for Chrome today and HTML Access provides a great user experience and the performance with HTML Access in View 5.3 is great. A remarkable improvement over View 5.3 HTML Access.

We will continue to make our web access solution a good solution for basic access to VDI today and as APIs improve, there are opportunities to look at new and interesting features for Chrome and web browsers.

[amitava235]

@pat lee

I could not understand a number of things here:

1. Accessing legacy application through Chromebook is not new, even Chrome browser is having an exclusive apps (Chrome Remore Access) which serves the same purpose

2. There are other applications and Blaze protocol as well to do the job. Why, there is such a special announcement and attention on this? Do you think its faster than Blaze protocol?

3. If it comes to getting the access from a Windows 7/ Windows 8 PC (NOT Windows 2008 server), does Horizon View server work?

4. So far as the other VMware product is concerned, virtual cloud destop (Desktone/ Daas-Desktop as a service), I tried using that in trial mode. It doesn't have HTML5 client access. So, you cannot access that from Chrome Bowser

I will be happy to know if I get clear answers on the above points

Regards

[Pat_Lee]

The announcement was talking about enabling Enterprise users who are looking to VDI and centralized apps as a secure, seamless way to deliver necessary Windows apps to their users.  The announcement show our joint commitment to enabling those enterprise users who need secure Windows app access to work well with secure managed endpoints from Google.

This is not about providing end user access from an individual desktop machine to a browser, but for users looking to provide centralized, secure desktops and apps in the datacenter for scalability and more security.

Today the Desktone trial does not support HTML Access, but service providers providing DaaS solutions have the option of deploying HTML Access to their users today.

[amitava235]

Can you please indicate which service provider gives a complete package of DaaS with HTML5 client access? I tried searching that but could not locate a commercial package