As economies reopen and enable enhanced office experiences, VMware has announced the latest version of its virtual desktop infrastructure (VDI) platform.

According to the company, VMware Horizon 8 is designed to help IT teams more efficiently manage and easily scale virtual desktop and application delivery from a single control plane across public and private clouds.

Unlike legacy VDI products, VMware Horizon 8 is said to empower IT with Instant Clone technology. The technology provisions full-featured, personalized virtual desktops and applications, powered by proprietary integration with VMware vSphere technology, the company said.

The modern platform further simplifies and automates Day Two management of images, applications, profiles, and policies by leveraging VMware App Volumes and Dynamic Environment Manager technologies to save IT time and reduce costs.

New Workplace Solutions for the Future-Ready Workforce
VMware has also introduced a suite of new workplace solutions and new features in VMware Workspace ONE Intelligent Hub to help customers bring employees back to the office safely.

To support the needs of the modern workforce, VMware has announced two new privacy-centric mobile applications – VMware Workspace ONE Proximity and VMware Workspace ONE Campus.

With Workspace ONE Proximity, customers can help return employees to the office by utilizing Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) beacons. The idea is to give employees insight into potential exposure, notify colleagues of changing conditions, and help recount whereabouts and interactions within an office.

As organizations re-design their workplaces, Workspace ONE Campus is aimed at leveraging the same beacon infrastructure to support desk and meeting room booking, and wayfinding, further elevating the future workplace experience. Implementing these new workplace solutions will help organizations leverage the infrastructure they already have in place to support vital reopening tasks and future workplace initiatives.

VMware Workspace ONE Proximity is currently in beta and the company plans to share more information on VMware Workspace ONE Campus in the coming months.

VMware Horizon 8 should be available in VMware’s Fiscal Q3 FY21, ending on October 30, 2020.