More choice and less complexity: Modernizing desktop delivery with Horizon Cloud on OpenStack

Rising virtualization costs, changing licensing models, and growing operational complexity are pushing IT teams to look for more flexible ways to deliver virtual desktops and applications without sacrificing performance, control, or scalability.

Today, Omnissa is expanding desktop and app delivery options with Horizon Cloud on OpenStack, a new hybrid Desktop as a Service (DaaS) solution that enables customers to deploy and manage Horizon desktops and applications on OpenStack-based infrastructure in their own data centers while leveraging the simplicity of the Horizon Cloud control plane.

Available in limited availability with the recent Horizon Cloud 2605 release, Horizon Cloud on OpenStack gives customers more choice in where and how they run virtual desktop and application workloads, something many competing virtual desktop and app platforms do not offer today.

Modernize desktop delivery without infrastructure lock-in

Organizations want flexibility. They want the ability to modernize desktop delivery while choosing the infrastructure strategy that best fits their business, operational, and financial goals.

Horizon Cloud on OpenStack helps customers:

• Adopt more cost-effective infrastructure strategies
• Simplify hybrid desktop operations
• Maintain on-premises control while benefiting from cloud-managed services

This flexibility is especially valuable for organizations exploring OpenStack as an alternative virtualization platform, as well as existing Horizon Cloud customers looking to reduce operational complexity without rearchitecting their entire virtual desktop environment.

Built for simplicity with a thin Edge architecture

Horizon Cloud on OpenStack uses a lightweight Edge architecture designed to reduce operational overhead and simplify lifecycle management. With fewer infrastructure components running in customer environments, organizations can:

• Eliminate the need for local broker infrastructure
• Simplify maintenance and upgrade cycles through centralized cloud-managed operations
• Scale efficiently across distributed and edge locations

The result is a simpler, more scalable operational model that combines the control of on-premises workload infrastructure with the agility of cloud-managed desktop services.

Deliver a unified hybrid workspace strategy

Many organizations are managing desktops across multiple silos; on-premises infrastructure, cloud environments, and different operational tools.

Horizon Cloud on OpenStack extends Horizon Cloud’s unified management approach across hybrid environments, enabling organizations to manage virtual desktops and applications through a single cloud control plane.

This provides:

• Centralized visibility and simplified operations across environments
• Consistent policy management and API-driven automation at scale
• A more consistent administrator experience across different workload infrastructures

For organizations balancing cloud adoption with on-premises requirements, this creates a more practical path to hybrid DaaS.

Designed for customers seeking more infrastructure flexibility

Horizon Cloud on OpenStack is ideal for:

• Existing Horizon customers evaluating alternative infrastructure strategies
• Organizations adopting OpenStack-based private cloud platforms
• Service providers building multi-tenant desktop environments

Horizon Cloud on OpenStack supports both open source and vendor managed OpenStack derived platforms, giving customers flexibility and choice in how they deploy and operate their private cloud environments.

Available capabilities in our May 2026 limited release:

The release includes:

• OpenStack support as a Horizon Cloud capacity provider
• Automated deployment of Unified Access Gateway virtual machines
• Full lifecycle management for Windows single-session and multi-session pools
• Horizon Edge deployment and upgrade management through the Horizon Cloud control plane for supported SaaS-hosted OpenStack platforms

Expanding choice for the future of hybrid DaaS

As organizations rethink infrastructure strategy, Horizon Cloud on OpenStack delivers a more flexible path forward, combining cloud-managed simplicity with the control and proximity of on-premises infrastructure.

With support for OpenStack based environments, Omnissa is giving customers greater freedom in how you modernize desktop delivery while reducing operational complexity and maintaining infrastructure choice.

Ready to explore this flexible approach to hybrid DaaS?

Contact your Omnissa representative to learn how Horizon Cloud on OpenStack can help modernize your desktop delivery while expanding infrastructure choice and simplifying operations.