VMware Horizon 8 version 2303 Updates

Enhanced end-user experience

​Check it out! Horizon 2303 is bringing some hot new features that are going to take the end-user experience to the next level. We're talking Teams improvements, Blast support for AV1 codec and Mac M1-RM, and user notifications to keep everyone in the loop. Get ready to be wowed!

Upgraded Graphics and Video Capabilities with AV1 Codec and New GPUs

​Hold onto your seats, folks, because Horizon just got a significant upgrade! With AV1 codec support, end-users are in for a treat as they'll enjoy faster rendering and better quality for high-end graphics and videos. VMware has teamed up with industry giants Intel and Nvidia to ensure that AV1 codec is compatible with their GPUs, delivering a top-notch virtual experience to end-users. Moreover, Horizon now supports Intel Data Center GPU Flex Series and Intel Arc GPUs, giving you more choices and flexibility without the burden of virtualization licensing costs. Want to know more about how VMware and Intel worked together to make this happen? Check it out now! 

Screen sharing and capture functionality for Microsoft Teams on Horizon 8

​Guess what? This latest release of Horizon comes packed with two fantastic screen share enhancements for Microsoft Teams! End-users can now share an individual app instead of their entire screen, giving them more control and privacy while sharing. And that's not all - end-users can also take a screenshot during a screen share and access it whenever needed. These exciting features are available with the Windows client and will significantly improve the virtual experience of Teams users. Say goodbye to screen-sharing woes and hello to a whole new level of collaboration!

Enhanced graphics capabilities now available for Mac clients on Horizon

​Hold on to your hats, Mac users! The Blast Codec now supports Mac M1-ARM, providing end-users a fantastic experience with general-purpose workloads like Microsoft Office applications and multimedia on mixed screens. Thanks to Blast Codec's resource-efficient backend and ability to deliver exceptional productivity application experiences, M1-based Macs are now on par with other native clients running Horizon. Say goodbye to lag and hello to a smooth, efficient virtual experience on your M1-based Macs!

Improved notifications for identifying and troubleshooting connectivity issues due to poor connections

​Heads up, Horizon users! Say goodbye to the frustration of not knowing why your virtual experience is lagging. With the latest update, Horizon will notify end-users if their internet connection is poor or unstable. This handy notification will help end-users identify and troubleshoot issues, understanding that performance issues are due to network connection problems, not the virtual experience itself. No more pulling your hair out, wondering what's wrong - Horizon has your back!

Enhancements for Improved Admin Efficiency and Troubleshooting in VMware Horizon

​Admins, rejoice! Horizon 8 2303 has some excellent new features that'll make your lives much easier. Say hello to new APIs for automation, log-in failure identification, and DEM search capabilities. And that's not all - Horizon 8 now integrates seamlessly with Horizon Cloud Service next-gen, giving you even more integration options. With these enhancements, you can manage your virtual environment with ease and efficiency, freeing up your time to focus on other essential tasks. Get ready to streamline admin duties and rock your role like a pro!

Enhanced Automation with RESTful APIs 

​Hey there, Horizon users! The latest update - Horizon 2303 - comes packed with new RESTful APIs that will make your lives a whole lot easier. These APIs will allow for better automation scripts, making it easier to connect the Horizon Edge Gateway as part of Horizon Cloud next-gen. They also enable monitoring, secondary credentials, Virtual Center, and User or Group Global Summary. Not only will these scripts enhance the scalability and performance of Horizon, but they'll also ease the burden on IT admins. The best part? You can download all of these RESTful APIs right from the VMware Horizon Server API site. So what are you waiting for? Get ready to level up your automation game and streamline your virtual environment like a boss!

Pinpointing Log-in Issues with VMware Horizon

​Logging into Horizon doesn't always go smoothly - sometimes, there are issues like incorrect credentials or timed-out sessions. But don't worry; Horizon has got your back! In the event of a log-in failure, Horizon provides admins with a detailed error message, helping them pinpoint the root cause of the problem. Armed with this information, admins can quickly troubleshoot the issue and take corrective measures to get end-users connected and productive once again. With Horizon's help, you'll be able to overcome log-in failures like a pro!

Streamlining administrative tasks with robust DEM search

​Hey Horizon admins, are you tired of digging through configuration files to make changes? Well, Dynamic Environment Manager (DEM) has got your back! The latest update to DEM includes a powerful search capability that makes it easy for admins to find and modify configuration files. This means you can quickly update or delete config files, change policies, manage drive and printer mappings, and more, all with just a few clicks. With this new search capability, you can say goodbye to tedious manual searches and hello to higher levels of efficiency and time savings. So go ahead and give it a try - your productivity will thank you!

Hybrid Microsoft Azure Active Directory support in VMware Horizon

​Hey there! Exciting news for Horizon admins - VMware Horizon 2303 now supports limited deployment types for hybrid Azure Active Directory (AD) configuration. This means that end users can now sign in to applications that utilize Azure AD for authentication, such as SaaS applications and Microsoft cloud services like Office 365, Dynamics 365, and Azure. User single sign-on (SSO) into Azure-assigned applications is available for hybrid Azure AD deployments, where the on-prem active directory is connected to Azure AD using either Azure AD Connect or ADFS. Manual desktop pools, automated full clones, and instant clone desktop pools (floating and dedicated) will support all hybrid AD deployments. This support makes it easy for admins to assign or manage user access to cloud applications in addition to on-premises infrastructure and applications. So, what are you waiting for? Check out the knowledge base for more details!

Mobile device support for Horizon Cloud next-gen

​Get ready to connect from anywhere, anytime, with the new Horizon 2203 client agent release! This latest release now supports Android and iOS clients for customers who are using Horizon Cloud next-gen. This means that admins can easily connect to services on their mobile devices, giving them the freedom and flexibility to manage the Horizon Cloud Service no matter where they are. Stay productive and connected on the go with Horizon 2203!

Horizon Cloud next-gen now supports Azure AD authentication

​Horizon 8 customers who have adopted Horizon Cloud next-gen can now authenticate and join desktops to Azure AD, eliminating the need to have them joined to the on-premises domain. This enables customers to perform all group management tasks in Azure AD, allowing for effective cloud-based management.

Additional announcements

Extending VMware Horizon Cloud next-gen to Hybrid Deployments

​Customers with Horizon SaaS subscriptions can now connect their on-premises and cloud deployments to Horizon Cloud next-gen, creating a hybrid cloud experience. This new capability allows customers to deploy virtual desktops and apps in Microsoft Azure while also running Horizon 8 on-premises or in the cloud. By leveraging the lower costs and scalability benefits of the Horizon Cloud next-gen platform, customers can create a more cost-effective and efficient virtual workspace solution. To learn more about deploying Horizon 8 on the Horizon Cloud Service next-gen platform, visit the Horizon Cloud Service next-gen site.

Accelerate Remediation with Self-Service Diagnostics

​VMware's Skyline Health Diagnostics (SHD) is currently available for tech preview, offering a self-service platform for diagnosing and detecting issues using log bundles, configuration information, and other data. The platform presents actionable recommendations based on Knowledge Base articles to address issues affecting VMware Horizon, vSphere, vSAN, and VMware Cloud Foundation SDDC Manager products. The SHD tool is handy for catching issues early on and preventing widespread problems that could cause significant downtime and cost. To learn more about installing and configuring SHD, visit the documentation page.

End of Support for Skype for Business Optimization Plug-in in Horizon

​Starting from version 2303, VMware Horizon will discontinue the support for the Skype for Business optimization plug-in. The plug-in will not be available for download and installation on new software updates. However, it will still be distributed with the older client and agent versions.

Microsoft Security Update (KB5014754) and Its Impact on Customers Using Certificate-Based Authentication

​Attention: Microsoft security update (KB5014754) affects customers using certificate-based authentication, such as smartcards. Users may be denied authentication when Microsoft activates full enforcement mode (planned for November 2023) if their certificates are not mapped to one of the strong mapping types mentioned in the Microsoft Knowledge Base. To avoid this issue, Horizon's upcoming release (possibly 2306) will allow admins to configure certificate mappings to one of the vital types from the console. For more information, please consult VMware KB91515.