Beyond "Coming Soon": What has Omnissa Delivered?
In this blog
Since publishing my "coming soon" blog just three short months ago, I thought it would be interesting to circle back and see how much Omnissa has already delivered. If you have not seen the original blog, at Omnissa ONE 2025 in Las Vegas the bad inside joke was that many announcements were coming soon rather than shipping or having firm release dates. However, after stepping back and contemplating the event, it became clear that those announcements were not just placeholders but instead represented major work to modernize the foundation of Omnissa's solutions.
So what has happened in a short amount of time? Let's dive into it!
Mod Stack defined
When I wrote my first article, I already knew from conversations with Omnissa product managers and staff that Mod Stack was a major enabler for the enhancements to Workspace ONE Unified Endpoint Management (UEM). However, to ensure accuracy, I needed to dig deeper and research all the details myself. What I discovered was surprising: despite the significance of this update, there was almost no consolidated information available on what Omnissa had been working on. It felt like piecing together a puzzle from scattered hints and fragmented sources.
That changed quickly. Just a week after publishing my blog, Omnissa released their own comprehensive article that pulled everything together in one place and summarized what I had stitched together from multiple sources. This official post provides clarity on Mod Stack's architecture and its role in modernizing UEM, making it a must-read for anyone following these developments.
Secure Access Suite
This announcement was high on my wish list but was conspicuously absent at Omnissa ONE in Las Vegas. Instead, it debuted at Omnissa ONE Amsterdam, just after my first blog went live. Secure browsers have become a hot topic among enterprise customers, and this addition completes the EUC portfolio alongside virtual desktops, application delivery, and endpoint management.
The new Omnissa Secure Access Suite brings together Google Chrome Enterprise Premium and Omnissa Workspace ONE to deliver advanced secure browser capabilities. This suite enables organizations to provide safer, seamless access to SaaS and web apps for use cases like third-party contractors, retail operations, and BYOD. Together they enhance SaaS and web security on user devices with risk-based access, in-browser data loss prevention, and protection against phishing, malware, all while maintaining a smooth user experience wherever they access their applications.
Browers have always been one of the most-used applications within VDI or RDSH environments, especially to access non-internet facing internal resources. Secure browsers now give EUC admins the flexibility to match technology to use cases: users with diverse apps can run a secure browser inside VDI, while external contractors or remote workers can use one on their own device for single-app access.
New Horizon platform choices
My previous article explored how Omnissa has been rebuilding the Horizon provisioning engine to support platforms beyond vSphere to support more choices in hosting and provisioning virtual desktops. This shift was driven by customer demand for greater flexibility as they refine their datacenter virtualization strategies. To address this, Omnissa had been making changes to support new solutions including Nutanix AHV for Horizon 8 workloads, and Microsoft Azure Virtual Desktop (AVD) and Amazon Workspaces Core for Horizon Cloud.
Since those initial updates, Omnissa has expanded even further by announcing support for several new platforms that unlock more possibilities for deployment and management.
Red Hat
In fairness, this is a new coming soon feature and one I know has been asked for by many enterprise customers. Omnissa and Red Hat are collaborating to integrate Horizon 8 with OpenShift, which will allow organizations to leverage their existing Horizon virtual machines alongside Red Hat's container-native services. This integration is designed to deliver virtual desktops and published applications using the same familiar management tools and operational processes that IT teams already know, reducing complexity while enabling modern flexibility.
While full integration is still on the horizon, customers do not have to wait to start benefiting. Today, it is already possible to deploy virtual desktops on OpenShift and use them in Horizon 8 manual pools. This initial capability provides a stepping-stone toward a more unified experience, giving enterprises the chance to expand their container-based infrastructure while maintaining continuity with their current Horizon environments.
Open Stack
Horizon Cloud now supports OpenStack-based infrastructure using its new beta OpenStack Edge architecture. This will enable enterprises running Omnissa Horizon Cloud to support running OpenStack anywhere it is deployed; whether on-premise, AWS, Azure, or any other cloud platform.
Using the Horizon Cloud control plane, Horizon administrators easily discover and view their OpenStack resources, including networks, datastores, clusters, and images. The OpenStack Edge is the key component in this architecture as it integrates with OpenStack to handle Horizon workload provisioning, infrastructure resource inventory, and virtual machine lifecycle management. From there, the IT team can decide where to deploy virtual desktops and apps, automate workflows with APIs, and scale capacity quickly as needs increase. The result is a uniform management experience that blends OpenStack's adaptability with Horizon Cloud's user-friendly controls and scalable features.
Horizon Cloud leverages OpenStack's modular design and open APIs to connect with their current automation and management systems. This flexibility allows teams to customize tasks like provisioning, patching, and upgrades to fit their workflows. By pairing Horizon Cloud's centralized control and API-based tools, organizations get a highly flexible platform that adapts as they grow, cuts down manual work, and speeds up delivery of value.
Platform9
Horizon Cloud, integrated with Platform9 Private Cloud Director, is designed for organizations to easily deploy and manage desktops and apps on their existing private cloud infrastructure. This integration is designed for enterprises that want greater control over their environment without sacrificing the familiar Horizon experience. It bridges the gap between flexibility and consistency, enabling IT teams to leverage their current investments while adopting modern cloud-native capabilities.
By incorporating Platform9 through Omnissa's OpenStack Edge, customers gain an additional deployment option that enhances scalability and operational efficiency. This approach not only preserves existing infrastructure investments but also provides IT teams with the autonomy to manage resources in a way that aligns with their governance and compliance requirements. Ultimately, it delivers a balance of control, performance, and simplicity for organizations looking to modernize their virtual desktop strategy.
Native Apple Platform SSO with Omnissa Access
For a few years now Omnissa supported Apple's Platform SSO with UEM when integrated with industry Identity Provider (IdP) such as Okta and Entra ID, however not with their own Omnissa Access as the IdP. Now Omnissa Access can be configured for macOS devices to be the primary authentication provider or broker for logging into the device. This allows them to use the same corporate identity to access their Mac and enterprise apps using a single login along with enforcement of corporate password and other security policies.
What's next?
So, what's next for Omnissa? Will it be AI transforming the experience for users and admins alike, a unification of Horizon 8 and Horizon Cloud management stacks, or the seamless blending of application delivery and management between physical and virtual endpoints? While we have seen a few glimpses of what is coming soon, we will just have to wait and see what is next. Until then, take full advantage of the innovations already delivered, built on the solid foundational components that enable rapid innovation.