It's the end of the PCoIP world as we know it, and Blast is fine
In 2023, Omnissa (formerly VMware EUC) announced the end of support for PCoIP in its Horizon product line. The deadline was set for the end of 2025 and much has happened since then, with the Broadcom acquisition of VMware followed by the rebranding of the EUC business to Omnissa and sale to KKR. While Omnissa has taken over the Horizon product line, there has been no public update or reversal of the PCoIP deprecation policy. This puts many customers using Horizon and Teradici Tera2 PCoIP devices in a situation where they must make a decision to replace the aging doorstops (zero clients). Organizations that relied on PCoIP for access to Horizon virtual desktops now face the dual challenges of hardware obsolescence and rising security risks. The risk of not taking action is too great to just wait and see.
At WWT, we see this as an opportunity to not just step but leap forward—not just replace but future proof your end-user computing environment.
Why Blast Extreme?
The Blast Extreme display protocol, developed by Omnissa, provides a high-quality user experience across various devices, locations, and network conditions as part of Omnissa Horizon 8 and Omnissa Horizon Cloud Service.
Display protocols must deliver an exceptional user experience, no matter what the user is using in their virtual desktop session. Whether it be text, images, video, 3D graphics, or audio, Blast Extreme is designed to provide the most optimal remote display experience, regardless of where the user is connecting from.
The Blast Extreme protocol includes such advanced features as:
- Support for nearly any user device, including Windows, Mac, Linux, Android, iOS, Chrome OS, and web (HTML Access) clients
- Able to use either TCP or UDP network transport to accommodate varying network conditions
- Can be deployed with secure remote access over only one port (TCP 443) network firewalls with Omnissa Unified Access Gateway (UAG)
- Secure by design with AES encryption, SHA-256 signatures, and FIPS support
How to future-proof your thin clients
Leveraging our Advanced Technology Center (ATC), we've worked with our partners Omnissa, IGEL, and LG to develop a seamless, enterprise-grade transition path. Together, we offer an integrated endpoint solution that combines security, performance, and manageability:
- Omnissa Horizon: A leading VDI platform designed to deliver secure, persistent digital workspaces for clinical, financial, and hybrid environments alike.
- IGEL: Their Preventative Security Model eliminates common attack vectors with a modular, read-only operating system, central management, and deep integration with leading identity providers.
- LG Thin Clients: A portfolio of IGEL Ready-certified devices built for high-performance VDI and DaaS access, with outstanding display technology and enterprise reliability.
By combining these technologies, organizations can:
- Replace PCoIP hardware with modern, secure endpoints
- Reduce endpoint TCO and management complexity
- Ensure compliance with HIPAA, GDPR, and Zero Trust mandates
- Deliver a high-performance experience for users in any location
These solutions together make this transition easy and future-proof. IGEL OS runs on nearly any x86-64 device, enabling reuse of existing hardware where possible—and where upgrades are needed, LG thin clients deliver seamless compatibility.
What's next?
Ready to elevate your virtual desktop experience? Explore how Omnissa Blast Extreme can optimize your virtual desktop environment by providing top-tier performance, uncompromising security, and flexible hardware options with IGEL with LG.
For organizations navigating the disruption of PCoIP's end-of-life in Horizon, this is not the end of the world; it's a new Horizon for the future of EUC.