Important Dates, Common Misconceptions, and How to Consider the Choices for Tera2 Zero Clients and the new Trusted Zero options.

The Background:

In early 2023, HP (Teradici) announced a new generation of zero client PCoIP technology was coming.  That precipitated questions about plans for the original zero client technology based on the Tera2 chip.  Further compounding questions, speculation, and concerns was an announcement by VMWare that the forthcoming 9.0+ versions of Horizon would not come with native support for PCoIP as prior versions have.  What’s the useful life of traditional Tera2 zero clients?  What’s the feature release roadmap for the new Trusted Zero Clients?  What compatibility of the new Trusted Zero Clients with VMWare Horizon and Blast?  Am I going to get caught between the EOL date of Tera2 zero clients and the date at which Trusted Zero Clients are fully functional in my environment?

Important Dates Regarding Tera2 Zero Clients:

• Support for connecting through Remote Workstation Cards (aka PCoIP “host cards”) will continue through 2028.
• Native support for connecting through VMWare (i.e., with VMWare PCoIP) will end December 2028 and will not be included in new releases as of December 2025.
• Support for connecting with HP Anyware software (including to VMWare VMs, cloud providers, physical PCs, or other VM platforms) has no forecasted EOL before 2029.
• Support for connecting to Amazon Workspaces has no forecasted EOL before 2029.

Key Features Now Available with Trusted Zero Clients:

• Compatibility for use with Horizon Blast Extreme
• Support for Horizon-brokered HP Anyware connections, including PCoIP Ultra.
• Support for “air-gapped” or “dark site”
• SIPR Token support and SmartCard (CAC) support
• Support for Wi-Fi

Misconceptions (and Corrections):

• Misconception:  Tera2 is no longer available.  Truth: (updated 2025) ClearCube is one of the largest OEMs of the Tera2 zero clients and we have made a significant investment in the Tera2 chips. ClearCube has planned production to build and ship the Tera2 Clients for the next 2 years. At this time we have enough inventory to support our customers through the end of 2026, and if anything changes prior to the end of 2026 ClearCube will make an announcement. Additionally all Tera2 Firmware will continue to be supported through the end of 2028.
• Misconception: VMWare is dropping support for PCoIP.  Truth:  This is not true, except in limited cases.  VMWare versions up through 8.x will continue to have built-in PCoIP, but it is expected that VMWare 9.x will not come with a built-in version of PCoIP. Version 9.x should continue to support the add-on HP Anyware PCoIP/PCoIP Ultra product.  VMWare support for Horizon-brokered HP Anyware connections is expected in March 2024.  Note: VMware PCoIP is currently supported, HP Anyware PCoIP/PCoIP Ultra support is coming.

What are my options if I am running TERA2 zero clients in my environment?

• We’ve got customers who have used ClearCube TERA2 zero clients for over a decade without any reliability issues. These units just go and go and go. HP (who acquired Teradici) will provide updates and support for TERA2 zero clients and RWCs (host cards) through December 31, 2028. After that date, TERA2 clients will continue to work, just without future updates. Many companies use their TERA2 units for many years without needing to install updates. For customers with these kinds of environments, TERA2 zero clients and host cards could be effectively used for many years, well beyond 2028. ClearCube is one of the only—if not the only—manufacturer who continues to make and stock TERA2 zero clients and host cards to meet customer demand. For this reason, ClearCube can help you with future needs for TERA2 clients and host cards.

Why consider Trusted Zero Clients?

• Customers needing to connect zero clients using future versions of Horizon, customers needing to comply with Zero Trust architecture principles, or customers who seek to benefit from improved graphics capabilities will want to give serious consideration to ClearCube’s Trusted Zero Clients. Trusted Zero Clients also are a “set and forget” type of device, yet they offer additional capabilities, too. Our quad-display Trusted Zero Client is being lauded in the market for it’s top-tier performance, and our dual-display model is rock-solid. The ClearCube team has extensive experience setting up environments for Trusted Zero Clients, and we offer multiple ways for you to take one for a test drive.

Tera2 Zero Clients Would Be the Right Purchase If You…

• …have a VMWare Horizon deployment being implemented in the next year.
• …have an existing VMWare infrastructure with no plans to immediately migrate to VMWare 9.x.
• …are ready to buy something that will last the next 3 to 5 years and do not need to (or cannot) wait for the features of the trusted zero client.
• …want a device to support standard users with minimal impact.

Trusted Zero Clients Would Be the Right Purchase If You…

• …have a need for high-end graphics now (e.g., 4K@30fps).
• …plan to move to VMWare 9.x as soon as it is available.
• …need to implement a “zero trust” environment for your organization or clients.
• …desire to deploy the latest zero client technology.
• …require a solution with a product roadmap that extends beyond 2028.
• …require guaranteed product availability beyond 2026.

The ClearCube Technology team has been experts in zero clients from the beginning.  ClearCube makes the most reliable, most trusted zero clients on the market.  Furthermore, the ClearCube team has been closely involved with HP’s development team in the testing and feedback of the hardware, software, and instructions for the past 12 months.  We also were the first to have customers test Trusted Zero Clients.  Suffice it to say, we are experts, and we are ready to talk to you about the right zero client solution for your environment and use case.  Give us a call and let us answer your questions and help you clearly understand the situation and your options.