Important Dates, Common Misconceptions, and How to Consider the Choices
The Background:
Earlier this year 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 2029.
- 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.
Important Dates Regarding the New Trusted Zero Clients:
- Base functionality is available now, and new functionality is being added with new releases. Based on roadmap forecasts from HP, ClearCube expects parity with Tera2 zero clients by the end of 2024.
- 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 still coming.
- Support for connection via VMWare Blast is expected in the 2024 calendar year. This should allow for a smooth transition to VMWare 9.x when native VMWare PCoIP is no longer included.
- Support for “dark sites” is expected in the 2024 calendar year. Currently, an outside connection is required.
- Support for SmartCards (CAC readers) is expected in the 2024 calendar year.
- Support for Wi-Fi is expected in the 2024 calendar year.
Misconceptions (and Corrections):
- Misconception: Tera2 is going away. Truth: Tera2 chip zero clients do not have a planned EOL within the next 5 years.
- 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.
- Misconception: The Trusted Zero Client is replacing the Tera2 zero client. Truth: The Trusted Zero Client is the latest generation of PCoIP zero client technology, but the Tera2 zero client is planned to remain an active and supported product for the next 5+ years.
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.
- …need a zero client with CAC reader (SmartCard) and “dark site” functionality immediately and cannot wait or cannot risk a missed deadline for these functionalities.
- …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.
- …want to get started on a project now and don’t mind potentially mixing zero client types several years down the road.
Trusted Zero Clients Would Be the Right Purchase If You…
- …have a project that’s still in the planning stages and won’t be implemented until late 2024 or beyond.
- …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.
- …don’t have an air-gapped system and are ready to grow with the product.
- …need to implement a “zero trust” environment for your organization or clients.
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.
