HP is ending support for HP Anyware and its surrounding ecosystem. This makes the earlier acquisition of Teradici look like a flop.
In a surprising move, HP has announced the end of support for HP Anyware, the Anyware Trust Center (Trusted Zero Clients), and Desktop Access (Tera2 Zero Clients and the PCoIP management console). Almost the entire VDI software suite resulting from the 2021 acquisition of Teradici is being scrapped. Sales will end as early as next month.
Teradici and PCoIP
HP Anyware is a VDI solution built on the PC-over-IP (PCoIP) protocol. The tool allows users to operate virtual computers remotely via thin clients. The protocol does not transmit actual data between the computer and terminal, but only images in the form of bitmaps.
The protocol allows for the efficient transmission of pixels to the end user with very low latency. HP acquired Teradici in 2021 to incorporate PCoIP and the associated software into its own portfolio. The PC specialist paid approximately $280 million for the acquisition.
HP Anyware as the future
The acquisition took place during the Covid period and aimed to develop a broad and technically robust VDI offering. HP was no newcomer to the VDI landscape in 2021. Since 2003, the company has had its own solution with HP Z Remote Graphics Software. In 2020, that tool was renamed ZCentral Remote Boost.
Following the acquisition, HP seemed to suggest that Teradici’s technical expertise would strengthen ZCentral Remote Boost. Teradici CAS was renamed HP Anyware and was intended to eventually replace ZCentral Remote Boost.
Remote Boost remains compelling
However, it never got that far. ZCentral Remote Boost is a highly targeted solution that allows users to efficiently connect to their own (graphics) workstation from a distance. The tool can quickly establish a secure link between the workstation and thin client without much latency, providing sufficient quality for even high-end graphics work.
However, ZCentral Remote Boost is not a pure VDI solution: users typically spend at least part of their time physically at their workstation and rely on Remote Boost when they occasionally work from home. Over the years, HP has marketed solutions where workstations were not placed next to a desk but housed in a rack, using Remote Boost as the interface, but the combination with a classic Z workstation remained the most relevant.
No replacement
HP Anyware is a more general VDI solution with a broader range of applications. HP intended to expand Anyware with the strengths of ZCentral Remote Boost by 2023, and then replace that solution. In practice, however, Remote Boost continued to exist. Last year, HP already indicated that it would continue to support Remote Boost. In the meantime, the name change of the solution was also reversed back to HP Z Remote Graphics Software.
Regarding the VDI portfolio, HP is turning back the clock to before the acquisition.
Now, only HP Z Remote Graphics Software (HP RGS) remains. Regarding the VDI portfolio, HP is turning back the clock to before the acquisition. It does not appear that the $280 million investment has yielded much fruit.
Phasing out towards end-of-life
Sales of HP Anyware will stop on May 7. Existing customers can still renew for a maximum of one year until October 31, 2027. Support for customers with longer contracts will run until October 31, 2029.
The Anyware Trust Center will go out of sale on April 9. This is also the deadline for renewals. HP will stop support for this on October 31, 2026. The Desktop Access software can still be renewed until December 31, 2028, and will finally be laid to rest on December 31, 2029.
In a twist, HP is now pointing to HP RGS as an alternative solution. However, this does not help all customers, given HP Anyware’s broader support for alternative operating systems compared to HP RGS.
Not an easy market
HP’s move demonstrates that the market for specialized VDI solutions is not that massive. Earlier, Broadcom found it convenient to divest Horizon, so that VDI solution is now being marketed by Omnissa. Citrix, as a historic major player, continues to embrace the VDI market.
Purely cloud-based solutions for simple virtualization of office PCs, such as Windows 365 Cloud PC, also remain relevant. None of those solutions serve the same niche as HP RGS or PCoIP, with their focus on graphical fidelity.
All-in on HP RGS
In the case of HP Anyware, it seems that the relevance of the PCoIP protocol has declined in recent years. While Teradici’s underlying technology was the reason behind the acquisition, it no longer offers as much added value today. Other protocols now deliver similar graphical performance in a VDI context. Surprisingly, HP now sees more potential in its own technical foundation for HP RGS and prefers to develop that rather than continuing to support HP Anyware.
With the retirement of HP Anyware, HP is ending the broader VDI ambitions it gained with the acquisition of Teradici. The company remains active in VDI, but within the niche where it has been developing expertise since 2003.