The IT Administrator’s Guide to Selling Horizon to Executive Leadership

You know Horizon is a powerful solution. It offers secure, scalable, and centralized virtual desktop infrastructure (VDI) that simplifies IT management and supports today’s hybrid workforce—but getting executive leadership on board? That’s often the real challenge.

Most IT administrators don’t lack technical knowledge—they struggle to translate that technical value into business outcomes that leadership cares about. This guide is designed to help you shift that narrative, so you’re not just recommending another tool, but presenting a clear, compelling business case for VMware Horizon.

Know Your Audience: What Executive Leadership Cares About

Before you dive into the specifics of Horizon’s capabilities, understand what decision-makers prioritize. The C-suite doesn’t want to hear about hypervisors or protocol optimization—they care about:

• ROI and total cost of ownership (TCO)
• Business continuity and resilience
• Security and regulatory compliance
• Scalability and agility
• User experience and productivity

When selling Horizon to executives, reframe the conversation. You’re not just modernizing IT—you’re enabling secure growth, reducing long-term costs, and making the business more agile in a rapidly evolving digital landscape.

What Does Horizon Bring to the Table?

Horizon isn’t just a technical upgrade—it’s a strategic asset.

• Cost Optimization: With centralized desktop management, IT teams can support more users with fewer resources. Horizon reduces endpoint hardware requirements (via thin clients) and extends device lifecycles.
• Workforce Flexibility: Horizon supports seamless access for remote and hybrid employees without compromising performance or security. It’s built for the modern workforce.
• Operational Agility: From onboarding new employees to supporting seasonal spikes in demand, Horizon enables fast provisioning and consistent user experiences.

These aren’t just “nice to haves”—they’re business-critical in today’s digital economy. The Horizon benefits directly align with the needs of enterprise leadership.

ROI of Virtual Desktop Infrastructure

Cost is always a sticking point. To overcome this, present a clear picture of Horizon’s financial impact:

• Reduced Infrastructure Spend: Horizon minimizes the need for on-prem servers, expensive endpoint devices, and distributed IT staff.
• Lower Support Costs: With centralized control and fewer endpoint issues, IT support tickets drop dramatically.
• Boosted Productivity: Faster logins, better performance, and consistent desktop experiences reduce downtime and employee frustration.

A Forrester TEI study showed organizations using VMware Horizon realized a 162% ROI over three years and reduced device replacement costs by 30%.

That’s the kind of data executives care about. Lean into that when making your Horizon cost justification.

Security and Compliance — A Top Executive Priority

Security is no longer just IT’s responsibility—it’s a board-level concern.

With secure virtual desktops, Horizon enables:

• Centralized data control: No sensitive data stored on endpoints.
• Built-in encryption and access policies: Ensure compliance with HIPAA, GDPR, and industry-specific mandates.
• Multi-factor authentication and zero trust alignment: Strengthen identity and access control across devices.

By moving to Horizon, your organization reduces the risk of data breaches, shadow IT, and compliance failures—all top concerns for executives.

Scalability and Business Continuity with Horizon

Leaders also want confidence in IT’s ability to adapt and scale without disruption.

Horizon makes this easy:

• Scales rapidly across geographies and departments
• Supports DR and business continuity plans with cloud-hosted desktops
• Enables consistent performance even during remote work surges

This is especially important during mergers, expansions, or sudden shifts like the move to remote work during the pandemic. Horizon helps your organization remain resilient and ready for anything.

Metrics and Business Impact – what leadership wants

To connect with the C-suite, talk in terms of business outcomes:

• 99.9% uptime = increased revenue opportunities
• 40% fewer support tickets = leaner IT operations
• 70% faster desktop provisioning = improved workforce agility
• 30% savings in endpoint hardware = capital expense reduction

Metrics speak louder than feature lists. Tie every technical benefit back to a measurable business improvement.

Tailored Proposal Building

When it’s time to present, don’t just send a spec sheet—build a narrative.

• Start with a business challenge: Remote workforce, growing IT costs, inconsistent user experience.
• Show how Horizon solves it: Cost savings, security, and scale.
• Include demos or case studies: Real-world proof helps executives visualize impact.
• Highlight alignment with current initiatives: ESG goals? Horizon helps reduce endpoint waste. M&A activity? Horizon scales quickly.

Make the story theirs. Make the benefits personal.

Overcoming Common Executive Objections

Executives may raise concerns—be prepared with clear answers.

• “Isn’t this just an added expense?”
  → Show cost savings over three years and reduced IT workload.
• “We already have a remote access tool.”
  → Compare performance, security, and total cost of ownership.
• “How fast can we implement it?”
  → Share a phased migration plan. Horizon allows parallel deployments and gradual scaling.

Customer Success Story

Hartford HealthCare, a major U.S. healthcare system serving over 17,000 patients daily across 400 locations, transitioned to VMware Horizon Enterprise to enhance remote access and streamline IT in the wake of increased demand for telemedicine. They deployed 3,000 secure virtual workstations, enabling physicians to connect via hybrid cloud and maintain productivity from anywhere. This modern workspace helped improve care coordination and accelerated virtual collaboration among dispersed clinical teams.

This real-world example makes your pitch grounded and credible.

Be the Strategic Advisor, Not Just the IT Admin

Selling Horizon internally isn’t just about convincing executives to try a new tool—it’s about elevating your role.

When you align VMware Horizon’s value with business goals like cost efficiency, workforce agility, and security, you become more than an admin—you become a strategic advisor.

VMware Horizon isn’t just a better desktop solution. It’s a better business decision.

Ready to take the next step? Start building your business case. Reach out to VMware or a certified partner like Anunta to explore how Horizon can deliver secure, scalable, cost-effective virtual desktops tailored for your enterprise.