PCoIP (PC over IP)

What is PCoIP?

PCoIP (PC over IP) is a display protocol originally developed by Teradici for specialised workstation hardware (zero clients and PCoIP cards). It was integrated into VMware View (later Horizon) in 2008 and was for a long time the Horizon protocol.

In 2021 Teradici was acquired by HP Inc. . Since then the core rights have sat with HP, while Omnissa (formerly VMware EUC) has put its focus clearly on Blast Extreme. For the Horizon Cloud service the vendor documentation states that Blast Extreme is the only supported display protocol; PCoIP no longer appears there. Where PCoIP still runs, it is a Horizon 8 environment in your own data centre.

How does PCoIP work?

PCoIP is a UDP-based multi-codec protocol that divides the screen into different areas and picks the optimal codec for each:

• Pixel stream codec for video and dynamic areas
• Text codec for static text areas (lossless)
• JPEG2000-based codec for photographic content

The division happens dynamically per frame. The result is an efficient protocol that performs well in standard office scenarios.

Hardware zero clients

One distinctive feature: PCoIP was one of the first protocols with genuine hardware decoder support in dedicated zero clients. These small devices without an operating system of their own decoded PCoIP streams directly in hardware — ideal for kiosks, production halls and control rooms. Manufacturers such as Dell Wyse, Samsung and 10ZiG built such devices.

PCoIP vs Blast Extreme — why the change?

Why the change: Omnissa wanted a standardised protocol of its own, without licence costs to Teradici and HP. Blast Extreme uses common H.264 and H.265 codecs, which are hardware-accelerated on every modern CPU and GPU. It also has better mobile client support.

Where is PCoIP still relevant today?

Where it makes sense

• Existing zero client fleets — anyone running Dell Wyse, 10ZiG or Samsung zero clients often stays with PCoIP
• Legacy Horizon deployments — on-premises Horizon 6 and 7 environments that have not yet moved to Blast
• High-security environments — PCoIP with hardware token cards in zero clients was long the standard in military and government settings
• HP Anyware (formerly Teradici Cloud Access) — HP’s successor product for specialised remote workstations

Outdated scenarios

• New Horizon deployments — Blast Extreme is always recommended here
• Mobile-first scenarios — client support is weaker with PCoIP
• Multimedia and Teams-heavy workloads — Blast has better redirection capabilities