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HP is retiring HP Anyware, the remote access software built on the Teradici PCoIP protocol. Trusted Zero Clients and the Anyware Trust Center are retiring along with it.
According to HP’s end-of-life announcement, support for the Trust Center and Trusted Zero Clients ends on October 31, 2026. Neither product gets updates or patches after that date.
Many VFX, animation, post-production, and design teams use PCoIP, so artists can reach graphics workstations remotely while project files stay on studio storage. Each of these teams now needs a replacement for that access before its own support window closes.
DNEG, the studio behind the Oscar-winning visual effects in Dune, is one example. Its artists used NVIDIA RTX virtual workstations with Teradici PCoIP as the remote access layer, the same technology HP now sells as HP Anyware.
HP Anyware End-of-Life Dates
HP stopped selling HP Anyware to new customers on May 7, 2026. Existing customers lose support in stages, as listed in the HP Anyware EOL FAQ.
| Product | End of sale | Renewals | End of support |
| Trusted Zero Clients and Anyware Trust Center | April 2026 | Closed | October 31, 2026 (version 25.10 is the last supported release) |
| HP Anyware (annual subscriptions) | May 7, 2026 | One-year terms, purchased by October 31, 2027 | October 31, 2028 |
| HP Anyware (multi-year terms) | May 7, 2026 | Not applicable | October 31, 2029 |
Until each end-of-support date, HP provides technical help and critical security patches where feasible. It will not add new features.
HP also says it cannot guarantee that Anyware will work with future operating system releases. A Windows 11 update released before your support ends may not get a matching Anyware update.
Trusted Zero Clients will keep working after October 31, 2026, on firmware version 25.10. They will not get updates, patches, or support after that date.
Which Teams Need to Act First
Teams with Trusted Zero Clients or the Anyware Trust Center need to act first, because support for both ends on October 31, 2026. Trust Center downloads are also available only until that date, so save any installers or firmware files you still need.
Teams on annual HP Anyware subscriptions are next. HP allows one-year renewals only until October 31, 2027, so support for most annual customers ends on October 31, 2028.
Customers with existing contracts that extend beyond November 1, 2028, may continue receiving service through October 31, 2029. HP will refund any part of a subscription that runs past that date.
Content Security Risks of Unsupported Remote Access
Remote access systems may be accessible from the internet, depending on how they are deployed. The Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency identifies unsupported and end-of-life software as a cybersecurity risk, particularly when systems are internet-accessible. Once vendor security updates end, newly discovered vulnerabilities may remain unpatched.
Studios working with major content owners also need to consider content security requirements. Version 5.2 of the MPA Content Security Best Practices covers remote content handling and work-from-home environments. Depending on the assessment scope, remote access infrastructure may be reviewed as part of a TPN assessment.
What a Replacement Must Handle for Creative Work
For creative teams, a replacement has to match what PCoIP already does, starting with keeping files in the data center and supporting GPU-accelerated applications.
| Requirement | What to check |
| Files stay in the data center | The protocol streams screen pixels to the user, and project files never download to the home device. |
| GPU acceleration | The desktop runs on an NVIDIA GPU or vGPU profile that supports Houdini, Nuke, Maya, or DaVinci Resolve viewports. |
| Color accuracy | The protocol supports YUV 4:4:4 color, so compositors and colorists see full color detail. |
| Lossless image on demand | Still frames sharpen to an exact image, and an always-lossless mode is available for review work. |
| Pen and tablet input | Pen pressure works inside the remote session. |
| Linux support | GPU-accelerated Linux desktops are available for Linux-based pipelines. |
| Multiple monitors | High-resolution multi-monitor layouts work in one session. |
Citrix DaaS Deployment Preparation Checklist
End-to-end coverage from resource location planning to post-deployment validation
HP Anyware Replacement Options Compared
HP Remote Graphics Software (RGS).
HP recommends HP RGS as a transition path for professional workstation users moving from HP Anyware. Existing HP Anyware Pro licenses can be used to evaluate RGS. HP RGS supports physical and racked workstations as well as virtual and cloud-based workstation deployments.
For teams that continue using physical workstations, the underlying workstation hardware and refresh cycle remain their responsibility. Teams can also evaluate RGS with virtual or cloud-hosted workstation infrastructure.
Other workstation streaming tools.
Several remote access products let artists connect to physical or virtual workstations from another location. Hardware ownership, GPU allocation, and infrastructure management responsibilities depend on the chosen product and deployment model.
Self-built desktops on public cloud GPU instances.
You can rent GPU instances from a hyperscaler and build your own virtual workstations, which removes on-site hardware. Your team then manages the desktop image, GPU drivers, user access, storage, and patching. You also need to choose and license a display protocol, which is the part you are replacing today.
Managed desktop-as-a-service with NVIDIA vGPU.
A desktop-as-a-service provider runs the servers, GPUs, virtualization layer, and display protocol, and delivers a cloud-hosted desktop to each user. Artists work on GPU-accelerated Windows or Linux desktops while project files stay in the provider’s data center.
Performance depends on each user’s internet connection, and large project storage is added to the plan based on project size.
| Option | Infrastructure | Display technology | Main tradeoff |
| HP RGS | Physical, virtual, or cloud workstations | HP RGS | Infrastructure and management model depend on how RGS is deployed |
| Other workstation streaming tools | Typically existing workstations or VMs | Vendor protocol | Hardware and management requirements vary by vendor |
| Self-built cloud GPU instances | Cloud GPU infrastructure | You select it | Your IT team manages the environment |
| Managed DaaS with NVIDIA vGPU | Provider-managed infrastructure | Citrix HDX | Performance depends partly on endpoint and network conditions |
A managed cloud desktop delivers GPU-powered sessions over Citrix HDX, with project files kept in the data center.
How Citrix HDX Handles Graphics-Heavy Work
Citrix HDX provides the display and graphics technologies used to deliver Citrix DaaS sessions. Starting with version 2503, Intelligent Build to Lossless is the default graphics mode on desktops with a GPU.
It uses a video codec on changing screen regions and builds a lossless image once activity settles. It makes this decision per monitor, so a moving viewport on one screen and a static reference image on another each get the right treatment.
For review sessions where every frame must be exact, the Always Lossless setting keeps every frame lossless, even during motion. It uses more bandwidth, so it suits review and grading stations better than everyday modeling seats.
For color work, HDX uses YUV 4:4:4 encoding. When the user’s device supports it, HDX switches to H.265 4:4:4 hardware decoding, which ran at four times the frame rate of H.264 4:4:4 in Citrix’s internal testing.
Citrix supports Windows Ink pen input with up to 4,096 levels of pressure. Pen shortcuts can’t be changed on Windows Server 2022 desktops because of an operating system limit, so artists who use a tablet all day should work on Windows 11 desktops.
The July 2026 long-term service release of the Citrix Linux VDA supports HDX 3D Pro with NVIDIA vGPU software up to version 19. This brings GPU-accelerated Linux desktops onto the same platform as Windows desktops.
Moving Creative Teams to GPU-Powered Cloud Desktops
Ace Cloud Hosting delivers GPU-powered cloud desktops through Managed Citrix DaaS Solutions. Each user gets an allocated NVIDIA vGPU profile on NVIDIA RTX 8000 or RTX 6000 servers, and a full GPU can be assigned through passthrough when a workload needs the whole card.
Desktops run Windows 11, Windows Server, or Linux, and all of them are delivered over Citrix HDX. The Ace Cloud Hosting team installs and sets up apps such as Autodesk Maya, DaVinci Resolve, Blender, and ComfyUI on each hosted virtual desktop, and you bring your own application licenses.
Project storage is added to your plan based on project size. Desktops are hosted with SOC 2 certified US data center partners and come with a 99.99% SLA-backed uptime commitment.
Creative teams can find more use cases on the virtual desktops for design and creative teams page.
Planning Your Migration Before Support Ends
Start with a record of what you run today, including your Anyware version, your zero client models and firmware versions, and the renewal date of each subscription. If you use the Trust Center, download the files you may need before October 31, 2026.
If your team uses zero clients, check the firmware on each device. Zero clients with Citrix-compatible firmware, such as IGEL OS, Dell ThinOS, HP ThinPro, Stratodesk NoTouch, and 10ZiG devices, can connect to a managed Citrix desktop over HDX. PCoIP-only firmware is not supported, so Ace Cloud Hosting checks each device during onboarding.
Next, group users by the work they do. An FX artist running Houdini simulations needs more GPU memory than a producer who reviews dailies, so size each desktop by role.
Then run a pilot with a small group of users in parallel with Anyware, and test pen input and color accuracy on real project files. Confirm that each pilot user’s home connection meets the 25 Mbps or higher that Ace Cloud Hosting recommends for GPU sessions.
After the pilot, move project storage and switch each group over before its support date. Zero client users should move first, and annual subscribers should move before their last renewal.
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