The webclient is a key factor in VMware loosing market. It's just a complex hard to understand interface that doesn't do anything well. VMware just needs to stop trying to make it better dump it all together. It's not fixable and has a horrible design and it should be completely scrapped. I don't want to just complain without offering solutions so here's my take.
Build an HTML5 framework web client that is customizable, These are the inital features I would suggest:
- Create a HTML framework not a single web client application.
- Allow people to layout their own look and feel of the client with moveable or snapable panes within the UI.
- Allow the ability for people to create their own snapins for the web client. Maybe some wants to detailed CPU info on multiple VMs real time in a single pane and always have that up. Maybe someone wants a single view of all the servers for a vApp and be able to power them all down quickly. With a few lines of html you could create your own view of that data or controls.
- Allow for custom themes for colors. Some people have a hard time seeing certain colors.
- Make the webclient Open Source!!!! This way you get the community involved and things are just better all around!
Just my 10 cents.
Rick