What is AVD and do I need it for my business?

Imagine being able to hire an employee who will work remotely from another state or even another country and being able to begin work almost immediately using their own device(s) to securely access the applications and data they need to become immediately productive. Sounds like an “Enterprise” capability only and not applicable to your small business? Not now.

In the ever-evolving landscape of remote work and digital transformation, businesses are seeking robust solutions that enable seamless access to virtual desktops and applications. Azure Virtual Desktop (formerly known as Windows Virtual Desktop) has emerged as a game-changing cloud-based service offered by Microsoft, revolutionizing the way organizations approach remote desktop infrastructure.

Azure Virtual Desktop is a comprehensive desktop and application virtualization service provided by Microsoft Azure. It enables businesses to deploy and manage virtualized Windows desktops and applications on Azure, delivering a full Windows 10 or Windows 11 experience to end-users across various devices. By leveraging the power of the cloud, Azure Virtual Desktop eliminates the need for on-premises infrastructure and provides a flexible, scalable, and secure remote desktop solution.

Here are some of the key benefits of Azure virtual desktop.

• Enhanced Accessibility and Flexibility: Azure Virtual Desktop allows users to access their virtual desktops and applications from anywhere, on any device, providing a consistent experience across platforms. It facilitates remote work, enables BYOD (Bring Your Own Device) scenarios, and ensures uninterrupted productivity.
• Improved Security: With Azure Virtual Desktop, sensitive data remains secure within the Azure environment. It enables central management and control over user access, data protection, and compliance requirements. Additionally, the service provides built-in security features, such as multi-factor authentication and integration with Azure Active Directory, further fortifying the security posture.
• Cost Efficiency: By leveraging Azure’s pay-as-you-go pricing model, organizations can optimize their IT expenditure. Azure Virtual Desktop eliminates the need for expensive hardware investments, reduces maintenance costs, and scales according to the organization’s needs. It also allows for the efficient utilization of resources by dynamically allocating virtual machines as per user demand.
• Streamlined IT Management: Azure Virtual Desktop simplifies the deployment and management of virtual desktops and applications. Your MSP can easily provision and update virtual machines, manage user profiles, and enforce security policies from a centralized console.

Here are some of the key features of Azure virtual desktop.

• Personalized User Experience: Azure Virtual Desktop enables the customization of virtual desktops, allowing users to personalize their environment with their preferred applications and settings.
• Multi-session Virtual Machines: Azure Virtual Desktop supports the creation of multi-session virtual machines, maximizing resource utilization and reducing costs by enabling multiple users to share a single virtual machine.
• GPU Acceleration: The service offers GPU acceleration for graphics-intensive workloads, enabling smooth performance for applications that require advanced graphics rendering, such as computer-aided design (CAD) software or video editing tools.
• Integration with Microsoft 365: Azure Virtual Desktop seamlessly integrates with Microsoft 365, providing users with a familiar and unified experience. It allows the use of Microsoft 365 apps within virtual desktops, ensuring compatibility and collaboration across the organization.
• Third-Party Application Support: Azure Virtual Desktop supports the installation and usage of third-party applications, giving organizations the flexibility to leverage their preferred software solutions alongside Microsoft offerings.

Is AVD for you? If you want to expand your geographical footprint in terms of access to new customers and/or new employees, ask your MSP to provide you with a cost/benefit analysis and to provide you with a roadmap to implementation. Your competitors are using AVD or contemplating using it. Perhaps you should, as well.