Making the most of Azure Virtual Desktop: Benefits & use cases

Azure Virtual Desktop (AVD) is a Desktop and App virtualisation service that runs entirely in the Azure public Cloud. Virtualisation is a method of streaming a user’s desktop or application remotely to a device so it can be accessed from anywhere. Before cloud computing in an on-premises scenario, this was often achieved using technologies such as Remote Desktop Services or Citrix. In a post-pandemic world where remote working is more common, AVD allows users to access work-related applications from their own devices anywhere in the world.

The Benefits of Azure Virtual Desktop

• Windows 10, 11 and Server OS: It delivers Windows 10, 11 and Windows Server applications and desktops virtually anywhere in the world on Windows, macOS, Android, web clients and more.

• Windows Multi-Session + FSLogix: Reduces costs by pooling users on single hosts using Windows 10 and 11 Multi-Session capabilities. FSLogix can provide roaming profiles on multi-session hosts using Azure Storage. You can also offer personal persistent desktops to meet specific use cases.

• Licensing: AVD utilises existing eligible licenses such as Microsoft 365 Business Premium

• Reduce management overheads: Deploy and scale in minutes without needing Brokers, Gateways, or Load balancing traditionally found in legacy VDI solutions, reducing the management overhead. With AVD, you only need to manage images, session hosts, licensing, and identities.

• Simplified image management: Bring your unique images to meet your application demands or choose pre-built images from a gallery, including pre-configured images for use in Windows Office Applications.

• Auto-scaling: Built-in autoscaling and shutdown features drive cost efficiencies when workloads are unused.

Azure Virtual Desktop Use Cases

As AVD is provided via various licensing options, including the ability to provide external user access via per-user access pricing, the service has several use cases, including:

• Remote working: The most obvious use case is allowing your employees to work from home or anywhere in the world from their devices or a company-provided device whilst still getting the same experience they would from an office without needing expensive hardware.

• Elastic workforces: AVD is great for elastic workforce requirements such as remote work, mergers, acquisitions, short-term employees, contractors and partner access.

• Specialised workloads: Via personal desktops, high-performance computing and options such as multi-screen support, AVD can support specialised workloads such as software development, financial applications, 3D modelling, graphics design, CAD and much more.

• Migrate to the cloud: Simplify your migration from traditional VDI solutions such as RDS and Citrix by bringing your current images into Azure and running them in AVD session hosts.

• Stream apps to external users: One benefit to the per-user external licensing option is that businesses of all sizes can now use AVD to stream applications to external users and customers in scenarios where customers traditionally need to host hardware infrastructure to access the application. See a case study of this use case in action.