Frequently asked questions about Azure Virtual Desktop (AVD)
What is Azure Virtual Desktop (AVD)?
Azure Virtual Desktop (AVD) is Microsoft’s cloud-based desktop and application virtualization platform. It allows users to securely access desktops and applications over the internet without the desktop environment or applications being located on the user’s own device. AVD offers organizations a flexible way to deliver desktops and applications as a centrally managed service.
How does Azure Virtual Desktop differ from a Windows 365-based Cloud PC?
The Windows 365-based Cloud PC provides users with a personal cloud workspace reserved for a single user. AVD, on the other hand, offers greater flexibility in implementing and scaling work environments, user groups, and applications. Both solutions leverage Microsoft’s cloud services, but their intended uses and management models differ. Cloud PCS helps you assess which solution is better suited to your organization’s user, application, and security requirements.
What types of use cases is Azure Virtual Desktop suitable for?
AVD is suitable for a wide range of uses, such as expert and office work, project teams, external users, and the implementation of centrally managed work environments. AVD is also used in situations where an organization has business-critical applications that run centrally in a server environment and where installing them on users’ end devices is neither practical nor possible. In such cases, applications can be delivered to users in a controlled manner through a virtualized environment, which simplifies maintenance, information security, and user management.
Where are AVD’s work environment and data located?
AVD’s work environments and data are located in the organization’s own Microsoft Azure environment. The organization can define operating models, access rights, and monitoring in accordance with its own security, management, and compliance requirements. Cloud PCS helps you design an AVD environment tailored to your organization’s needs.
Can AVD leverage the organization’s existing applications and systems?
Yes. AVD offers the opportunity to leverage an organization’s existing applications and systems as part of a modern work environment without having to modernize or migrate all applications to new operating models at the same time. This is useful in situations where business-critical applications run centrally in server environments or where their use requires a controlled operating environment. With AVD, applications can be delivered to users from a centrally managed environment, which simplifies maintenance, security, and user management.
Can AVD replace a Citrix or Omnissa environment?
In many cases, yes. AVD provides Microsoft’s native desktop and application virtualization platform, which enables organizations to evaluate the modernization of their existing virtualization environments. Cloud PCS helps compare the costs, licensing, management model, maintenance requirements, and user requirements of the current environment with the AVD solution. This comparison helps identify potential cost savings and simplifies environment management and maintenance without compromising the work environments or applications users need.
How is AVD’s information security implemented?
AVD leverages Microsoft’s identity and access management solutions, such as Microsoft Entra ID, multi-factor authentication (MFA), and conditional access. An organization’s own security policies, access models, and monitoring practices can be integrated into the environment. This allows for centralized management of work environments and applications in accordance with the organization’s own requirements.
How can Azure Virtual Desktop benefit an organization?
AVD helps centralize the management of work environments and applications, strengthen information security, and provide users with a consistent user experience across different devices. Organizations can scale their environments to meet their needs, centrally manage users and applications, and leverage existing systems more effectively as part of a modern work environment. At the same time, AVD provides a flexible foundation for a variety of user and application needs without tying work environment solutions to specific devices.