What is Azure Virtual Desktop (AVD)?

Windows Virtual Desktop (WVD) now known as Azure Virtual Desktop (AVD) is an Azure service that, combined with appropriate licenses, services, and resources, delivers a complete virtualized multi-user Windows 10 (or a single-user Windows 7) experience together with Microsoft 365 Apps for enterprise. AVD includes centralized management and monitoring; system administrators can quickly deploy and manage desktops, apps, and Windows servers in the Azure Cloud.

AVD helps businesses seamlessly scale their virtualization requirements while benefitting from the top-of-the-line security features on Azure along with the cost benefits of its subscription-based model. With AVD, users can enjoy a richer virtualization experience for accessing hosted applications when compared to the existing Windows Server-based Remote Desktop Services (RDS) platform that leverages Microsoft Partner community support for similar solutions.

Azure Virtual Desktop Plans and Pricing

Session
Based AVD

$90/mo.

 

  • 1 User
  • Grid-Powered vCPU
  • Fully-Burstable RAM
  • 50 GB Space

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Dedicated
Bronze AVD

$90/mo.

+$35/mo./user

  • Ideal for 1 User
  • 2 vCPU
  • 4 GB RAM
  • 100 GB Space

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Dedicated
Silver AVD

$155/mo.

+$35/mo./user

  • Ideal for 3 User
  • 2 vCPU
  • 8 GB RAM
  • 100 GB Space

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Key Features of Azure Virtual Desktop

For organizations exploring what is Azure Virtual Desktop and how it compares to traditional solutions, the platform stands out for its rich feature set designed to improve productivity, streamline management, and enhance security. Below are the core capabilities that make Azure Virtual Desktop an effective choice for businesses of all sizes.

Seamless Windows Experience

Users access a familiar Windows 11 interface that feels identical to a traditional desktop. This consistency helps employees adapt quickly and maintain productivity without retraining or workflow disruptions.

Optimized Microsoft 365 Integration

Applications like Outlook, Word, Excel, and especially Microsoft Teams are fully optimized for Azure Virtual Desktop, ensuring faster performance and smoother collaboration than older Windows Virtual Desktop Azure deployments or standard VDI setups.

Multi-Session Windows Capability

Azure Virtual Desktop supports multi-session Windows 10 and Windows 11 Enterprise. This unique capability allows multiple users to work simultaneously on the same virtual machine, reducing infrastructure costs while maximizing efficiency.

Flexible Compute Options

Businesses can choose from a wide range of virtual machines, including GPU-enabled options for graphics-heavy workloads such as engineering, 3D design, or video rendering. This flexibility helps organizations control costs by paying only for the resources they need.

Smart Session Management

Advanced session host creation, autoscaling, and built-in error mitigation make resource allocation more efficient. Logging and monitoring features allow IT teams to proactively manage workloads and minimize downtime.

Enhanced Multimedia and Teams Support

With hardware acceleration for HEVC/H.265 video encoding and optimized Microsoft Teams integration, audio and video performance is smoother across multiple platforms and devices.

Enterprise-Grade Security

Built on Microsoft’s Zero Trust framework, Azure Virtual Desktop incorporates Azure-native security controls, compliance certifications, and advanced identity protections. This ensures sensitive business data is safeguarded, meeting the stringent requirements of regulated industries.

FSLogix Profile Management

Azure Virtual Desktop leverages FSLogix technology for user profile management. Whether desktops are persistent or non-persistent, user settings, preferences, and data follow them seamlessly from session to session.

Cross-Platform Accessibility

Employees can log in from nearly any device, including Windows, macOS, iOS, Android, and Linux, or access desktops via modern web browsers using the HTML5 client. This broad compatibility supports remote workforces and diverse device environments.

Streamlined Deployment and Management

Administrators can set up, manage, and monitor environments using the Azure Portal, PowerShell, CLI, or REST API. Features like app groups, workspaces, and integrated monitoring provide a centralized way to simplify management.

Azure Virtual Desktop Architecture and Components

At its core, Azure Virtual Desktop runs on two layers: a Microsoft-managed control plane and a customer-managed data plane. This shared responsibility model simplifies management while giving businesses control over their workloads.

Control Plane (Managed by Microsoft)
Microsoft manages this foundational layer, providing the core services that orchestrate the AVD environment.

Web Access: Enables entry through HTML5 browsers or Remote Desktop clients without opening inbound ports.

Gateway: Routes secure RDP traffic via websockets, ensuring smooth firewall traversal.

Broker: Manages connections, load balancing, and session reconnections.

Diagnostics: Provides telemetry and event data for monitoring.

Extensibility: Offers REST APIs for management and integrations.

Data Plane (Managed by Customers)
Customers manage this layer, which hosts their applications, data, and user sessions, providing full control over performance, security, and configuration.

Session Hosts: Azure VMs running Windows 10/11 or apps.

Virtual Networks: Connect workloads and extend to on-premises via VPN or ExpressRoute.

Identity & Access: Managed through Microsoft Entra ID, with optional AD DS integration.

Workspaces & Host Pools: Group session hosts for app or desktop access. Pools can be pooled (shared VMs) or personal (dedicated VMs).

FSLogix Profiles: Store user settings on Azure Files or NetApp, ensuring persistence across sessions.

Ideal AVD Use Scenarios

Businesses of varying sizes (10-1000+) with a significant percentage of mobile staff working from different locations would find Azure Virtual Desktop an ideal solution. Here are some scenarios that benefit from AVD.

Security and Regulation Compliance

Financial Services, Healthcare, and Government sectors with their regulatory policies and rigorous security norms won’t have to worry about data privacy, security, and compliance on AVD.

Standardizing Operations

When businesses undergo mergers and acquisitions or have to work with contractor businesses, employees can be provided with AVD for standardizing operations.

Enabling Workforce Flexibility

Employees with BYOD and mobile staff, call center workforce, and branch employees working from different locations can work with a unified solution despite the differences in the devices they might be using to access the organization’s resources.

Specialized Workload Cases

Engineering & Designing companies, businesses using legacy applications in the IT sector for software development and testing often require unique solutions for deploying their unique workloads. Azure AVD is the perfect solution for handling such scenarios.

Azure Virtual Desktop Advantages

AVD offers serval advantages over traditional virtualization solutions.

Decreases costs
By moving their desktops and applications to Azure with AVD, businesses can efficiently manage their cost constraints for running virtual desktops with Windows OS such as Windows 10 and 7.

Windows 10 Virtual Desktop reduces costs in the cloud by allowing session-based desktops on Azure Virtual Machines (VMs) which results in improved utilization of costly resources. By simplifying licensing for the use of Windows 10 on AVD environment, and not requiring additional Client Access Licenses (CALs) for access, as a Server OS would require, the Microsoft licensing costs come down.

Companies that prefer Windows 7 on a desktop can continue getting free updates and support for Windows 7 for another three years, which expired in January 2020.

Improves flexibility
Moving Office IT infrastructure to the Cloud simplifies operations for both IT staff and the end-users.

End-users can access their desktops and applications from various devices and browsers. Office 365 applications have now been optimized to work with AVD, and the end-user experience is smoother.

After moving to the Cloud, IT staff do not spend as much time managing physical machines and local networks. All apps, data, and resources can move to the Cloud.

Desktop apps are easier to manage as AVD allows Windows 10 or Windows 7 OS. IT staff can generate persistent and personal desktops from desktop images.

In AVD, the user profiles and apps are stored in separate containers, and this can improve flexibility and scalability.

Superior Office 365 Compatibility
Other advantages of moving to Azure AVD is the availability of a virtually infinite variety of services and resources in the Cloud and better integration with Office 365 products. Office 365 products, themselves on the Microsoft Cloud, will see improved performance on AVD environments. Similarly, there would be improved performance of other applications that require minimum latency to the desktop. For graphics-intensive applications, virtual graphics processing is available.

Need Help Choosing Between Session and Dedicated?

Our technical team can assess your specific use case and recommend the best approach for your organization.

Persistent and Non-Persistent AVD

Azure Virtual Desktop supports the complete range of experiences including full desktop virtualization and application virtualization, persistent and non-persistent states as well as dedicated and multi-session modes.

Persistent virtual desktop infrastructure (stateful VDI) is a setup in which each user owns a virtual desktop whose settings and customizations are available to the user each time they log in. The consistency of user experience and familiarity with the customizations help users get accustomed to these virtual desktops faster.

On the flipside, persistent VDIs have high storage requirements primarily because of their customizations and more complex image management. With Azure AVD, there are fewer storage constraints than regular persistent VDI solutions. It also simplifies image management with a unified portal.

In the case of non-persistent VDIs, the data and settings on a virtual desktop are erased at the end of the session. Users will have a new image when they begin a session.

The primary advantage of a non-persistent VDI is that it requires much less space and is more easily managed. The ephemeral nature of the non-persistent VDI makes it an ideal solution for tasks that require more security.

With the inclusion of FSLogix technology, working on non-persistent AVD is nearly as user-friendly as a persistent solution with the ability to dynamically attach user-profiles to computing environments.

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Azure Virtual Desktop Implementation Requirements

While Azure Cloud takes away the headaches of dealing with physical machines, cabling, and network equipment; deploying Azure AVD requires at least mid-level system administration and networking skills, and familiarity with Azure services and resources.

Remember, when your resources are in the Cloud, they need to be managed in a manner that is different from on-premises resources. Unless you have such resources in-house, it is advisable to find a dependable Azure Cloud Service Provider to work with you.

Azure Virtual Desktop Components

When you are buying an Azure AVD subscription from Apps4Rent, here’s what you get as a part of the plan.

  • Subscription to Windows 10 Enterprise for each AVD user
  • Azure Active Directory (AAD) tenant
  • Active Directory Domain Services (AD DS) deployment
  • Azure subscription
  • File Server

Subscription to Windows 10 Enterprise

Azure Virtual Desktop Management Service and Windows 10 desktop OS are licensed via a subscription to Windows 10 Enterprise. Unlike a standalone solution when you would need an Office 365 or Windows 10 Enterprise license, you get a bundled solution with Apps4Rent. You can use the same per-user subscription license that comes with your plan.

Azure Active Directory
(AAD) tenant

For deploying and managing Azure Virtual Desktop and assigning to users to desktops/apps, an Azure Active Directory (AAD) tenant is required. This is included in our plan. The tenant gets a unique domain name called “Directory” or “Account”. Apps4Rent will provide and manage the tenant for you so that you can start working on AVD without worrying about its administration.

Azure Subscription

Azure subscription is required for creating and running Azure Virtual Desktop session host virtual machines (VMs). The subscription includes AVD Management Service, Windows 10 VMs, and infrastructure. The plans include the cost of all these components.

File Server

AVD uses FSLogix profile management technology to enhance, enable, and simplify pooled (non-persistent) Windows computing environments. The user profiles (encased in virtual hard disk files) are stored in a file server free from Windows 10 session host virtual machines. When a user is allocated a non-persistent/pooled desktop, the profiles (including the Search cache) remain available independent of the virtual desktop machine the user logs into. With Apps4Rent plans, user profile management is taken care of by Apps4Rent.

Profile Management in AVD

FSLogix replaces existing tools and solutions such as roaming profiles, folder redirection, and user profile disks from Microsoft and its partners and works seamlessly with AVD for user profile management.

Not only does it enhance control over settings and configurations for managing user interactions with their AVD solution but also improves end-user usability. When users customize their environment, FSLogix carries over the changes they have made to their profile to their next session. Our article on Azure Virtual Desktop profile management explains FSLogix in detail

Security Features

AVD is designed with so many security capabilities that will keep your business secure. Microsoft takes security very seriously, and thus it has invested over $1 billion on R&D associated with cybersecurity, and 3,500 security experts are assigned for data security and privacy. If you are looking for compliance, Azure has the most compliance certifications which will meet your compliance regulations such as HIPAA, IRS, CJIS, ISO/IEC, CSA/CCM, ITAR, and more.

In AVD’s deployment, Microsoft manages some parts of the services on behalf of the customer. The AVD service has many default sophisticated security features, such as Reverse Connect, which enhances the safety of remote desktops.

Components of AVD Environment

The Azure Virtual Desktop environment comprises of the components that relate to each other to form the setup.

  • Each AVD tenant can have one or more tenant groups.
  • Tenant groups have host pools that are collections of Azure Virtual Machines. These Azure VMs are registered as hosts for Windows Virtual Machines by running AVD Agents.
  • Each host pool can either comprise of personal virtual machines that are assigned to individual users, or pooled to allow access to users who have authorized an app group within the host pool.
  • These app groups comprise of logical segregations of Desktop applications (full desktop virtualizations) and RemoteApps (selective application deployments). These application groups are logically grouped and associated with workspaces for better app and desktop accessibility.
  • Although users can a part of multiple app groups which can be either desktop app groups or RemoteApp groups or their combinations, they can only launch one type of app group in a session.
  • To ensure that user sessions are optimally distributed across virtual machines, there are two load-balancing methods available at the host pool level. In the case of the breadth-first load balancing method, user sessions are equitably distributed in a host pool. The depth-first load balancing exhausts the session limit threshold before redirecting connections to a new session.

Working of Azure Virtual Desktop

  • A user establishes a connection with AVD from any compatible device using a Remote Desktop Gateway service.
  • An access token is generated using the Azure Active Directory that is managed using a Azure Virtual Desktop panel.
  • Azure Virtual Desktop agents running on session hosts establish a reverse-connection with the control panel.
  • After the gateway establishes a connection, authentication occurs using the AD domain for the client. Trusted devices can store these credentials for faster access.
  • Eventually, the local domain credentials are used by the FSLogix service to mount a virtual hard disk for the user profile on the session host.

Why Choose Apps4Rent?

With over a decade of experience, industry certifications, and thousands of satisfied customers, we’re the trusted choice for hosted virtual desktops.

AVD Timeline

Virtual Desktops as we know it today came into existence in 2009 with the use of a hypervisor for consolidating servers. Microsoft extended support for VMware’s new solution on Windows XP and Vista. Until 2010, Microsoft licensed Virtual Enterprise Centralized Desktop (VECD) license to run virtual desktops running on Windows. This changed with the launch of Virtual Desktop Access (VDA) license which reduced costs significantly and led to more users adopting VDI.

When Windows Azure became Microsoft Azure in 2014, the cloud services had been extended to include Azure RemoteApp, a platform as a service (PaaS) solution that was eventually retired in 2016 in favor of Self-managed (IaaS) and Fully managed (PaaS/SaaS) solutions. Parallelly, Windows 10 Enterprise was made available through Cloud Solution Provider (CSP) channel for Windows 10 Pro users with Azure AD subscription.

In 2017, Microsoft started working on the Remote Desktop Modern Infrastructure (RDmi) project that evolved into a Azure Virtual Desktop (AVD) as we know it today. With the acquisition of FSLogix in 2018, Microsoft simplified AVD provisioning and profile management.

In 2019 Microsoft AVD was made available in public preview and general availability in the latter half of the year. With the end of extended support for Windows 7 in January 2020, AVD has become one of the most preferred solutions for hosting legacy applications as well as a comprehensive solution for virtualizing desktops and applications running on Windows 10 and Windows Server.

Azure Virtual Desktop Timeline

September 2018

Microsoft introduced Azure Virtual Desktop as an end-to-end virtualization solution that was the only solution to offer multi-user Windows 10, and free ESU for virtualized Windows 7 desktops.

November 2018

Microsoft acquired FSLogix to facilitate the adoption of AVD and support hybrid implementation scenarios.

March 2019

The public preview of Azure Virtual Desktop was made available for Microsoft to work with more customers to improve the solution.

August 2019

AVD became a feature complete service and advanced into the final phase for General Availability.

September 2019 & April 2020

Microsoft made AVD generally available for worldwide customers.

In April 2020, Microsoft announced the Public Preview of the Azure Virtual Desktop Spring Update of 2020 major release.

As a part of the Azure Virtual Desktop Spring 2020 update, AVD has now been integrated into Azure Resource Manager thereby reducing the dependence on PowerShell, external tools, and web apps for resource management.

Additionally, it is now possible to redirect Microsoft Teams audio and video calls using AVD which reduces latency and improves call experience.

2021

Microsoft enhanced Azure Virtual Desktop with hardware acceleration for Teams to reduce CPU usage and improve call quality, and previewed the “Start VM on Connect” feature to simplify user access.

2022

RDP Shortpath for public networks reached general availability, improving session reliability, while AVD Insights at Scale entered preview to streamline monitoring across large deployments.

2023
Microsoft announced the deprecation of Azure Virtual Desktop (classic), requiring migration by 2026.

The latest FSLogix version began being included by default in Windows Enterprise multi-session images.

2024

Session host configuration and autoscaling were introduced in preview, making updates and resource management more efficient.

The Windows App became generally available to deliver secure AVD access across platforms.

2025

Support was added for assigning multiple personal desktops to a single user.

GPU-accelerated HEVC/H.265 video reached general availability for smoother multimedia performance.

Real-World Use Cases of Azure Virtual Desktop

When organizations ask what is Azure Virtual Desktop used for, the answer spans a wide range of practical scenarios. Businesses across industries are adopting this Microsoft virtual desktop platform to meet diverse needs:

Remote and Hybrid Work
Employees securely access corporate desktops and apps from any location or device, ensuring a seamless and consistent user experience.

Business Continuity and Disaster Recovery
Virtual desktops can be rapidly deployed during disruptions, keeping critical operations and resources accessible without delay.

Compliance and Security
Industries like healthcare, finance, and government benefit from centralized data control in the cloud to meet stringent compliance standards.

Legacy Application Support
Organizations can run older Windows 7 and server-based applications in a modern Windows virtual desktop environment without hardware investments.

Elastic and Temporary Workforce
Resources can be scaled up or down for contractors, seasonal staff, or project-based needs without the burden of additional infrastructure.

Specialized Workloads
GPU-enabled session hosts deliver the performance required for CAD, 3D modeling, and financial analytics, supporting advanced, compute-intensive tasks.

Azure Windows Virtual Desktop brings flexibility and scalability, making it a practical solution for enterprises balancing security, compliance, and modern workplace demands.

Difference Between Azure Virtual Desktop and Traditional VDI

Organizations weighing what is Azure Virtual Desktop often compare it with traditional virtual desktop infrastructure (VDI). While both solutions provide virtual desktops to end users, the underlying management, scalability, and cost structures are fundamentally different. The table below highlights the key distinctions between Microsoft Virtual Desktop solutions like Azure Virtual Desktop and legacy VDI setups:

Aspect Traditional VDI Azure Virtual Desktop (AVD)
Infrastructure Management Requires management of physical servers, storage, networking, hypervisors, and control plane. Microsoft Azure handles the control plane and infrastructure; IT teams focus only on VMs, OS images, and applications.
Scalability and Cost Model Capital-intensive with slow scaling tied to hardware procurement and deployment. Elastic and pay-as-you-go, scaling on demand without upfront capital expense.
Security Security responsibility lies entirely with the organization, including physical data center protection. Benefits from Microsoft’s cloud security, Zero Trust, and reverse connect technology, reducing attack surfaces.
User Experience and Performance Performance depends on local infrastructure and proximity to data centers. Global Azure regions reduce latency, with Windows 10/11 multi-session optimized for Microsoft 365 apps.
Licensing and Updates Requires additional licensing (e.g., Citrix) and manual patching. Licensing integrates with Microsoft 365, and updates are centralized in the cloud.
Management Complexity High complexity requiring specialized skills to maintain full stack. Simplified management with Microsoft handling monitoring, diagnostics, and scaling.

Azure Windows Virtual Desktop simplifies infrastructure while providing secure, scalable, and cost-effective desktop delivery. For organizations exploring what is Windows Virtual Desktop Azure and how it differs from traditional setups, AVD stands out as the modern alternative designed for today’s hybrid workforce.

Key Considerations Before Adopting Azure Virtual Desktop

Implementing Azure Virtual Desktop requires planning to ensure smooth deployment, cost efficiency, and a seamless user experience. Focus on these key areas:

Assessment of Current Infrastructure
Check hardware and network readiness, verify application compatibility, and map user personas and workloads to the right host pools, whether pooled or personal.

Cost Analysis and Licensing
Understand Azure consumption-based pricing and Microsoft 365/Windows licensing. Factor in migration costs and compare savings from reduced on-premises infrastructure against ongoing Azure operational expenses.

Data and Application Migration
Plan phased migrations with pilot testing, ensuring backup, redundancy, and disaster recovery. Assess app dependencies and latency requirements for smooth transitions.

Security, Compliance, and Identity
Use Microsoft Entra ID with conditional access and MFA, encrypt data in transit and at rest, and align deployments with HIPAA, GDPR, ISO, and other standards. Apply Zero Trust identity and access policies.

Integration with Other Cloud Services
Connect Microsoft 365, Azure Files, and Azure NetApp Files for unified data access. Leverage Azure Monitor, Security Center, and automation tools for performance, protection, and streamlined management.

Training, Support, and Maintenance
Train IT teams on Azure management and end users on platform access. Plan updates, patching, image lifecycle management, and establish proactive support processes.

By addressing these areas, organizations can confidently deploy Azure Virtual Desktop, maintain security and compliance, and deliver a reliable, high-performance virtual desktop experience.

How to Get Started with Azure Virtual Desktop

Getting started with Azure Virtual Desktop involves a few key steps to set up a secure and functional virtual environment:

Prepare Prerequisites
Ensure an active Azure subscription, appropriate Azure AD roles, and sufficient VM quota in your chosen region.

Register the Resource Provider
Enable Azure Virtual Desktop services within your subscription.

Create Host Pools and Workspaces
Set up session host VMs and organize them into workspaces for user access.

Deploy and Configure VMs
Choose the OS image, size VMs based on workloads, and configure networking, domain, and security settings.

Assign User Access
Connect users or groups to desktops and applications through application groups.

Enable Monitoring and Management
Use diagnostics and FSLogix for profile management, scaling, and ongoing maintenance.

Pilot and Rollout
Test with a small group before full deployment to refine performance and user experience.

Following these steps provides a clear path for understanding what is Azure Virtual Desktop used for and quickly getting a virtual desktop environment running for your organization.

Conclusion: Is Azure Virtual Desktop Right for You?

For organizations evaluating what is Windows Virtual Desktop Azure or exploring alternatives to traditional VDI, AVD stands out with simplified management, reduced infrastructure overhead, and the ability to scale resources dynamically. Built-in security, FSLogix profile management, and global Azure availability ensure a reliable experience for both IT teams and end users.

Choosing AVD allows your organization to focus on productivity rather than managing complex on-premises environments. As a Microsoft Solutions Partner, Apps4Rent provides comprehensive Azure services, including fully managed deployment, licensing, and profile management. Their expertise helps teams adopt Azure Virtual Desktop efficiently while maximizing performance and reliability.

If your organization values flexibility, scalability, and secure access to desktops and applications across any device or location, Azure Virtual Desktop with Apps4Rent’s managed Azure services is a solution worth considering.

Case Studies of Our Azure Virtual Desktops Across Industries

See how businesses across various industries have transformed their operations with our Azure Virtual Desktop solutions.

ITES/IT

How a Tech Firm Managed Its Business Continuity During
COVID-19

Maplewood, New Jersey

Apps4Rent migrated legacy communication systems and IT infrastructure to Azure in a record time without disrupting business.

42%
Cost Reduction
99.9%
Uptime

Energy

How An Energy Company Migrated to Azure to Serve Its Customers Better

Marlow, Wycombe

A British energy services company leveraged Azure Virtual Desktop on Azure as its solution for cloud-first strategy.

65%
Faster Deployment
50%
Hardware Savings

Education

Redesigning Career Planning App on Azure to Get High Availability

Ohio, USA

How an Ohio-based education company implemented Azure for its LMS to get High Availability solutions.

100%
Compliance
2x
Capacity

Web Design

Web Designers
 

Bay Area, SFO

The designers and developers team wanted their work to be available for review to all the stakeholders from different locations through virtual desktops on the cloud, while ensuring data security and safety.

75%
Faster Reviews
100%
Data Security

More Resources

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

  1. What is the difference between Azure Virtual Desktop and a Virtual Machine (VM)?
    A single VM is a standalone computing resource. Azure Virtual Desktop is a complete cloud service that uses groups of VMs (session hosts) to deliver and manage secure, scalable virtual desktops and applications to multiple users simultaneously.

  2. What is the purpose of a virtual desktop?
    A virtual desktop provides a user with a remote, cloud-hosted computer environment. Its purpose is to allow secure access to apps, data, and a full desktop experience from anywhere, on any device, while centralizing management and security for IT teams.

  3. Is Azure Virtual Desktop a server or a cloud service?
    Azure Virtual Desktop is a fully managed cloud service (Platform-as-a-Service). Microsoft manages the core control plane infrastructure like gateways and brokers, while customers manage their own session host virtual machines and data within the Azure cloud.

  4. How does Azure Virtual Desktop compare to Citrix or VMware Horizon?
    Azure Virtual Desktop is a native Microsoft cloud service with deeply integrated security and Microsoft 365 optimization. Unlike traditional solutions like Citrix or VMware, it eliminates the need to manage complex on-premises connection brokers and infrastructure, often at a lower total cost.

  5. How much does Azure Virtual Desktop cost per user?
    Azure Virtual Desktop pricing is consumption-based, not a flat per-user fee. Costs primarily include the Azure virtual machines for session hosts, storage, and networking. You must also have a qualifying Windows or Microsoft 365 license per user. The total Azure Virtual Desktop cost varies with usage and VM size.

  6. Do I need Windows 10 or 11 Pro to use Azure Virtual Desktop?
    No. Users access Azure Virtual Desktop through a client app or browser. The required licensing is provided through a Windows Enterprise subscription (included with Microsoft 365 E3/E5 or available separately) that covers the virtual desktop, not the local device OS.

  7. Can Azure Virtual Desktop be used for remote employees or hybrid workforces?
    Yes, it is ideal for remote and hybrid work. Employees can securely access their full corporate desktop and applications from any location using a wide range of devices, including personal computers, tablets, and smartphones, ensuring a consistent experience.

  8. What are the licensing requirements for Azure Virtual Desktop?
    Each user needs a qualifying license, such as Microsoft 365 E3/E5, Windows 11 Enterprise, or Windows 10 Enterprise. These licenses provide the rights to access the multi-session Windows desktop and Microsoft 365 Apps in the virtual environment.

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