6 Enhancements to Microsoft’s WVD, Plus a New Name: Azure Virtual Desktop
Microsoft’s rebranding of WVD to Azure Virtual Desktop reflects expanded support for VMs.
June 11, 2021
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Partners and customers will be able to enroll virtual machines from any device that has AAD credentials to Azure Virtual Desktop. That will provide secure, managed control of those devices. Once a device’s VM is joined to AAD, it can be enrolled to Microsoft Endpoint Manager.
Kam VedBrat, Microsoft partner group program manager, noted that in some scenarios, this will reduce the need for a domain controller, which he said will help reduce cost and simplify deployment. A public preview of that feature is imminent.
The ability to enroll VMs with AAD credentials to AAD is a key milestone, according to VedBrat, but he described it as just the first step toward full integration. Capabilities in the pipeline will include support for single sign-on, additional credentials such as FIDO2 and Azure Files for cloud users.
Partners and customers will soon be able to enroll Windows 10 Enterprise multi-session Azure Virtual Desktop VMs so they can manage them in the Microsoft Endpoint Manager admin center just as they manage shared physical devices.
VedBrat noted that this is important because Microsoft Endpoint Manager provides policy management.
“This simplifies management and provides a centralized view across both physical devices and virtual desktops,” he explained, pointing to more details in Microsoft’s Windows 10 Enterprise multisession documentation. This feature is now available in preview.
Azure Virtual Desktop will soon be easier to onboard via the Azure portal. According to VedBrat, partners and customers will be able to deploy Azure Virtual Desktop within minutes with the new Quickstart support.
“This new experience will validate requirements, kick off an automated deployment, and will also implement best practices,” VedBrat noted. “With only a few clicks, you can set up a full Azure Virtual Desktop environment in your Azure subscription.”
Set for imminent public preview release, it will appear in the “Quickstart” of the Azure Virtual Desktop blade within the Azure portal.
Microsoft has added a new per-user, monthly pricing option to Azure Virtual Desktop for organizations that want to use it to distribute apps to external users. One use case for this option might be ISVs, which could use it to deliver their SaaS solutions to customers.
VedBrat identified Sage as one ISV that has endorsed this option. Besides the monthly user price for Azure Virtual Desktop, he said organizations must also pay for Azure infrastructure services based on usage.
Microsoft will offer the service free to partners streaming their first-party, or third-party apps starting July 14 through the end of the year. The promotion only applies to external use rights, VedBrat noted. Customers with existing Windows licenses including Microsoft 365 E3, Windows E3 or above should use those entitlements to stream to their employees, he added.
Pricing will kick in on January 1, 2022, as follows: $5.50 per user per month (Apps); and $10 per user, per month (Apps + Desktops).
A complete listing of pricing is available here.
In the Azure Marketplace, there are 115 solutions designed for Azure Virtual Desktop as of June 10. Among MSPs and deployment partners with Azure Virtual Desktop Advanced Specializations, there are currently 66. Among them: CDW Logistics, Convergent Computing, Coretek, Forsyte IT Solutions, Softchoice, SoftwareONE and Wipro.
In the Azure Marketplace, there are 115 solutions designed for Azure Virtual Desktop as of June 10. Among MSPs and deployment partners with Azure Virtual Desktop Advanced Specializations, there are currently 66. Among them: CDW Logistics, Convergent Computing, Coretek, Forsyte IT Solutions, Softchoice, SoftwareONE and Wipro.
Microsoft’s Windows Virtual Desktop (WVD), the cloud VDI service it launched nearly two years ago, is now Azure Virtual Desktop. Microsoft revealed the name change this week, along with several key enhancements and new pricing.
WVD, first previewed during the fall of 2018, became generally available more than a year later. Designed as a competitor to Amazon WorkSpaces, WVD has generated considerable buzz since Microsoft launched it. Besides offering a cloud-based desktop as a service, it was the first and only multisession Windows environment licensed by Microsoft.
Since Microsoft owns Windows, only it can grant a multisession license to a customer or partner. The WVD partners that provide enhanced DaaS offerings include Citrix, VMware, Igel, Liquidware, Nerdio and Workspot, to name a few. Microsoft and partners have reported increased demand for WVD since the pandemic necessitated organizations to have employees work from home.
Now, as hybrid work environments become permanent, Microsoft said it has a broader plan for WVD, resulting in new name. By rebranding WVD as Azure Virtual Desktop, it portends a cloud VDI environment beyond providing Windows workspaces.
Microsoft’s Kam VedBrat
“We are expanding our vision to become a flexible cloud VDI platform for nearly any use case — accessible from virtually anywhere,” according to the announcement posted by Microsoft partner group program manager Kam VedBrat. “A modern VDI platform needs to be secure, scalable and easy to manage, while delivering a seamless, high-performance experience to end users. It should also empower organizations with the flexibility to customize and build solutions with its core technology.”
The changes go beyond branding, though, he noted. Microsoft is rolling out new capabilities and pricing for app streaming. The slideshow above has a breakdown of six improvements to Microsoft WVD that explain why the company changed the name of its cloud DaaS offering to Azure Virtual Desktop.
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