As organisations increasingly embrace remote and hybrid work environments, choosing the right virtual desktop solution has become a key decision for IT leaders. One of the most common questions we receive on Azure projects is, “How do I decide between Azure Virtual Desktop (AVD) and Windows 365 (W365)?” The answer isn’t always straightforward, as the best choice depends on your organisation’s unique needs, workflows, and future plans.
At Cloud Collective, we specialise in helping clients navigate this decision by conducting a thorough discovery and assessment process. This approach allows us to recommend a solution tailored to your business’s specific requirements. Whether you choose AVD, W365, or a combination of both, our expertise across a variety of business environments ensures we deliver the best outcomes for your team.
Azure Virtual Desktop: Empowering Secure and Seamless Access
Azure Virtual Desktop (AVD) is a cutting-edge cloud-based desktop and app virtualisation service, offering scalable, flexible environments for deploying and managing virtual desktops. AVD provides users with access to their desktop and applications from any location, while IT teams benefit from simplified centralised management.
By leveraging AVD, organisations can streamline their desktop deployment process, reducing IT overheads and enhancing accessibility for their teams. Virtual workspaces can be created that sync with real-time data and are fully integrated into the cloud, offering robust data management, protection, and compliance across all digital environments. With built-in proactive threat detection and mitigation, AVD ensures that confidential information and business-critical applications remain secure, regardless of the device being used.
Our Approach to AVD
Azure Virtual Desktop offers unparalleled flexibility for your teams, allowing users to experience their desktop environment on any device, from anywhere. Our comprehensive approach includes:
- Virtualisation of Desktops and Apps: We help you efficiently virtualise both desktops and applications, assigning them to the right users while ensuring optimal performance.
- Optimised Application Delivery: Tailor the app environment for different user groups, improving performance and experience.
- Lower Operating Costs: Maximise resources by pooling multi-session environments, reducing the number of virtual machines needed, and ultimately lowering costs.
- Reduce CAPEX: AVD minimises capital expenditure by extending the life cycle of your hardware and decreasing the need for costly upgrades.
- Custom Host Pools: Publish as many host pools as required to support your diverse workloads and operational needs.
- Unified Management: Provide your administrators with a simplified management experience, streamlining their tasks and reducing complexity.
AVD enables organisations to harness the full potential of cloud technology while reducing the costs associated with traditional infrastructure. It’s ideal for businesses looking to scale flexibly while maintaining high levels of security and control.
Windows 365: Investing in the Future of Work
Windows 365 (W365) offers an innovative solution for delivering consistent end-user experiences across all devices, an essential requirement in today’s highly mobile and dynamic work environments. By connecting teams to virtual PCs that cater to their evolving needs, Windows 365 ensures that employees can work efficiently and securely from any location.
W365 empowers organisations to leverage the cloud for seamless computing experiences, combining the familiarity of the Windows operating system with the power and security of Microsoft’s cloud infrastructure. It simplifies IT management by providing a centralised, cloud-based framework that reduces the burden on internal IT teams while ensuring that data and devices are secure and compliant.
Unlocking Your Cloud Potential with Windows 365
Our goal is to deliver the complete Windows experience from the Microsoft Cloud to any device within your organisation, allowing your teams to work freely and flexibly across a variety of devices. Key benefits of Windows 365 include:
- Enhanced Security: By leveraging the Microsoft cloud, Windows 365 ensures continuity and security across both bring-your-own-device (BYOD) and remote working environments. Advanced security features, including multi-factor authentication and data centralisation in the cloud, help to protect sensitive information.
- Scalable Computing: Windows 365 offers easy scalability, allowing computing resources to be adjusted as needed to meet the changing demands of your workforce.
- Simplified Deployment and Management: With Microsoft Endpoint Manager, administrators can manage both physical and virtual endpoints through a unified console, streamlining deployment and freeing up IT resources for more strategic initiatives.
- Increased Data Protection: By centralising data in the cloud, Windows 365 enhances risk management, ensuring that critical information remains secure within the cloud rather than on local devices.
- Improved Security and Compliance: W365 offers a centralised approach to managing security, identity, and compliance, ensuring that your organisation meets regulatory requirements while maintaining robust security across all endpoints.
- Rapid Setup and Deployment: Stream Windows experiences to any supported device with ease, providing teams with fast access to personalised cloud storage and secure devices.
- Predictable Pricing: Windows 365’s fixed monthly per-user pricing allows organisations to accurately forecast costs, eliminating the unpredictability associated with maintaining on-premises data centres.
Choosing Between AVD and Windows 365
Both Azure Virtual Desktop and Windows 365 offer powerful virtual desktop solutions, but each is designed to serve different business needs. AVD excels in delivering flexible, scalable virtual environments tailored for organisations with complex workloads and diverse operational requirements. Windows 365, on the other hand, is ideal for businesses seeking a consistent, user-friendly cloud PC experience with predictable pricing and straightforward management.
The right solution for your organisation depends on several factors, including your business goals, IT resources, security requirements, and scalability needs. Our team at Cloud Collective is here to guide you through this decision, ensuring that the solution you choose aligns with your strategic objectives and maximises the benefits of your investment in Microsoft technologies. .
