Azure Virtual Desktop (AVD) is a set of technologies from Microsoft Azure allowing IT professionals to create virtual desktops and remote apps in Azure and publish them to users who can access them from their own devices. Since AVD is in the cloud, you can depend on it to always be up-to-date, secure, and highly scalable.
According to studies by the International Workplace Group (IWG), more than two-thirds of global employees worked remotely at least once per week, and 50% for up to half of the work week – and that was before the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Virtual Desktop solutions have proven quite valuable, as they can be accessed from any modern, internet-connected device regardless of the operating system. Virtual desktops are an appealing option to employers as they provide additional benefits such as time and cost savings, increased security, and improved employee efficiency. This article will explore 4 benefits of leveraging Azure's Virtual Desktop in your remote or hybrid-work organization.
1. Cost Savings
Virtual Desktops in Azure are highly beneficial as they reduce high-impact desktop management expenses and the need for in-house virtual desktop infrastructure, along with overall support costs. Azure manages the underlying infrastructure, eliminating your need for dedicated hardware and software licenses, and allowing you to leverage existing Microsoft licenses for AVD access.
Plus, Azure Virtual Desktop offers the ability to optimize costs with multi-session capabilities, so you can get the most out of the virtual environments you pay for while only paying for what's in use.
2. Enhanced Security
Azure Virtual Desktop offers the same enhanced security embedded in Microsoft Azure, including confidential computing, encryption, scalable firewall protection, and more. Core identity management capabilities like Microsoft Entra ID single sign-on (SSO), multi-factor authentication, and access management help protect data from theft, loss, or unauthorized access.
Microsoft prioritizes security, and their cloud solutions are often patched against new and evolving cybersecurity threats before vulnerabilities are published to the public, so you can trust that Azure systems are up to date and in compliance with security regulations set by the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) and other industry-specific standards. Enjoy peace of mind knowing that your confidential computing data in Azure Virtual Desktop is is safeguarded by your Microsoft's best practices, plus your trusted IT team or MSP.
3. Increased Workplace Flexibility
Since many organizations now balance a combination of onsite and remote work across teams, you’ll be relieved to know that your teams can remotely access files at any time to complete work. AVD creates an environment that enables both your remote workforce and in-office team members, allowing your employees to work from anywhere.
Additionally, with AVD your organization can more easily implement Bring Your Own Device (BYOD) policies that allow employees to use personal devices to connect to organizational networks and access work-related systems more securely. Due to its enhanced security measures, AVD makes it easy to preserve corporate security and compliance even from personal devices.
Regardless of whether your users work on company-issued equipment or personal devices, Azure's high availability, resiliency, and fault-tolerant configuration capabilities can help reduce the impact of outages or downtime.
4. Improved Business Continuity and Disaster Recovery
Disaster recovery has become an essential part of IT management. According to MSP360, only 21% of small to mid-sized organizations have a full disaster recovery plan. With Azure Virtual Desktop, key employee operations and data can be stored and accessed in a centralized location – secure, backed up regularly, and easy to recover in case of incident.
As described above, distributed infrastructure like AVD can help create high-availability, resilient business systems so localized outages don't disrupt your entire workforce.
Work with Five Nines to Implement Azure Virtual Desktop for Your Organization
As a full-service IT and managed services provider, Five Nines partners with your IT team to efficiently manage the entire process from hardware, licenses, and lifecycle management, to end-user support and security. We pride ourselves on taking on the complex aspects of your business IT, so you can focus on the work that matters most.
Using Azure Virtual Desktop can save your organization time, money, and help streamline your team's workflows.
