Since its release, Windows Virtual Desktop or WVD has been gaining heavy popularity, with multiple organizations looking to provide a great employee experience. WVD is sought after owing to its easy-to-use, accessible, updated security features platform that helps companies reduce a sizable amount in IT infrastructure.
Especially with the changing global environment and sudden shift to remote workforces, WVD is now, more than ever, essential for companies. So what exactly is it and why does your company need it?
What is Windows Virtual Desktop?
Developed by Microsoft, the Windows Virtual Desktop is a desktop and application virtualization service which effectively runs on the cloud. The cloud service used in Azure and running a WVD allows enterprises the following features:
- Setting up scalable multi-session Windows 10 deployment.
- Virtualize Microsoft 365 Apps
- Windows 7 Virtual Desktops with Extended Security, for enterprises who have not shifted to Windows 10.
- Access your Remote Desktop Services and Windows Server Desktops and applications with any computer.
- Virtualization of desktop and applications.
- Manage Windows 7, 10, and Windows Server desktops and apps through unified management.
- Extended security protocols are set in place to create a secure network with regular back-ups and upgrades.
When Does It Make Sense To Incorporate WVD into Your Enterprise?
A strong WVD setup’s use case can be observed when it comes to small businesses without the necessary resources. If a company is still developing and cannot dedicate resources to focus on IT, where cloud computing is appropriate from a cost and technological perspective, WVD can prove to be ideal.
Instead of a small business manager spending time deploying desktops, assisting employees with issues, installing applications, and managing networks, WVD can replace the mundaneness of this task. With Windows 10 Virtual desktops hosted in the cloud, a manager of a small business can place their efforts on big picture operations of the organization.
From a security standpoint, WVD provides in-built upgrades, tools, and functionality, something a small business can only do with a costly in-house IT team.
WVD is also a great option for contractors and partners that only require limited or occasional access to the company’s resources or data. Instead of issuing a computer or even VPN network access for random use, users can deploy WVD at any time necessary, from absolutely anywhere. This minimizes manual management and reduces costs as well.
WVD in addition to small businesses and contractors are more sought out by enterprises that encourage remote working. With representatives and employees working out of their usual workspaces, being connected to all company resources and having access to all centralized applications can benefit both employees and companies.
WVD is optimal for a simple, single virtual desktop image and organizations that have numerous images to support their employees across the enterprise. Especially if an organization is based on a large number of apps, they would strongly benefit from virtualization.
Challenges with Shifting to WVD
If you’re considering fully moving your organization to WVD, some challenges may arise. You will have to upgrade all your applications and processes to a digital format with the right signature. This essentially means you will have to convert all your EXEs and MSIs into MSIXs.
An issue that could cause distribution in your company’s workflow is having the cloud hosting server go down. Though most cloud providers offer high uptime, this could cause some damage. There also arises the reliance on Microsoft.
Windows compatible applications can easily make the transition to Windows Virtual Desktop, but a company needs to fully integrate all processes and apps into a Microsoft ecosystem for easy transitions and efficiency.
