Microsoft rebrands Windows Virtual Desktop as Azure Virtual Desktop
With remote working on the rise, cloud services and virtual desktop solutions have become increasingly important. This has been the case for Microsoft’s Windows Virtual Desktop since its public release about a year-and-a-half ago.
Originally targeted at enterprise users, Microsoft now has a broader vision for its cloud VDI platform. As such, Microsoft is adding new capabilities to the services, tweaking pricing, and rebranding it as Azure Virtual Desktop.
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A new capability that's already available for testing in preview is the ability to manage Windows 10 Enterprise multi-session virtual machines with Microsoft Endpoint Manager. But there is more to come. A new QuickStart experience will help to streamline the onboarding process, and there will also be enhanced support for Azure Active Directory.
In addition to the expanded features and new name, there's also a new pricing structure incoming. As of January 1, 2022, users can subscribe for app streaming at a cost of $5.50 per user per month, with this increasing to $10 per user per month for apps and desktops.
From July 14 until this date, however, it is possible to access additional features free of charge.
Full details of the changes can be found in this post on the Microsoft Azure blog.
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