The world has undeniably changed over the course of the past 18 months, and the way in which businesses function has not been immune. Now, with the wide availability of vaccines, some workers and employees are beginning to move back to the office. However, this does not mean the world will immediately go back to “business as usual” as 77% of employees would prefer to continue working remotely. This, combined with the organizational benefits of a permanent hybrid work environment, means that companies must find the right solutions for their workflows.
Most VDI platforms as a service, such as Windows Virtual Desktop (WVD), already existed pre-pandemic. But the rapid transition to remote work for many organizations in March and April of 2020 created an immediate demand for the right VDI platform, which meant that technology leaders like Microsoft needed to focus resources into these solutions. According to Microsoft, “a modern VDI platform needs to be secure, scalable, and easy to manage, while delivering a seamless, high-performance experience to end users.”
Now seeing this move to hybrid work environments as the norm and not a trend, Microsoft is rebranding their VDI platform from WVD to Azure Virtual Desktop. This is not, however, just a simple rebrand to the naming as Microsoft will be continually adding new capabilities to the product, such as:
As Microsoft continues to add capabilities to Azure Virtual Desktop, other companies will look to do the same with their VDI platforms. Regardless if organizations move permanently back to the office, stay remote, or choose a hybrid environment, VDI platforms offer security and flexibility to their employees, which will lead to productivity.