Updated: May 11, 2026 (May 30, 2022)

Need to Know: Terms and Concepts for Understanding Microsoft VDI

Jim leads the Directions on Microsoft editorial team and has been writing about technology since the early 1990s. Most recently... more

Newer offerings like AVD and Windows 365 introduce capabilities that require updated terminology to describe virtual desktop hosting.

Some concepts specific to Windows Server Remote Desktop Services don’t cleanly map to newer services and capabilities.

Customers are still likely to see a confusing mix of terminology from Microsoft and other vendors like VMware and Citrix.

The terms used to describe hosting Windows desktops for remote users have changed over the last several years. In particular, some terms commonly used for Windows Server Remote Desktop Services (RDS) don’t accurately encompass Azure Virtual Desktop (AVD), and the release of Windows 365 adds new terms specific to that offering. This report describes terms and concepts as they’re used in recent reports, documentation, and product descriptions. However, organizations are likely to encounter previous terms and usage for the foreseeable future, including contracts with vendor-specific terminology.

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