Windows Virtual Desktop to Offer Managed VDI in Azure

• Windows Virtual Desktop will offer Azure-hosted Windows desktops on Microsoft-managed infrastructure.
• The service could reduce infrastructure and management costs of centralized Windows desktops compared to current deployment options.
• Some licenses for the service will be bundled in Microsoft 365 and Windows Enterprise subscriptions.
• Azure usage charges could make costs for the service unpredictable.

Windows Virtual Desktop (WVD), expected to enter public preview in late 2018, will provide a managed service for hosting virtual desktops in Azure.

Managed VDI and RDSH in Azure

WVD will offer a managed service hosted in Azure that can deploy, manage, and scale virtual desktop infrastructure (VDI) and Remote Desktop Services (RDS) session host environments within a customer’s Azure tenancy. Windows VDI and RDS session host technologies enable user desktops to run centrally on servers in a data center to reduce overall client management costs, better secure data, and deliver Windows applications to tablets, smartphones, and other devices.