Windows Virtual Desktop, Microsoft’s new Azure-based solution for running virtualized versions of Windows and Office securely is now generally available , the company announced today. The system supports Windows Mac, iOS, Android, and the web, and you can use Windows Virtual Desktop to run multiple Windows 10 sessions, access Windows Server Remote Desktop Services (RDS) desktops and apps. The software giant also optimized its new tool for Office 365 ProPlus with support for with multi-user virtual scenarios.
“To help increase productivity, we invested heavily in the Office experience in a virtualized environment with native improvements, as well as through the acquisition of FSLogix. In July, we made the FSLogix technology available to Microsoft 365, Windows 10 Enterprise, and RDS customers. Today, all FSLogix tools are fully integrated into Windows Virtual Desktop, enabling you to have the smoothest, most performant Office virtualization experience available today,” the company explained today.
As Windows 7 will reach end of support in January 2020, Microsoft is also positioning Windows Virtual Desktop as a new secure way to virtualize Windows 7 desktops, while using the carrot of free Extended Security Updates (ESU) until January 2023. This should be a great incentive for companies needing to keep supporting their legacy Windows apps during their transition to Windows 10. “General availability of Windows Virtual Desktop is just the beginning. We’ll continue to rapidly innovate and invest in desktop and app virtualization,” Microsoft said today. You just need a free Azure account to get started with Windows Virtual Desktop, and you can get more resources on this page.
