Desktops in the cloud: powering organisations to work from home
The lasting impact of the pandemic has put IT teams under pressure to provide excellent user experiences to staff working remotely long term.
As a result, we’ve seen productivity suites such as Microsoft Office and Google Workspace become essential workplace tools. Still, they are just one piece of that user experience puzzle.
Now that remote productivity and collaboration are the norm, IT managers should explore the benefits of a cloud-based virtual desktop. A virtual desktop allows applications and resources to be made readily available to any user with an internet connection. If we consider the two largest public cloud platform providers; Amazon and Microsoft, which option might be the best fit for you?
Azure Virtual Desktop
This virtual desktop and application service runs on Microsoft’s public cloud (Azure). It provides an agile and secure means to deliver Windows 10 and 11 desktops to users. The service can also be used to complement a remote worker’s existing computing experience by securely streaming specific applications to users away from the office.
Azure Virtual Desktop provides application streaming for apps and intensive hardware with ease, making working from home more productive. You can also control when users access and scale back when needed, so you only pay for what you use.
Windows 365 Enterprise
For a more straightforward way to deliver Windows desktops to a distributed workforce, Windows 365 is a good choice. For example, suppose you already manage your workplace using Microsoft Endpoint Manager and have eligible licenses. In that case, you can purchase Windows 365 Enterprise cloud PCs for a fixed monthly cost.
Windows 365 allows your employees to collaborate as if they were using a PC in the office or typical work environment and is designed to integrate closely with apps like Teams and OneDrive. Data is centralised within the cloud to mitigate leaks or risks, and users will have the ability to work from anywhere, even on personal devices.
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Azure Labs Services
On the other hand, if you need a way to manage virtual computing environments for researchers, Azure Lab Services is a good option that focuses on ease of use. It controls the storage and networking required to provide a fleet of virtual machines to those who usually use physical computing labs.
Azure Labs Services is also flexible, with options to configure virtual machine specifications. You can use Linux and Windows operating systems, customise machine images, and use a dashboard to keep track of usage and costs. Microsoft provides a useful comparison of Azure Virtual Desktop and Azure Labs Services here.
Amazon Workspaces
WorkSpaces is a managed, secure Desktop-as-a-Service solution. It’s convenient if you need to provide Linux and Windows desktops to staff, and you can scale the service to cater to the number of users you need to support. In addition, there is no upfront commitment like most Amazon Web Services; you pay either by the hour or each month.
Amazon AppStream 2.0
AppStream 2.0 allows you to deliver applications via streaming technology. This service is adequate for streaming corporate apps via the cloud and provides specialist or hardware-intensive applications to Chromebooks, Macs and PCs.
Jisc has a wealth of experience implementing these cloud-based desktops and application streaming solutions.