WHERE WE NEED OF WINDOWS 365 OR AZURE VIRTUAL DESKTOP TECHNOLOGY!
The difference is that Windows 365 subscriptions reside fully in Microsoft’s Azure subscription and are fully managed by Microsoft at fixed costs. Meanwhile, Azure Virtual Desktop (AVD) is entirely customer-managed with flexible consumption-based pricing.
Remote and hybrid work environments are on the rise. Last year, When Pandemic outbreak raises the growing need for flexible workspaces, Microsoft introduced Windows Virtual Desktop, a full suite Virtual Desktop Interface that integrated seamlessly with Microsoft’s Modern Workplace and could be built on Azure for role-based access control and cost control. Realizing that Windows Virtual Desktop was not the best fit for all customers, Microsoft broke the product out into Windows 365 and Azure Virtual Desktop. While each experience is still seamlessly integrated into the Microsoft technology suite, there are key differences that help different sets of customers.
Computing:
Azure Virtual Desktop session hosts are normal VMs (Virtual Machines), deploying the full power of Azure VD in an impressively flexible package. Whereas VMs are commonly dedicated to one specific user (or “pooled desktops” which allow multiple users to routinely access a VM), AVD session hosts have the ability to serve up personal desktops. Customers assume computing expenses because these VMs function under the customer’s Azure subscription. Pricing procedures for Azure computing are based on usage, which means that users can reduce AVD and VM environment costs by a significant margin with the help of auto-scaling.
Windows 365 Cloud PC is a cloud-based service that lets organizations offer their employees a full Windows OS experience over the internet it is virtual machine solely dedicated to a single user Such as personal desktops in AVD. The VMs use a Microsoft Azure subscription, which is the customer’s responsibility for computing expenses. Windows 365 Cloud PC is licensed under a “Windows 365 Cloud PC” license. And so, it operates via a fixed per-user/per-month price plan. It was designed with ‘simplicity’ in mind, to give a personalized Windows experience on any device.
Storage:
Azure Virtual Desktop session host VMs need OS disks attached to them. Such disks can be any type as long as it’s Azure managed (like Premium SSD, Standard SSD, or Standard HDD)—and even Ephemeral OS disks. IT admins gain total flexibility regarding the type and size of OS disk utilized. Auto-scaling also comes into play because it allows users to convert SSD disks to cheaper HDD disks when VMs are off.
Windows 365 Cloud PC is loaded with a predefined amount of local SSD storage by default. Storage costs are included in the cloud PC M365 license, and the OS disk object can be found via Microsoft’s Azure subscription. This means customers aren’t responsible for any Azure storage expenses. Flexibility regarding the type of storage used, as well as auto-scaling, aren’t available. Windows 365 Cloud PC does not utilize FSLogix, and user profiles are “native”
Windows 365
Windows 365 is built as a SaaS within Azure
Windows 365 is simpler to deploy and manage
Windows 365 lets the user use the Virtual Desktop like their own personal Cloud PC
Users need dedicated desktops 24×7 access – Because Windows 365 licenses are purchased as a monthly subscription based.
Azure Virtual Desktop
If you have number of users per month, of different groups, AVD is best option to save money because you only pay for what you use.
AVD allows you to use any set of apps, even custom-built apps for Windows environment.
AVD allows you to set up groups with tiered permissions.
AVD costs are determined by the number of concurrent users, pooled AVD desktops can range from 50-60% cheaper than Windows 365,
It also has option for auto-scaled personal AVD desktops can be 10% cheaper than Windows 365, as long as the desktops are used less than 50 hours per week.
Windows 365’s virtual desktops function as Cloud PCs, a single-user desktop application that uses Azure for virtual desktop deployment and storage. It resides in Microsoft’s Azure cloud and is fully managed by Microsoft. Microsoft charges a fixed licensing cost per user per month — similar to leasing a physical PC — so customers pay for it whether it is in use for 50 or 500 hours. For this reason and a few others, Azure Virtual Desktop is more flexible and may be more efficient for large organizations.
Windows 365 has two core licensing options: Business and Enterprise. There are also four sub-options that these cores can be broken into — basic, standard, premium and custom.
The Enterprise option does not have the 300-user limit that Business does, and both have the same price per user.
Another critical feature of Windows 365 is that it runs in a Microsoft Managed Azure subscription, which adds the following considerations to the decision:
Organizations with an existing subscription cannot add Windows 365 to the current subscription.
Windows 365 offers very little flexibility compared to Azure Virtual Desktop.
It does not support Windows 10 or 11 Enterprise multi-sessions.
Windows 365 has the following cost and licensing requirements as well:
An Intune license, charged per user is required.
An active Azure subscription is required.
Fees are determined per named user, customers will have to pay the fee whether the Cloud PC is in use or not. For comparison, AVD is a pay-as-you-go service and only charges customers for the time and resources that they use.
Azure Active Directory (AD)Domain Services is not supported.
Azure AD Connect is required.
A Windows 365 Cloud PC license, Business or Enterprise edition, is required.
A Windows 10 or 11 licenses is required.
Other difference between Azure Virtual Desktop & windows 365 are as below:
Personal desktop Azure’s personal desktop functions similarly to Windows 365 Cloud PCs but offers the flexibility of pricing ‘as you go.’ It also allows for Windows 10 or 11 multiple user sessions. With the personal desktop approach, IT can do the following:
Run existing Remote Desktop Servicesand Windows server desktops and apps to any computer
Enable virtualization for both desktop and apps
Support Windows 7, 10, 11 and Windows Server desktops in a unified manner.
Published pool desktop The pooled desktop, or personal host pool, is a collection of nodes that an app runs on with a one-on-one relationship — user to desktop. This approach is ideal for resource-intensive workloads. For instance, if a particular project has some compute-intensive requirements such as 3D design, IT can create a pool of nodes with those requirements and assign them to users. The settings, profile and data changes are still present after logout. IT can create these nodes manually or in batch and organize them in any way it needs. There is no limit to the number of pools. IT can easily scale published pool desktops, allowing the admin to add or reduce capacity.
The pay-as-you-go pricing model allows customers to pay for compute time rather than pay hourly. If a user runs that virtual desktop for 9 hours a day for 5 days, the customer would pay for 45 hours. If there is a 3-day holiday and the AVD is not in use, there is no charge, unlike the per-user model in Windows 365.
The Azure Virtual Desktop requirements include the following:
a Windows OS license;
access to Azure Active Directory;
an Azure subscription;
Users sourced from the same AD connected to Azure AD.
WHICH IS RIGHT FOR YOUR ORGANIZATION: WINDOWS 365 OR AZURE VIRTUAL DESKTOP?
Many having in their mind that which of these technologies is right for their business goals. Some of the calculator includes the following:
A Cloud PC environment versus a comparably-sized AVD environment showed 11% savings for Windows 365 over a 3-year instance.
Assuming a 50-hour workweek, the AVD pay-as-you-go and power off model is 9% cheaper than Cloud PCs.
AVD pooled desktops with reserved instances (RI) and multi-session hosts running 24/7 on three-year RI is 53% cheaper than Windows 365 running the same workload.
A deployment with users working 50 hours per week on pooled AVD with auto-scaling is 58% cheaper than a similar Windows 365 deployment would be.
Windows 365
Focused on giving users a Windows experience no matter where they are or what device they are on, Windows 365 is a dedicated machine in the cloud for each user. Applications are installed on the Cloud PC just like the user’s laptop/desktop or any other device – all with unified security and end-to-end management wrapped around it to make it a smooth experience for both IT and users.
Logging on can be accomplished by the RDS (Remote Desktop Services) Client – just like you use to connect to AVD – or users can connect any device running any operating system via a web browser. Now a days Microsoft is offering an additional 16% discount to customers purchasing the Windows 365 Business that have valid Windows 10 Pro licenses – make sure to choose the Windows 365 with Hybrid Benefit option.
The Key Features of Windows 365
All Microsoft 365 software, tools, and apps are accessible at any time or location
Teams can collaborate and work on one project simultaneously—be it PowerPoint, Excel, or Microsoft Word
Microsoft 365 greatly enhances employee engagement, knowledge sharing, problem-solving, trouble-shooting efficiency, and more
Microsoft 365 offers two convenient pricing plans: Business and Enterprise. The Business plan supports up to 300 users, whereas the Enterprise plan offers support for an unlimited volume of users
The Key Features of Azure Virtual Desktop
• Affordable, flexible, and scalable virtual environments;
No need to invest in single gateway servers to manage multiple host pools and run simultaneous workloads;
Decreased expenditure by activating several session resources simultaneously;
Users can assign roles and collect data for workflow configuration and error analysis;
No need to expose inbound ports to create user accounts;
Find helpful tutorials on the PowerShell module (as well as utilize said tutorials to create and edit host-pool types);
Build, locate, edit, or remove access to: apps, documents, and programs via the Representational State Transfer
Conclusion
Windows 365 is a fixed-price monthly SaaS service design for simple usage and management. Azure Virtual Desktop, billed on usage, is a highly configurable virtualization solution offering complex capabilities in trade for higher overhead requirements.
If you need additional assistance regarding which virtual desktop solution is right for you, feel free to reach out to us on https://techplustalent.com we are Microsoft Partner in Cloud Platform and Productivity, our cloud experts will available for your help 24×7.