Microsoft unveils Azure Virtual Desktop with new management features

The company is rebranding and renaming Windows Virtual Desktop in a bid for a more corporate product profile

This week Microsoft announced that it has rebranded its virtual desktop infrastructure platform under the Azure name. Previously known as Windows Virtual Desktop (WVD), the platform will now be known as Azure Virtual Desktop, Microsoft said.

The revamped platform has also been beefed up with new security and management capabilities. Azure Virtual Desktop, replete with its new feature set, is currently available in preview.

Kam VedBrat Microsoft’s Partner Group Program Manager, detailed the new release in a blog post.

“A modern VDI platform needs to be secure, scalable, and easy to manage, while delivering a seamless, high-performance experience to end users,” VedBrat says. “It should also empower organizations with the flexibility to customize and build solutions with its core technology.’

New platform capabilities for security and management

Microsoft are “continually adding new capabilities to the core Azure Virtual Desktop platform,” VedBrat explains. The new platform includes. for example, enhanced support for Azure Active Directory (coming soon in public preview). Users of the new product will also be able to manage Windows 10 Enterprise multi-session virtual machines with Microsoft Endpoint Manager (this feature is also available now in preview). The coming preview version will alsoi