With the release of Microsoft Azure Virtual Desktop (formerly Windows Virtual Desktop) and the availability of Day 1 support from Citrix, we’re excited to talk about all of the great work Citrix and Microsoft have done together to bring this solution to our customers.

It’s an exciting time because we now have a new Windows 10 multi-session virtual app and desktop delivery model, in addition to the hundreds of use cases supported by multi-session Windows RDSH and single-session Windows VDI. However, WVD is more than just a new way to deliver Windows 10. It includes several enhanced benefits using the capabilities of Citrix Workspace.

WVD also includes free Microsoft Extended Security Updates (ESU) for Windows 7 VDI deployed in Azure. These workloads won’t be in Azure overnight, and some apps may need to stay on-premises. Citrix Workspace enables hybrid-cloud management across multiple data centers and Azure regions. With legacy and modern OS support, using the Citrix Virtual Apps and Desktops service, our consulting team often works with customers to the prepare for the transition of legacy apps to Microsoft ESU on Azure while planning for rollout of modern a Microsoft OS. While licensed differently, a similar process can also be used for Windows 2008 R2! Using Citrix App Layering, modern OS images can be prepared for hybrid cloud with platform layers for Azure and on-prem hypervisors and scaled using Citrix Machine Creation Services or Citrix Provisioning. By supporting both modern and legacy, an organization can maintain consistent access without sacrificing user experience.

Another big part of WVD are enhancements to the Office 365 experience through FSLogix Office 365 containers. Citrix Workspace fully supports FSLogix and builds upon the Office 365 experience with Skype for Business and Microsoft Teams optimizations for virtual environments. Profile containers are also another key component of FSLogix, but roaming profiles and folder redirection are just a small piece of managing user experience. Granular policy control using Citrix Workspace Environment Management (WEM) service provides robust capabilities to address items such as printer and network drive mappings, registry keys, and app shortcuts, using filtering based on user group, resource type, or location to name a few.

Citrix TIPs Webinar: Citrix on Azure – Azure Virtual Desktop

These topics comprise just a small piece of the capabilities and integrations of Citrix Workspace and Microsoft WVD. Join Microsoft’s Jeff Mitchell, Sr. Cloud Solution Architect, and me during our Technology in Practice webinar on Thursday, October 10, to explore Citrix Workspace and WVD in greater detail. We will explore Azure Virtual Desktop and its implementation using Citrix Workspace by covering an overview of WVD, key Citrix integration steps, and deployment planning including scalability data for multi-session Windows 10, Windows Server 2016, and Windows Server 2019.

Citrix on Azure: Azure Virtual Desktop
Date: Thursday, October 10
Time: 9 a.m. ET and 2 p.m. ET
Register now

— Kevin Nardone, Sr. Enterprise Architect – Citrix Professional Services