Exploring Microsoft's latest Desktop as a Service offerings

This episode is sponsored by Columbus. Microsoft has made some important updates to its desktop-as-a-service lineup this year, with the launches of Windows 365 and Azure Virtual Desktop (AVD). To help make sense of the differences, the strengths of each, and how they stack up in the broader marketplace, we are joined  by Jason Valenzano, senior technical solution architect for managed services at Columbus. Jason walks us through some of the  details and differentiating factors of Microsoft's virtual desktop offerings and where organizations can best apply each one today. Factors like onboarding and the complexity of the surrounding IT environment, including security and hybrid needs should be at the top of the list, he says. But don't underestimate the employee experience benefits of the right desktop as a service offering like the flexibility of work location, streamlined IT support, and choice of the devices people can use to get work done. Show Notes: 2:00 - Defining desktop as a service 3:30 - What is Windows 365 and what does it mean for Microsoft 5:15 - How Azure Virtual Desktop differs from Windows 365 7:45 - How does an organization figure out the right fit for one of these offerings 11:15 - Pricing as a factor in the decision 16:00 - How IT and other departments influence decision making on desktop technology 19:30 - How heavier computing needs factor into a virtual desktop decision 22:30 - Managing deployment in a growing or a distributed global workforce 25:00 - Security and ransomware protection 27:45 - Onboarding considerations - accounts, licensing, and more complex tools and decisions 30:00 - Competitive landscape for desktop as a service For more information on infrastructure and application management services, please visit https://www.columbusglobal.com/en-us/solutions/application-management or contacts [email protected].