Microsoft Azure End User Computing
The optimal cloud-based desktop solution – powered by Azure
Azure End User Computing (EUC) solutions encompass a range of services and tools designed to deliver a seamless and secure desktop and application experience to users, regardless of their location or device.
There are a number of complimentary offerings from vendors such as Nerdio, Citrix, and VMware that provide a management overlay on top of virtualised desktops and applications hosted on Azure’s global cloud infrastructure. Azure EUC solutions are tailored to meet the demands of modern remote and hybrid work environments, offering flexibility, scalability, and robust security.
Phoenix is a Microsoft Azure Expert MSP which is the highest level of Microsoft accreditation. It independently validates our expertise and quality of cloud transformation services, covering planning, migration, optimisation, operation and management of cloud services on the Azure platform.
In addition, in 2024 our Windows 365 Principal Consultant was awarded MVP status from Microsoft in recognition of the technical leadership we’ve demonstrated across cloud endpoints.
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Our Microsoft accreditations
Why adopt Azure End User Computing solutions
Discover the compelling reasons why organisations are turning to Azure End User Computing (EUC) solutions to transform their workforce productivity and flexibility. From enabling seamless remote work experiences to enhancing security and scalability, Azure EUC solutions offer a comprehensive platform to meet the demands of modern work environments.
Enhanced flexibility:
Azure EUC solutions allow users to access their desktops and applications from anywhere, on any device, promoting productivity and collaboration in remote and hybrid work scenarios
Scalability:
easily scale up or down based on user demand, ensuring that resources are used efficiently and cost-effectively
Security and compliance:
Azure provides built-in security features such as multi-factor authentication, conditional access, and integration with Azure Security Center, ensuring data protection and compliance with industry regulations
Cost efficiency:
optimise costs with Azure’s pay-as-you-go pricing model, reducing the need for significant upfront investments in hardware and infrastructure
Centralised management:
simplified management and monitoring of virtual desktops and applications through the Azure portal, allowing IT administrators to efficiently manage resources and ensure a smooth user experience
Integration with Microsoft services:
seamless integration with Microsoft 365 and other Azure services enhances productivity and provides a unified user experience
Use cases for Azure EUC solutions
Explore the diverse use cases where Azure End User Computing (EUC) solutions are driving innovation and efficiency across industries. From enabling remote work and ensuring business continuity to providing secure access to sensitive data and facilitating education and training, Azure EUC solutions offer a versatile platform to meet a wide range of organisational needs.
Remote work enablement
Organisations can provide employees with secure access to their work environments from any location, ensuring business continuity and maintaining productivity during remote work periods.
Business continuity and disaster recovery
Azure EUC solutions offer robust disaster recovery options, allowing businesses to quickly recover and maintain operations during unexpected disruptions.
Seasonal and temporary workforce
Easily scale virtual desktops to accommodate seasonal workers, contractors, or temporary staff, without the need for permanent hardware investments.
Secure access to sensitive data
Industries such as finance, healthcare, and legal can use Azure EUC solutions to provide secure, compliant access to sensitive data and applications, ensuring data integrity and confidentiality.
Education and training
Educational institutions can deliver virtual labs, classrooms, and training environments to students and faculty, facilitating remote learning and collaboration.
Application testing and development
Developers can use virtual desktops for testing and development environments, enabling them to quickly spin up and tear down resources as needed, enhancing agility and reducing costs.
Azure Virtual Desktop
Give workers access to desktops and apps from anywhere
Azure Virtual Desktop (AVD) is a comprehensive desktop and application virtualisation service hosted on Microsoft Azure. It enables organisations to deliver a secure, scalable, and fully managed virtual desktop infrastructure (VDI) to their employees.
AVD allows users to access Windows desktops and applications from anywhere, on any device, enhancing productivity and flexibility. It supports multi-session Windows 10 and 11, enabling cost-efficient resource utilisation. Integrated with Azure’s security and compliance features, AVD ensures data protection and regulatory adherence.
With simplified management through the Azure portal, AVD streamlines the deployment and administration of virtual desktops, making it an ideal solution for modern remote and hybrid work environments.
Looking for a managed service for your Azure Virtual Desktop?
Explore our Managed Azure Virtual Desktop (AVD) managed service now.
Discover our managed AVD service nowAzure Virtual Desktop or Windows 365?
Azure Virtual Desktop (AVD) and Windows 365 are both popular choices and increasingly deployed cloud-based solutions.
But which one is right for you:
- Azure Virtual Desktop: a cloud-based virtual desktop infrastructure (VDI) platform providing secure desktops and apps with optimal control.
- Windows 365: a software-as-a-service solution providing a secure and customised Windows experience from the cloud to any device.
Talk to our Microsoft Azure Specialists today to discuss your requirements and discover whether AVD or Windows 365 is right choice for you.
Complimentary technology for AVD
Leveraging tools like Nerdio, VMware Horizon Cloud, and Citrix with Azure Virtual Desktop can significantly enhance the virtual desktop experience.
Nerdio simplifies the deployment and management of virtual desktops, offering cost optimisation through auto-scaling technology and VM power management, potentially reducing Azure compute costs by up to 75%.
VMware Horizon Cloud provides a unified control plane for managing virtual environments, supporting Azure Virtual Desktop features like the Blast Extreme protocol, and facilitating a smoother migration from on-premises VDI to Azure.
Citrix, similar to VMware Horizon Cloud, offers advanced management, security, and performance features that complement Azure Virtual Desktop’s capabilities.
Together, these tools provide a robust, secure, and cost-effective solution for organisations looking to support remote and hybrid workforces with a seamless and efficient virtual desktop infrastructure.
Where to start with Microsoft Azure EUC solutions
Conducting a comprehensive assessment before migrating to Azure is paramount, as it provides a clear roadmap to calculate a total cost of ownership, identify potential bottlenecks, and to streamline the migration planning process. By thoroughly evaluating your existing infrastructure, you gain insights into workload dependences, resource utilisation patterns, and potential areas for cost optimisation.
This proactive approach ensures a seamless transition to Azure, minimising downtime and mitigating risks. Our Phoenix Surveyor is broken into two areas depending on your needs:
Surveyor Migrate is designed for organisations looking for the rapid adoption/ migration of workloads and require a “rapid lift and shift” of virtual machines (VMs) and applications.
The rapid lift and shift approach to Azure migration offers organisations an accelerated pathway to unlock the power of the cloud, without the need for complex application redesign or rearchitecting. This method involves swiftly moving existing on-premises applications and workloads to Azure, minimising disruptions and accelerating time-to-value.
Surveyor Migrate not only expedites the migration process but also ensures continuity in operations, enabling you to harness the scalability, security, and innovation of Azure.
Talk to us about Surveyor MigrateSurveyor Modernise provides an assessment of your current application estate. It offers organisations with a strategic multi-stage roadmap for the modernisation of its estate over multiple years.
This road-map leverage’s Azure native services and aligns each stage with your business objectives, in addition to calculating a total cost of ownership. This approach ensures a tailored transformation that maximises efficiency and innovation.
The result is not just a migration, but a holistic application modernisation that unlocks the full potential of Azure’s native services.
Talk to us about Surveyor ModerniseMicrosoft Azure EUC FAQs
End User Computing (EUC) is the ability of users to access enterprise applications and data from any location, at any time, using one or more devices that connect to virtual desktop infrastructure (VDI) hosted either on the enterprise’s site or in the public cloud.
Azure Virtual Desktop (previously called Windows Virtual Desktop) is a service that lets you run desktops and apps on Azure. Some of the main features are: Provide a complete Windows experience with Windows 11, Windows 10, or Windows Server. Use single-session to give devices to one user, or use multi-session for more capacity.
A virtual desktop is a ready-made image of operating systems and applications that has its desktop environment isolated from the actual device that accesses it. Users can connect to their virtual desktops over a network from anywhere. Any endpoint device, such as a laptop, smartphone or tablet, can access a virtual desktop. The virtual desktop provider puts client software on the endpoint device, and the user then works with that software on the device.
VDI, or virtual desktop infrastructure, is IT infrastructure that allows you to use company computer systems from almost any device (like your personal computer, smartphone, or tablet), instead of needing a physical machine from your company that has to be managed, fixed, and updated. You can access the same company servers, files, apps, and services from any approved device securely through a desktop client or browser.
Windows 365 is a cloud-based service that makes a new kind of Windows virtual machine (Cloud PCs) for your end users. Each Cloud PC belongs to one user and is their own Windows device. Windows 365 offers the productivity, security, and collaboration benefits of Microsoft 365.
With VMware’s Horizon Cloud on Microsoft Azure, you can easily deliver virtual desktops and applications on Microsoft Azure. The solution lets you link your own Microsoft Azure instance to the Horizon control plane, and enables you to create and manage virtual desktops and applications on-site and in the cloud and work remotely.
Choose the best Azure option to fit your needs
Azure End User Computing solutions enable organisations to support remote and hybrid work, enhance security, and optimise costs, while providing a seamless and productive user experience. Whether it’s for remote work, disaster recovery, or application development, Azure EUC solutions can help businesses achieve their goals and adapt to the evolving digital landscape.
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