What is VDI?
VDI stands for Virtual Desktop Infrastructure and is a technology where employees' desktops do not run on the physical PC, but as virtual machines on central servers. The user logs in from a thin client, a laptop or a tablet and meets their familiar Windows desktop, while applications and data stay in the data centre. Where classic Remote Desktop typically provides access to a single shared server, a VDI solution delivers an entire environment of virtual desktops that can be managed, updated and secured centrally. Today, VDI is most often built in the cloud on Microsoft Azure with Azure Virtual Desktop, which Microsoft describes in depth in their documentation.
VDI vs. Windows 365 Cloud PC
The two concepts are often mixed up, but the difference matters. Full VDI, for example Azure Virtual Desktop, gives you maximum flexibility: You manage images, session hosts and scaling yourself, and can let several users share the same machine (multisession), which can use resources efficiently. The price is complexity, because someone has to design, monitor and maintain the infrastructure. Windows 365 Cloud PC is Microsoft's simplified model: a fixed, personal cloud PC per employee at a fixed price per month, without you having to run infrastructure. We have compared the models in detail in our article on Windows 365 Cloud PC. In short: Cloud PC is simplicity, VDI is control.
When does VDI make sense?
A VDI solution pays off especially in these situations:
- Many identical workstations: call centres, production, clinics and administration, where everyone needs the same setup and new hires must be up and running in minutes
- Compliance and data security: data never leaves the data centre, making it easier to meet requirements for data protection and documentation
- External consultants and agencies: access to your systems in a controlled environment without data landing on third-party devices
- Seasonal fluctuations: you can scale the number of desktops up and down as needed
If, on the other hand, you have few users with ordinary office needs, a Cloud PC or a well-managed physical PC is often the simpler choice.
What does VDI cost?
The price depends on the model. In a classic VDI solution you pay for the underlying infrastructure: compute, storage, networking and licences, plus operations and monitoring. The cost therefore follows usage and can be optimised with multisession and automatic shutdown outside working hours. In the Cloud PC model you pay a fixed price per user per month, which is easier to budget but rarely cheapest with many concurrent users. The main price factors are the number of users, performance requirements (for example heavy line-of-business applications), storage needs and how much of the operations you want to handle yourselves.
How MI Support IT can help
We advise you on the choice between VDI, Windows 365 and classic PCs, design the solution in Azure and handle implementation, security and ongoing operations as part of cloud and hosting and our Microsoft Azure services. Contact us for a conversation about what suits your workplaces.