Windows Virtual Desktop Service Hits Public Preview Aiming At Enterprises

Microsoft has been working hard to make Windows 10 more appealing to consumers and business users alike. The software giant wants the masses to ditch Windows 7 and move on to Windows 10 as the former nears the end of support. 

A feature that will appeal to enterprise users wanting easier to manage desktops is now in public preview after first being unveiled last year: the Windows Virtual Desktop service. Originally that service was a private preview that was by invite only; the service is now available for any enterprise user to try out using a virtual Windows 10 desktop hosted in the Azure cloud.

Note that enterprise users are the target here; this isn't a feature aimed at the average PC user or gamers. The Windows Virtual Desktop service is bundled with Office 365 ProPlus and aims to make managing machines and the software running on them easier for enterprises that have large numbers of PCs in use. Companies that have mobile workers can also use the Virtual Desktop service to provide mobile workers with virtual desktops that keep data secure, something that is a huge deal in healthcare and financial industries. 

One of the critical features for the Windows Virtual Desktop service is that multiple Windows 10 sessions can run on a single virtual machine. This new service leverages technology that Microsoft acquired last year in the purchase of FSLogix allowing users faster access to applications like Outlook and OneDrive. Microsoft 365 enterprise customers have access to the service in their subscriptions. However, they will also need an Azure subscription and to pay for the virtual machines. At this time the Windows Virtual Desktop service is only offered in the US East 2 and US Central Azure regions and will come to all cloud regions when the preview is over. 

Recently Microsoft tweaked Windows 10 with the April Insider Preview giving a glimpse at some improvements for gaming and installer. Microsoft also recently delivered the OpenXR Cross-platform runtime for mixed reality.