In recent years, there has been a growing trend in companies toward using thin clients for their desktop computing needs. This is primarily due to thin clients' many advantages in terms of cost, network security, and maintenance. Additionally, the work environment is changing, and more employees are working remotely and staying remote, contributing to the popularity of thin clients.
This article will discuss the financial and operational benefits of using AVD thin clients and how to get started with the solution.
What are Thin Clients?
According to Gartner, a thin client is a piece of high-performance hardware that runs on an existing computer and provides functionality similar to a dedicated server. Desktop virtualization, shared services, and browser-based computing are all examples of thin clients.
A virtualized desktop work environment, such as one with each user having remote desktop services, consists of many individual desktops and allows for multi-sessions inside one virtual machine, which is simply another partition within a centralized server.
LEAF OS by NComputing is a popular Linux-based desktop virtualization solution. Other popular desktop virtualization manufacturers include Dell, HP and Lenovo. There are several multi-sessions, each with a separate user. Each of these users has their applications and operating system, much like when they use a regular PC.
Thin clients are computers that use as little processing power, memory, and storage as possible. They rely on a windows server to do most of the work, which means organizations can use them for various use cases where space and resources are limited.
Thin clients use a variety of protocols such as Remote Desktop Protocol (RDP), Citrix XenDesktop, RDS, Independent Computing Architecture (ICA), VMware Horizons, Windows 365, and Terminal Services Protocol (TSP) to connect to a server. The server then runs the operating system and applications, and the thin client only needs to display the information in real-time.
Thin clients have gained popularity recently as a more cost-effective and energy-efficient alternative to traditional desktop PCs. With the advent of cloud computing, thin clients can now take advantage of the processing power and storage of remote servers, making them even more attractive for businesses looking to reduce their IT costs.
What is Microsoft Azure Virtual Desktop?
Azure Virtual Desktop is a cloud-based windows virtual desktop infrastructure that allows users to access their applications and data from anywhere, using any device. AVD runs on Microsoft Azure, meaning businesses can take advantage of the scalability, compatibility issues, and reliability of the Azure cloud services.
Azure VDI provides users with a full Windows 10 or Windows 11 desktop experience, with all the necessary applications and data. This makes it ideal for businesses that need to provide their employees with a consistent workflow and a familiar workspace, regardless of where they work.
AVD also allows for the automation of security features such as multi-factor authentication, endpoint security, firewalls, and virus protection, making it a secure solution for organizations with data centers such as financial services, healthcare, and government.
Azure VDI supports the following types of thin clients:
- Windows 10 Enterprise
- Windows 10 IoT Enterprise
- Windows Embedded Standard 7
- Windows Thin PC
- Android
- macOS
- iOS
What is The Difference Between AVD and WVD?
Azure Virtual Desktop (AVD) is the new name for what was previously known as Windows Virtual Desktop or WVD. Microsoft decided to drop the ‘W’ from WVD as part of their new branding strategy announced in early 2019 which unifies all their products and services under the Azure name. So, AVD is simply the new name for what was previously known as WVD. Other than the change in name, there are no other differences between AVD and WVD.
What is Windows 365 Cloud PC, and How is it Related to AVD?
Windows 365 Cloud PC is a complete software-as-service (SaaS) solution that allows users to access their applications and data from anywhere, using any device. Windows 365 Cloud PC runs on the Windows 10 operating system and uses Microsoft Azure to connect to a remote server.
Windows 365 Cloud PC is similar to AVD in that it is a cloud service solution that provides users with a full Windows 10 desktop experience. However, Windows 365 Cloud PC also provides Microsoft Office 365 streaming, making it an ideal solution for businesses that rely on Office 365 for their productivity needs.
What is The Benefit of Using Azure AVD backed by Azure VMs in Azure Infrastructure as a Service?
There are many benefits of using Azure VMware, but some of the most notable include the following:
- Reduced costs: Azure VMs can be used to reduce the costs of running on-premises servers. By using Azure VMs, businesses only need to pay for their resources, which can save on hardware and energy costs.
- Increased security: Azure VMs offer increased security by isolating each VM from the others. This isolation helps to protect against malware and other security threats.
- Increased reliability: Azure SLA backs Azure VMs, which guarantees 99.95 percent uptime for VMs. This makes Azure VMs a reliable solution for businesses that need to ensure their applications and data are always available.
- Increased flexibility: Azure VMs offer businesses the ability to scale their VM usage up or down as needed. This makes it easy to adjust VM usage to meet changing business needs.
What is The Difference Between a Virtual Machine And a Thin Client?
According to Microsoft, a virtual machine is a software-based emulation of a physical computer. This means that it can run its operating system and applications and can provide a full desktop user experience to the end user.
The main difference between a virtual machine and a thin client is that a thin client cannot run its own operating system and applications, meaning it needs a connection to a server to function.
How Are Azure Virtual Desktop and Thin Clients Used Together?
Though they are different technologies, Microsoft Azure AVD and thin clients can be used together. This is because you can optimize AVD to be used with thin clients, which is the most efficient and cost-effective way to access the AVD service.
When used together, thin clients and Microsoft Azure AVD provide a high-performance, powerful and flexible AVD thin client solution for businesses of all sizes.
Azure Virtual Desktop Thin Client is a specialized thin client optimized for use with Azure AVD. AVD thin client is a computer that has been purpose-built for accessing Microsoft AVD, offering several advantages over traditional thin clients.
Why Is Using a Cloud-Based Operating System Beneficial to Businesses?
There are many benefits of using thin clients with Microsoft Azure AVD, both from a financial and operational perspective.
From A Financial Perspective:
Thin clients can help businesses save money on hardware and energy costs. This is because they require less processing power and memory than traditional desktop PCs, and a single low-voltage power cable can power them.
Thin clients can also help businesses save money on software costs. This is because they do not need to install and maintain a local copy of the operating system and applications. Companies can do all this remotely on the windows server.
Thin clients can also help businesses save money on licensing fees. This is because organizations can use them to access software running on a remote server, meaning firms only need to purchase one desktop-as (DaaS) for the software rather than multiple licenses for each thin client.
AVD thin clients can also help businesses reduce their IT support costs. This is because they are easier to manage and maintain than traditional desktop PCs.
From An Operational Perspective:
Azure virtual thin clients can also help businesses improve their network security posture. This is because they are less vulnerable to malware and other malicious attacks and can be centrally managed and monitored.
AVD thin clients allow businesses to scale their IT infrastructure up or down as needed, giving them increased flexibility to respond to changing business needs.
AVD thin clients can also help businesses enhance employee productivity through desktop virtualization, thus allowing them to access their applications and data anywhere, at any time.
AVD thin clients are also a good option for low-bandwidth, low-performance networks. This is because they do not need to download or upload large amounts of data, which means they use less bandwidth and resources than traditional desktop PCs.
How To Get Started With Azure Thin Clients
If you're interested in using Azure virtual desktop with thin clients, there are a few things you need to do to get started.
First, you need to sign up for an Azure account. You can do this by visiting the Azure website and creating an account. Once you have an Azure account, you must create a virtual machine. You can do this through the Azure portal or the Azure CLI.
Once you have a virtual machine, you need to install the Windows operating system and any applications that you want to use.
Finally, you need to configure the thin client devices. You can either do this through the Azure portal or by using PowerShell. Once you have everything configured, you're ready to start using Azure thin clients.
At ne Digital, we can provide you with everything you need to get started with AVD thin clients, including Azure accounts, virtual machines, and associated configurations. As experienced Managed Services Providers, we can help you configure everything by optimizing your environment for performance and security.
Contact us today to learn more about how we can help you take advantage of the best thin client for Azure Virtual Desktops.
