Glossary
Azure Virtual Desktop
Microsoft's flexible cloud VDI service for hosting Windows desktops and remote apps in Azure.
Azure Virtual Desktop (AVD) is Microsoft's cloud-hosted Virtual Desktop Infrastructure (VDI) service running in Azure. It supports both multi-session Windows (multiple users on one VM, exclusive to AVD and Windows 365) and single-session Windows, plus RemoteApp for streaming individual applications rather than full desktops. Compared to Windows 365, AVD offers more flexibility (custom VM sizes, multi-session, hybrid pools, deeper Azure integration) and consumption-based pricing — but more configuration overhead. Often the right choice for organisations with variable user populations, regulated workloads needing strict environment control, or specific Windows-app remoting scenarios. Managed via the Azure portal alongside Intune and Entra ID for identity and policy.