Employee Spotlight: Get to Know Pete Langas

What’s your role here at Nerdio? What do you do on a day-to-day basis and how do you help partners/customers?

My role is enterprise sales for the Northeast region…every day I’m helping customers deploy, manage and optimize Microsoft Azure Virtual Desktops and Windows 365 using Nerdio. I also help partners learn about Nerdio and how to use it to help their customers with virtual desktop initiatives.

What’s a fun fact about you that most people don’t know/couldn’t guess?

I sing and play keyboards and guitar in a dad band called Artificially Hip. We’re been playing at local bars, events and fundraisers for the last 9 years or so. There are 6 of us, 5 dads and one mom. We play a mix of classic rock, pop and a little country.

What’s one technology advancement you hope to see or think we will see in the next ten years?

Flying cars… assuming this can be done without a large carbon footprint, the ability to have a personal vehicle or semi personal vehicle to get from place to place quickly without having to use a road would be amazing.

What are three books you’d bring with you to a deserted island?

Beach Music by Pat Conroy, The Godfather by Mario Puzo, Short Stories by Ernest Hemingway.

In your opinion, what’s the most rewarding part of working for Nerdio?

The most rewarding part is contributing to our mission of helping customers succeed. We know if our customers are successful, we’ll be successful. Every day is filled with collaboration with coworkers and discussions with partners and customers, all geared towards better virtual desktop experiences

What sitcom family or friend group would you choose to be a part of?

Ted Lasso…I would love to be in the Diamond Dogs, and I think I’d give good advice.

Besides a standard computer, what is the earliest piece of technology you remember owning?

I think I’d have to go with a Walkman. That was a big deal when it came out. I saved my money from my mowing lawns to get one. And then I used it when I mowed which made the work a little more tolerable.

You’ve been with Nerdio for a while now. What’s motivated you to stick around?

We have an amazing group of people and an amazing product. I have worked at places that had one or the other, but rarely both at the same time. When you are able to work together to give customers a solution that impacts real challenges they have, it’s really cool.

What’s the most valuable thing you’ve learned while working in tech?

Tech moves extremely fast. There is a great innovation and everything gets exponentially better, smaller, cheaper, faster very quickly. This means you have to be thinking about the future, and it also opens up many opportunities.

What’s a current technology trend you’re passionate about?

I have been talking about the “year of the virtual desktop” for probably 12 years or so. I think it’s here! Fortunately I’m with a company that believes the same thing and has a product that helps with virtual desktops.

NerdioCon 2023 Registration Is Now Open!

In case you haven’t heard, we’re heading back to gorgeous Cancun, Mexico next year for our annual partner conference — NerdioCon! And, in addition to offering business and technical tracks for Managed Service Providers (MSPs), we are adding a new Enterprise track for our partners and system integrators (SIs) serving mid-size and large enterprises using Nerdio Manager for Enterprise.

With dates confirmed for February 27 – March 2, 2023, at the Grand Fiesta Americana Coral Beach, we are pleased to open registration to the general public today.

As first dibs to NerdioCon and NerdioCon tickets and discounts are benefits of our new partner program, Partnerd – registration has been open for existing partners for the next two weeks. Parnerds receive NerdioCon tickets, ticket discounts and lodging codes based off their program tier.

To register for NerdioCon or to sign up for updates when general registration opens, please visit our event site www.nerdiocon.com. You’ll also want to follow us on LinkedIn, Twitter or Facebook to stay apprised of newly added speakers, sponsors and sessions this Fall.

We recommend attendees register as early as possible. Space is limited and NerdioCon conference tickets and lodging will be booked separately this year. Guests may extend the NerdioCon group rate to book up to three additional days onto their stay, incurred at their own expense. Once lodging capacity is reached at the Grand Fiesta, guests will be referred by Nerdio to an adjacent resort to book their stay.

Missed NerdioCon 2022 and not sure what the hype is about? Check out the video below.

Employee Spotlight: Get to Know Bas van Kaam

What’s your role here at Nerdio? What do you do on a day to day basis and how do you help partners and customers?

As EMEA Field CTO I am responsible for the day to day business in my region, though I try to help out where I can. I’m part of the Enterprise team, however, you could say I wear multiple hats as I focus on the MSP side of the business as well.

This includes various sales and marketing activities as well as interacting with customers and partners daily discussing their Azure and AVD challenges and, or needs. I showcase Nerdio where and whenever I can, answer questions, as well as signing up new Nerdio partners and welcoming them to our Enterprise and MSP programs.

I present on a regular basis, visit events (in-person and virtual) as well as customers / partners locally to do workshops and / or evangelize Nerdio in-person. I also like to write and generate as much content as possible (blog posts, helping w/ our KB library, exam curriculums, social posts, tech comparisons, whitepapers, etc.).

A bit of support here and there, but nowhere near as sophisticated as some of the other guys and girls part of our support team (always learning)! I run the Nerdio NVP program, come up with (general) ideas every now and again, and I’m trying to stay as interactive as possible.

What’s a fun fact about you that most people don’t know/couldn’t guess?

I’m not sure if it’s fun, but a couple of years ago I finished the Burpee Mile, three times. One of the hardest and fun things I’ve done, sports-wise.

What’s one technology advancement you hope to see or think we will see in the next ten years?

It has nothing to do with the business we are in currently, though I am interested to see how different blockchain technologies, and the crypto currencies that come with will find their way into modern society. I mean, it feels like crypto/blockchain has been around forever, but we’re just getting started and scratching the surface of what is possible.

World-wide financial markets and regulations will play a major role in all this, and of course with everything going on globally (conflicts, inflation, pandemic(s), shortages, interest rates, etc.) there is a lot of uncertainty currently, financially and otherwise. Let’s hope things will get back to “normal”, whatever that means exactly. And not just for the sake of the above, of course!

What are three movies you’d bring with you to a deserted island?

The Shawshank Redemption, Star Wars (the originals from the 70’s and 80’s), and The Negotiator.

In your opinion, what’s the most rewarding part of working for Nerdio?

At Nerdio we solve real-word (IT/Cloud) problems. Every day companies come to us for help and advice, even if they do not end up “buying” Nerdio we are able to point them in the right direction and help them on their way. It is great to see our customers and partners be successful and the appreciation they show in return. I think it’s fair to say that I’ve made many new friends along the way. Being able to contribute to their and our success in general is what drives me. There’s no better feeling.

What sitcom family or friend group would you choose to be a part of?

Friends. Have seen it over and over, and over, etc… “We were on a break!!!”. Love it.

Besides a standard computer, what is the earliest piece of technology you remember owning? A Walkman, I think. I’m a bit older 😊 so it’s getting harder to recall these kinds of things. It could be a digital watch of some sort.

You’ve been with Nerdio for a while now. What’s motivated you to stick around?

The people, the team, the vision, ambition, technology, our partners, the success – it’s a long list to be honest. The vision of our leadership team and the way the company is run is remarkable. Though, lines are extremely short and doors are always open to anyone. We all “sweep the floor” no exceptions, which is amazing to see and unique mindset to have. Being able to contribute to the growth of Nerdio over the years has been, and still is, extremely satisfying and hopefully I will be able to do so for many more years to come!

What’s the most valuable thing you’ve learned while working in tech?

Be yourself and believe in yourself, share your thoughts and ask questions. Don’t focus too much on, or copy others. It’s something I tried/did many years ago, and I know of many others who did and still do today, in the end it just doesn’t work. I realize all this can be hard, and for some it might take many years before it comes to that, same here, as I am quite an insecure person by nature – like many (IT professionals) are. Keep pushing, you’ll get there in the end.

Getting things done, don’t just talk or “dream” about them. I certainly do sometimes, I think we all do, but taking action and putting an idea into practice is a great feeling, successful, or not. At least you tried.

What’s a current technology trend you’re passionate about?

AVD and cloud, obviously. I am lucky to be where I am, being able to see the constant change that cloud brings to organizations of all sizes, in a good way, is exciting to be part of. But just as with blockchain/cryptocurrencies, like I mentioned previously, we’re just getting started. The way Nerdio keeps disrupting the market is another trend I’m passionate about. Being able to do what we do requires a special team of people, mindset and drive, It is by far the best and most exciting job I have ever had!

NerdioCon 2023 Location Announced!

Back in late February we kicked off NerdioCon 2022, our first-ever in-person user conference and industry event. It was a smashing success and one met with a fantastic reception by the global managed service provider (MSP) and channel community.

Not only were we able to engage in-person with partners and MSPs from all over the world – but they were able to meet, learn and connect with each other and the channel’s top vendors and thought leaders. Attendee feedback has been overwhelmingly positive, with many expressing appreciations for the venue, location, and dedication to creating community.

But the question on everyone’s mind (and in our inboxes!) is undoubtedly… “Where and when will NerdioCon 2023 take place?!”

The number of inquiries about this in the months following NerdioCon 2022 already has us super excited for our next user conference. And thinking hard on how we can replicate the success of this year’s event with a dedicated enterprise track for our Nerdio Manager for Enterprise customers and community. While many details are still being ironed out – we couldn’t hold our tongues anymore.

We’re announcing that we will be returning to beautiful Cancun, Mexico in February 2023 for another amazing all-inclusive event!

Watch prominent channel leaders from Nerdio, Datto, Pax8 and Blackpoint Cyber in the video above discuss NerdioCon highlights and overall takeaways. Sign up at www.nerdiocon.com to stay informed on event updates and when tickets go on sale!

Nerdio Training Camp – What to Expect and MSP Takeaways

In partnership with Microsoft and Intel, Nerdio Training Camp allows MSP technical staff to spend the day with us growing their Azure knowledge and learning the technical skills needed to be successful with Microsoft’s virtual desktop services. The one-day, in-person workshop provides hands-on learning where attendees can build a completed Azure Virtual Desktop or Windows 365 environment from scratch — learning everything from the basics to 300 level provisioning and administration skills.

This is a completely FREE opportunity to provide MSP technical staff with valuable training to help them better understand Azure, Azure Virtual Desktop (AVD) and Windows 365, and how to easily manage them all in Nerdio Manager for MSP. In doing so, this helps MSPs to efficiently and easily extend the benefits of these services to their clients while keeping costs low, margins high, and employees satisfied and engaged.

Take a look at the detailed workshop agenda for more insight into the Training Camp content and scroll below for real-life feedback from Camp attendees and photos from our first event in Philadelphia on April 6. And register for one of our upcoming events near you!

Attendee Feedback, Highlights + Photos

Ongoing management of AVD environments involves understanding and using all of the Azure services AVD runs on as well as elements like image and storage management, host pool creation and maintenance, updating security permissions, and much more. It can often be intimidating and time-intensive to learn the ins and outs of the service and how to best optimize and manage it.

We connected with attendees of the Philadelphia event and wanted to share a few of their self-reported educational benefits of Training Camp that speak how it can help MSP staff easily and better manage AVD.

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“I came out of the Philly training camp with more confidence in AVD than ever before, as well as meeting other IT professionals who have shared similar hurdles as myself. Thanks for putting this together, I had a great time!”

Tyler Reino, Systems Engineer, Overview Technology Solutions

“I felt that the pacing was perfect, and it really helped to be in a room with people who are at so many different parts of their Nerdio/AVD journey. It helped remove some of the mystery and makes me feel like we aren’t behind the curve when asking questions or looking at different ways to grow our business. Though I didn’t have questions personally, the environment was comfortable where I felt as though I could have asked anything.

The most helpful area of the training for me was reviewing the correct upgrade paths for images. Seeing the “best practices” really turned some lightbulbs on for us. Scripted actions are something we haven’t utilized previously but have already created a plan for going forward. The mini session during lunch where you explained the factors that matter when purchasing reserved instances was critical to helping me feel confident with future projects.”

Chris Morozin, President, VMX Technologies

Register Now!

Register yourself (or your team) for an upcoming Camp in Tampa, Dallas, LA, Chicago or Toronto via this registration and landing page!

Nerdio Welcomes Gavriella Schuster to Board of Directors

It seems every other week we are welcoming a new team member as we continue to help more customers and partners from all over the world successfully optimize their virtual desktop environments in Microsoft Azure. We’ve welcomed new hires in Australia and the UK recently, in addition to expanding our MSP and enterprise sales teams based in the U.S.!

And we are extremely proud and excited to share today that Gavriella Schuster has been appointed to Nerdio’s board of directors.

As a leading diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) advocate and former Microsoft Corporate Vice President, Gavriella is a widely recognized business leader, particularly within the channel community given her tenure as Microsoft’s Global Channel Chief. She has been a friend and collaborator to Nerdio over the years and recently presented at NerdioCon 2022 to our MSP partners and attendees about growing their businesses through DEI. You can check out her ALLIES eBook for a framework anyone can use to become an ally through six simple actions.

We are incredibly excited to continue our global expansion with the involvement and support of Gavriella and our other board members. She joins Bret Maxwell, MK Capital; Harry Zoberman, Zoberman Advisory Group; and Andy Lees, another former top Microsoft executive with extensive product and enterprise go-to-market (GTM) expertise. Additionally, our CEO and co-founder, Vadim Vladimirskiy is a member of the board.

Our Chief Revenue Officer Joseph Landes had the opportunity to sit down with Gavriella for a conversation around her decision to join the company in this new capacity and what lies ahead for Nerdio.

Read our press release and check out the video below for additional details.

Introducing Nerdio Manager for Enterprise Premium Edition

Business and IT are progressively intertwined as enterprise organizations tackle remote and hybrid work initiatives and execute digital transformation at scale. IT needs to have a strong strategy and investments to support the growth of the business, its customers, and employees in the future. But it also must support all of these components today without downtime or operational disruption.

Since its launch in 2020, enterprises across verticals have turned to Nerdio Manager for Enterprise to tackle both in tandem with a move to Azure Virtual Desktop (AVD). Today we are excited to introduce Nerdio Manager for Enterprise Premium edition that accommodates and addresses the needs of enterprise organizations with large or complex deployments of AVD.

Nerdio Manager for Enterprise Premium Features

Nerdio Manager for Enterprise Premium edition includes support for multiple deployment architectures such as cross-sovereign Azure cloud AVD deployments (i.e., Azure Government Cloud) and split Azure AD tenant AVD deployments. Other features include advanced auto-scaling and storage optimizations, automated Windows 365 license management, disaster recovery options, custom RBAC (Role Based Access Control) roles, per-user and per-group Azure cost attribution, REST API, Azure DevOps support, and so much more.

Choosing Between the Premium and Standard Editions

Please visit our Nerdio Manager for Enterprise Plans & Pricing page for a side-by-side comparison of features available in the Premium and Standard editions. You have the ability to “show Premium features only” by selecting the button as shown below.

Since the product’s launch, we have added a TON of complex, advanced features that bring a lot of value in reducing the complexity of AVD deployments and migrations. However, not all companies’ AVD journeys will be complex. Customers who do not have a need for the above features should consider using the Standard edition.

If you need assistance determining which edition best fits your organization’s needs, contact our team today for a free consultation.

Test Drive Nerdio Manager for Enterprise Premium FREE for 30 Days

You can trial Nerdio Manager for Enterprise free for 30 days by heading to our Azure Marketplace listing. Once you’re on the page, click “Get It Now” to get started with your trial. Are you a current NME customer? Leave a review on our page by clicking the ‘Ratings + Reviews’ tab!

All new trials of Nerdio Manager for Enterprise will be the Premium edition. This allows you to experience all the powerful, advanced features available in the product. Admins can downgrade to the Standard edition at any time during the trial, or even after, in the Nerdio Manager portal.

NME Case Study: U.S. Local Government Succeeds with Azure Virtual Desktop

Pivoting to Azure Virtual Desktop

When a large city in Oklahoma decided in mid 2021 to move 3,000 of its employees to Microsoft’s Azure Virtual Desktop (AVD), previous experimentations with virtual desktop infrastructure (VDI) raised concerns around implementation and how security, management and enabling collaboration tools for remote collaboration would work in AVD.

Security and recoverability capabilities of cloud environments were strong considerations as the City made their decision to transition to AVD. Other influencing factors in choosing Microsoft’s service centered around their needs regarding rapid deployment and streamlined management and reusing and extending the life of a variety of aging PCs used across their workforce.

To ensure these needs were met and the AVD proof-of-concept (POC) was successful, Microsoft introduced the City to Nerdio and NComputing. Both companies are preferred Microsoft partners that are compatible with the Azure Government Cloud and have demonstrated results and experience working with state and local government organizations. As the City’s Chief Information Officer explained, “Finding the right vendors to make our Azure Virtual Desktop proof-of-concept a success was pivotal in scaling our secure computing environment and cloud-first approach. The support and hands-on assistance from both Nerdio and NComputing were top-notch and high touch.”

Implementing A Cloud-First Mentality in Tandem

Before using AVD, the City used a variety of individual systems and hardware that made IT management cumbersome due to differing system updates, software licensing, hardware compatibilities, security considerations and more. The City’s IT department at the time of the AVD POC had a staff-to-support ratio of 1:100 – so it was clear they needed solutions that could optimize and streamline IT management and provide automation to maximize the staff’s time and efforts.

Additionally, being a cloud-first organization was an important element to the City’s transition to AVD. As their CIO detailed, “We decided to take a cloud-first approach. Users had to convince us they could not use the cloud to be exempt.”

Because NComputing’s LEAF OS allows a desktop, laptop, or thin client to be reborn as a cloud computing device, the City was able to extend the life of their PCs and hardware investment by repurposing a variety of Dell and HP devices into high-performing Linux AVD endpoints. Leaf OS also helped support the City’s collaboration objectives via the cloud, enabling them to run both Microsoft Teams and Zoom within AVD sessions with ease.

By deploying Nerdio Manager for Enterprise, the City’s IT department was able to manage a larger number of virtual desktop users without disrupting employee experience. This saved the City a significant amount of time and reduced desktop deployments that used to take weeks to just a few hours, enabling the City to quickly and efficiently equip its workforce with their preferred workspaces and apps. Additionally, Nerdio’s centralized management interface allowed IT staff to more easily manage hundreds of users at scale and quicken help desk responses because access issues could easily be involved by any level of IT staff.

Modern, Scalable and Empowered IT

In using Nerdio Manager for Enterprise, the City was able to aggressively speed up their transition to AVD while creating an IT environment that’s much more robust, secure, and scalable than their previous on-premises solutions. They were able to deploy over 600 users within the first month and easily manage all Azure services that AVD relies on.

“Nerdio was instrumental in our move to Azure Virtual Desktop. They were able to quickly migrate all our existing applications and resources to the new cloud environment and greatly streamline ongoing management for our IT department.”

Because the City utilized remote, highly secure datacenters in Azure, they did not need to buy servers or additional infrastructure nor worry about planning investments around government budget cycles. Nerdio’s free Cost Estimator also helped the City determine what their Azure costs would be and how much they would save using Nerdio Manager.

It was a helpful tool used during the evaluation and purchasing phases, but surprise still resulted for the City after seeing an average savings of $10,000 per month when using Nerdio Manager and AVD. In addition to cost savings, the time saved on AVD management and maintenance was significant because Nerdio Manager could be used by any IT staff member, regardless of their level, technical expertise or certifications in Azure.

Find Nerdio in the Azure Marketplace at nerdio.co/nme and download our case study here.

Azure (Windows) Virtual Desktop

The Ultimate Guide to Azure Virtual Desktop

What is Azure Virtual Desktop?

Azure Virtual Desktop (AVD) launched in 2019, under the name Windows Virtual Desktop. It is an evolution of Microsoft’s remote desktop services (RDS) technology. An Azure-only service, AVD consists of four primary innovations over traditional Remote Desktop Server (RDS) methods:

Windows 10 Multi-user Operating System – This allows multiple concurrent users to use a single Azure virtual machine as a desktop. Prior to AVD, this was only possible with the Windows Server operating system.
User Profiles – These are handled independently of the virtual machine that serves the user’s desktop. These profiles are placed in containers and the containers are stored separately from the desktop VM in Azure. This is enabled by FSLogix technology that Microsoft acquired in 2018.
Platform-as-a-Service (PaaS) Offering – A new PaaS offering contains the management and connection broker functionality for AVD and is the service that determines which users end upon which Azure virtual machine when they connect.
Licensing for AVD — Licensing has been drastically simplified. AVD rights are included at no additional charge with multiple Windows 10 subscriptions including Microsoft 365 and Windows 10 Enterprise.

In June 2021, Microsoft launched Azure Virtual Desktop (AVD) as a way to refocus Windows Virtual Desktop (WVD) branding with their vision of the future of desktop virtualization. By switching out “Windows” with “Azure,” the name hopes to clarify some things. You can read more about the 2021 name change and changes to the service here.

As you can tell from our brief overview – AVD is the natural evolution of desktops into a cloud-based service. Originally, organizations used PCs from hardware manufacturers using perpetual software OS licenses from Microsoft. Then, Microsoft developed and sold server OS licensing that evolved into Azure-based resources. The result with AVD is Microsoft now delivers a complete enterprise solution all the way to the end-user. This seamless all-in-one experience is extremely robust, scalable, reliable, and secure.

In order to set up AVD, there are a few requirements you must meet such as applicable licensing for users based on your chosen apps, infrastructure and user components and virtual machine standards.

Read more about Azure Virtual Desktop frequently asked questions here.

Azure Virtual Desktop vs. Windows 365

Both Azure Virtual Desktop (AVD) and Windows 365 (W365) are virtual desktop solutions from Microsoft. Their differences span across their architecture features, overall IT admin experience, end-user experience, license and infrastructure costs, and their pricing models.

Check out this in-depth guide on the differences between Azure Virtual Desktop and Windows 365.

So, how do you choose between the two? It all depends on your unique business needs and work styles. AVD can be used across all business types and sizes but there are a few scenarios where Windows 365 may be a better fit for you. Check out our recommendations on when to use the Business edition of Windows 365 vs AVD. These include organizations that are only utilizing a handful of desktops, have no current or planned Azure footprint, have no previous experience in desktop virtualization, have an investment in Microsoft Endpoint Manager, need personalized desktops/local admin rights, or need 24/7 access to desktops. Overall, AVD allows for much greater flexibility and cost optimization, but it does require technical expertise and in-depth Azure knowledge without an optimization or management tool. Add-on platforms, such as Nerdio Manager, can make managing both AVD and Windows 365 extremely simple and also eliminates the need for an experienced Azure engineer on staff.

Learn more about Nerdio Manager here.

How much does Azure Virtual Desktop Cost?

Figuring out the cost of running a virtual desktop environment in Azure can be difficult. Before diving into the costs of Azure Virtual Desktop, it is important to understand Microsoft Azure’s consumption-based pricing model. This is common among public cloud providers. If you do not properly optimize your Azure infrastructure, your monthly Azure bill can be unpredictable and higher than your budget allows.

The cost of Azure Virtual Desktop is broken down into three parts: software licensing, AVD Management services, and Azure infrastructure costs. You can purchase Azure services directly through the Azure website, an Azure sales specialist, a CSP distributor or a Microsoft Partner.

There are five main categories that make up Azure Virtual Desktop costs. These include compute (70%, OS disks storage (12%), FSLogix storage (9%), Networking (3%), and Other (6%). There are various strategies you can implement to save money on the Azure list price and optimize usage.

It’s important to understand the difference between pay-as-you-go (PAYG) pricing and reserved instances for the best possible method of optimizing your Azure costs. You can read more about reserved instances here. For more information on reducing Azure Virtual Desktop costs. Check out this article.

If you are interested in how much Azure or Azure Virtual Desktop will cost your organization, try Nerdio’s free Cost Estimator tool that uses a simple, wizard-driven way to easily estimate your costs for running an IT environment in Azure that is broken down by user per month.

What License is Needed for Azure Virtual Desktop?

AVD is an entitlement of a Windows 10 subscription license. This license can be purchased as part of Microsoft 365 Business/E3/E5/A3/A5 or as a standalone subscription. If you already own one of these licenses there is no additional cost to use AVD from a software perspective.

You will need to purchase the Azure infrastructure necessary to deploy and manage any AVD environment. These costs can be decreased by leveraging Azure Reserved Instances, Windows 10 multi-session, or a solution that optimizes and reduces Azure computing and storage costs such as Nerdio Manager.

Learn more about Azure Virtual Desktop licenses here and check out our article detailing Nerdio license structure and costs.

Benefits of Using Azure Virtual Desktop

When it comes to equipping end users with the desktops, apps and devices they need to be most productive and empowered – Azure Virtual Desktop is the best, most cost-effective, flexible option on the market. Leveraging leading Microsoft technologies and the powerful Azure cloud, the Azure Virtual Desktop service is secure, resilient and managed by Microsoft.

It provides a plethora of benefits. From optimizing or reducing hardware investments to streamlining application management and helping organizations reduce costs and resources through Microsoft-owned software and pooled, multi-session resources – AVD has it all!

Compounding these benefits is the increased market demand and even employee demand for Microsoft technologies that are well-known and well-adopted across managed services, enterprises and SMB businesses. Users already love Microsoft Teams, the Microsoft 365 suite and many are accustomed to using a Windows desktop. AVD delivers all of these, securely and at scale. It is becoming a powerful tool for organizations’ remote work, cloud and employee experience initiatives.

Schedule a demo to see Azure Virtual Desktop in action.

How Do I Add Users to Microsoft Azure and Azure Virtual Desktop?

Users can be added natively through the Azure portal or streamlined through Nerdio Manager. Our solution allows you to easily see and manage all users including completing tasks like assigning users to groups or desktops, shadowing user sessions to resolve an issue, resetting passwords, or assigning Microsoft 365 licenses. Read more about adding users to Azure and AVD in this article.

Natively adding users to Microsoft Azure and Azure Virtual Desktop can be done through the Azure portal. You will also need to configure the appropriate amount of host pools, session hosts, workspaces, app groups, user groups and access policies for your organization’s needs.

Learn more about Azure terminology here.

Once users are assigned to the appropriate host pool, desktop and groups, admins can attach FSLogix profiles or MSIX App Attach and assign users roles based on the Azure Virtual Desktop delegated access model. Once users have been assigned to their app groups, they can connect to an AVD deployment with any AVD client such as Windows 10, Windows 11, Android, macOS, etc.

Click here for a free downloadable guide on all Microsoft Azure terminology.

How Do I Log Into Azure Virtual Desktop for the First Time?

Microsoft provides the gateway and broker services for Azure Virtual Desktops. They have also compiled “how-to” guides for connecting each client type to AVD that you can find here. But regardless of how simple Microsoft has made connecting to AVD, MSPs and enterprise IT pros alike will undoubtedly still be asked, “How do I log into my AVD desktop?” by end users they support.

Setting up the AVD client for login is easy and quick and can be completed in a minimal number of steps. All authentication occurs via your organization’s Microsoft tenant without any need to provide consent or accept permissions.

Learn more about the two most common ways end users will be connecting to AVD in this article.

How to Troubleshoot Performance in Azure Virtual Desktop (AVD) Environments

Because of various system components and the underlying deployment architecture, AVD environments can often be challenging to fix when it comes to improving the service’s performance for your end users. It is extremely important to provide an optimal user experience. In fact, poor or inconsistent performance is by far the most common reason virtual desktop projects fail, regardless of the deployment size.

There are four main culprits when it comes to hindering AVD performance:

1. CPU

2. RAM

3. Disk

4. Network

Diagnosing CPU and RAM-related performance issues can be done through free, native Azure tools like Windows Resource Monitor and Windows Task Manager. For tangible advice and a practical approach to troubleshoot performance in AVD, visit our technical deep dive on the subject.

Azure Virtual Desktop Management

Ongoing management of Azure Virtual Desktop environments involves understanding and using all of the Azure services AVD runs on as well as elements like image and storage management, host pool creation and maintenance, updating security permissions, and much more. If you do not use a management solution like Nerdio Manager, you will manage everything directly through the Azure portal.

Azure Virtual Desktop is the only VDI service available that offers Windows 10/11 enterprise multi-session capabilities for centralized management. This allows companies to pool their virtual machines and host pools to reduce the number of resources needed along with their Azure costs. It also allows for easier management of desktops in Azure because group and user policies can be applied, and app groups and images can be updated at scale.

Nerdio Manager allows MSPs and Enterprise IT professionals to easily deploy and manage Azure Virtual Desktop environments in just a few clicks and in one centralized management platform. Schedule a demo and see it in action.

To master or improve your AVD management skills, check out our certification programs. Subscribe to our newsletter so you don’t miss any new content or announcements!

Think Azure Virtual Desktop is right for you? Check out this definitive guide.

Nerdio Manager for MSP Case Study: Infoware

CASE STUDY

Learn how Infoware, a Managed Service Provider, used Nerdio Manager to help their clients make an immediate migration to Azure Virtual Desktop.

About Infoware

Infoware is a Managed Service Provider (MSP) that works with law firms and professional services. Infoware designs and delivers innovative template management and document automation software that helps law firms create and manage documents faster and easier. Over tens of thousands of users have worked with Infoware for over three decades in countries all over the world.

The Situation

Since COVID-19, Infoware has seen an increased demand for remote, flexible, and agile environments that provide good performance.

Infoware first looked for a solution that could help them migrate their clients from their on-premises workspace to a virtual desktop in early 2021. Many of their clients’ offices closed because of COVID-19 and they needed immediate access to a work-from-home environment.

A couple of Infoware’s clients were using the cloud-based virtual desktop provider, CloudJumper, but those servers weren’t prepared to handle the large load of logins from remote workers. As a result, Infoware’s clients experienced performance issues that impacted their ability to do their job successfully from home.

The Solution

Infoware’s CEO reached out to online MSP peer groups and asked for recommendations for platforms that could help Infoware move clients to Azure — Nerdio came highly recommended.

Infoware has since migrated four clients and has plans to migrate two more. The implementations they’ve completed have been a mix of clients who migrated from an on-premises server to the cloud and others who were already on the cloud, where Infoware migrated them to Microsoft Azure.

Nerdio Manager’s platform created a stable environment that allowed Infoware’s clients to use Azure consistently without any performance issues.

The Results

Nerdio Manager provides Infoware with simplified controls and the ability to spread management tasks across their team and support cloud-based clients. Infoware can create a standardized environment across all clients and this has made the troubleshooting process more efficient

“Nerdio’s platform is so easy to use that other technical people on their small team can manage it.”

One of the biggest benefits for Infoware has been that they don’t have to put their most senior technical people to the task of managing Azure anymore because Nerdio’s platform is so easy to use that other technical people on their small team can manage it.

For example, Nerdio’s support for file handle unlocking for Azure file share frees up higher-level technical resources from having to troubleshoot every time. Golden image management is simplified through automation, and it reduces the likelihood of human error. Another benefit is that automating restarts and golden image updates can be done quickly through scheduling.

DOWNLOAD THE CASE STUDY HERE

Find Nerdio in the Azure Marketplace: nerdio. co/nmm