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The team needed a way to deliver Azure Virtual Desktop (AVD) without weeks of research and manual configuration.
Building AVD from scratch would require significant time investment and deep Microsoft ecosystem expertise, reducing profitability and scalability.
They needed a repeatable, automated deployment model that would allow AVD to become a scalable service offering, not a one-off project.
Solution
Adopted Nerdio Manager for MSP to automate Azure Virtual Desktop provisioning and reduce deployment time from weeks to days.
Leveraged Nerdio’s repeatable deployment framework to standardize environments and eliminate ad hoc configurations.
Partnered with Nerdio’s technical and account teams for rapid troubleshooting, sizing guidance, and ongoing optimization.
From networking specialist to virtual desktop provider
Zero Point Networks has operated since 2014, serving clients primarily across Perth and regional Western Australia. Over time, owner Russell Hurren narrowed his focus toward complex networking environments—particularly shared infrastructure setups like business incubators.
But when a client moved into a larger office and asked for a server-based remote desktop solution, Russell saw an opportunity.
After consulting with a trusted end-user computing expert, the recommendation was clear: Azure Virtual Desktop (AVD) with Nerdio Manager for MSP was the right fit for a small business environment.
More importantly, it introduced a new revenue model. Unlike internet and phone systems, which are typically billed per site, AVD allowed Russell to charge per user.
“I’m getting paid per user,” he explained. “If they add another user, I actually make more money.”
Reducing weeks of work to days
Technically, Russell could have built Azure Virtual Desktop manually. That wasn’t the issue.
“I’ve got plenty of technical skills. I could have gone and set up my own AVD solution if I wanted,” he said. “It’s not that I can’t do it—it’s that I don’t have the time to figure it out.”
Without automation, deploying Azure Virtual Desktop would have required significant time and taken Russell away from other revenue-generating work.
Now that Russell understands the process, he estimates the team could complete another deployment in an afternoon. What once required heavy manual configuration is now repeatable.
“I want everything to be automated and repeatable,” Russell said. “I don’t want to find that this site has done it differently to this site for some reason.” For a solo MSP owner, that consistency is critical.
Faster performance fixes and built-in scalability
The operational benefits became clear when a client reported performance issues.
“They said, ‘Hey, this is running really, really slow. Can you check on it?’” Russell recalled.
Within minutes, he identified the issue: CPU load was too high because too many users were assigned to a single host.
Using Nerdio Manager for MSP’s host pool scaling controls, he quickly added additional capacity and redistributed users across machines.
“I just spun up the second machine and reduced the number of people allocated to a machine,” he said. “That was a very quick response to the client.”
Instead of troubleshooting blindly or rebuilding infrastructure, he was able to scale esources immediately, restoring performance and reinforcing client confidence.
A technology partner that supports growth
As a sole director, Russell operates independently. But with Nerdio, he no longer operates alone.
When he encountered early configuration challenges, Nerdio’s team jumped in quickly.
“They basically dropped everything to jump on a call with me and fix a problem,” he said. “They made it really easy.”
Beyond technical support, Nerdio has also helped with positioning, Rightsizing strategy, and growth strategy
“They’ve been giving me advice on things like what instance sizes and how to position them,” Russell said. “They would call me up a week later and say, ‘Can we just check on how you’re doing?’”
That ongoing engagement reinforces his confidence in scaling the service.
Turning AVD into a strategic offering
Russell now sees Azure Virtual Desktop not just as a solution for one client, but as a foundation for growth.
He is actively exploring opportunities to position AVD as part of a stronger security posture, including scenarios where data loss prevention could have prevented former employees from walking away with sensitive files.
“One of the easiest ways is keep everything on AVD and lock it down,” he explained.
With automation in place and repeatable processes established, Zero Point Networks is positioned to expand its virtual desktop practice without increasing operational complexity.
For a smaller MSP, that balance of control, profitability, and scalability is essential.
And now, it’s achievable.
Read the full customer story
See how Zero Point Networks expanded into Azure Virtual Desktop with Nerdio
