VDI Product Page
- Jenny Koelliker
- Feb 1
- 8 min read
Updated: Feb 20
Purpose: The purpose of this document is to provide high-level information and talking points for the VDI product as a Managed IT Service in the Managed Service Provider (MSP) Product Catalog.
Audience: MSP XYZ Sales and Service Teams
What Is It?
VDI (Virtual Desktop Infrastructure) is a cloud-based IT solution which allows users to access corporate computer systems from almost any location and device (such as a PC, smartphone, or tablet), eliminating the need for the company to provide users with a managed physical machine. Authorized users can access the same company servers, files, apps, and services from any approved device through a secure desktop client or browser.
VDI allows organizations to run traditional desktop workloads on centralized servers/virtual machines (VMs) and has become the standard in business settings to support remote workers as well as provide access to contractors and partners. VDI helps protect sensitive company apps and data, with corporate data living on the VMs run from highly secure datacenters, keeping corporate data sandboxed in the virtual environment and protected. This allows users to utilize their own devices (BYOD) without worrying about mixing personal data with corporate assets.
VDI is a valuable solution for supporting the increasing number of remote/BYOD users in the workforce while keeping corporate data secure and compliant.
The two technologies MSP XYZ offers for VDI are Windows 365 Cloud PC (W365) and Azure Virtual Desktop (AVD).
How Does It Work?
Key Functionality
VDI uses server hardware to run desktop operating systems like Windows or Linux, or other software programs, on a VM with the desktop OS hosted on a centralized server in a physical datacenter. VDI allows users to log into their VM and access their work environment from any location with an internet connection and be able to access corporate data and applications, including M365 and Bloomberg. The VDI is stored, managed, and updated in one centralized location for ease of access and maintenance, all secured remotely in the cloud.
MSP XYZ utilizes Nerdio Manager for MSP, which enables automation, simplified management, cost optimization, and monitoring of AVD solutions. This allows admins to provision AVD instances within a few hours or even minutes for clients, reducing IT overhead.
Deliverables
W365
Windows 365 Enterprise Cloud PC solution
Implementation and management via Nerdio portal.
Secure W365 access from anywhere via the Microsoft Remote Desktop app.
Can utilize Web Browser, Windows, MacOS, iOS, Android, or Linux devices.
W365 Enterprise Cloud PC images support Microsoft-provided Windows 10 Enterprise OS.
Single session
Images must be Gen1 VM hardware. There is a limit of 20 custom images per Azure AD tenant.
Supports any M365 subscription.
Local profiles stored on C: drive.
Intune Conditional Access policies.
Dedicated public IP address via NAT Gateway.
Monitoring via Endpoint Analytics.
AVD
Azure Virtual Desktop solution
Implementation and management via Nerdio portal.
VMs may be Dedicated or Pooled.
Secure AVD access from anywhere at https://aka.ms/wvdwebarm.
Can utilize Web Browser, Windows, MacOS, iOS, Android, or Linux devices.
Supports M365 subscriptions with Shared Computer Activation (SCA) entitlement.
Images can use any supported operating system. Windows 10 Enterprise OS is most common.
Single or multi-session
Images can be both Gen1 and Gen2 VM hardware. There is no limit on the number of Azure images that can be used in an AVD environment.
Access to Published Applications (e.g. Eze OMS, Office applications, etc.).
Roaming profiles.
Printing capability.
Intune Conditional Access policies.
Monitoring via Azure Monitor.
Optional Add-Ons:
Regional DR/flexibility in Azure
Full VM backup availability for Dedicated AVD only
What It Doesn’t Do
W365
No backup/DR options via Azure at this time.
No auto-scaling.
Cannot be reassigned to another user.
Per Intune/security policies, no copying to clipboard, file redirection, screen captures, or printing/scanning from W365.
AVD
VMs are tied to a certain geographical location (e.g. East US). If a user is in another more distant region, there will be latency and this could make for a poor user experience. AVD cannot be used seamlessly from anywhere in the world due to this limitation. Geographic proximity is preferred/recommended for users with multiple locations.
No VM backups for Pooled AVD.
Per Intune/security policies, no copying to clipboard or file redirection from AVD.
What Does It Look Like?
W365
AVD
Target Audience and Prerequisites
Target Audience
Small and medium-sized alternative investment firms with a regulatory requirement and the need to have a way for users to securely connect to corporate applications and data from any device and location.
Prerequisites
Client must have an Azure subscription with properly configured network.
Azure Active Directory (AAD) and Microsoft Intune are required for W365.
AD Hybrid is required for AVD.
AVD VMs may be either Dedicated or Pooled. Dedicated AVD has one dedicated VM per user. Pooled AVD has multiple users sharing VMs. Microsoft guidance for Pooled AVD is as follows:
Up to 8 standard users per VM.
Up to 4 power users per VM.
End user hardware requirements for W365 may be found here.
Additional prerequisites for AVD may be found here.
Use Cases
Firms that are hybrid or fully remote and do not want to have to order and maintain hardware for all employees (BYOD).
Temporary positions, such as interns or contractors.
Users with multiple locations and devices.
Users who need Published Applications/Application Hosting only.
Standard users tend to be in roles such as admin or contractor, mainly utilizing M365 applications, and performing basic tasks that don’t require a lot of computing power.
Power users tend to be portfolio managers or analysts, utilizing both M365 and trading applications such as Bloomberg, and performing tasks that require more computing power.
Standard User (Admin, Contractor) | Power User (Portfolio Manager, Analyst) | |
Dedicated - W365 or AVD (One dedicated VM per user) |  |  |
Pooled - AVD only (Multiple users sharing VMs) | Up to 8 Standard Users per VM  | Up to 4 Power Users per VM  |
User Personas
Standard User: Laertes is an Admin at Siren Capital. He is responsible for assisting the fund manager with administrative tasks, accounting, and financial reporting. He mainly utilizes M365 and QuickBooks Online services in his role. He does not utilize Bloomberg or Excel macros in his daily work. Laertes likes to come into the office 2-3 days a week and work from home the rest of the time. He doesn’t want to have to take his laptop back and forth. He is also not concerned with backing up his machine since everything is available in the M365 and QBO clouds. With VDI, he can securely log into his corporate account from the office or his home PC and work effectively in either location. Laertes is a standard user with a basic setup and W365 is likely the best solution for him.
Standard User: Calypso is an HR Consultant at Siren Capital. She has been contracted for a six-month project to assist the firm in implementing a new Human Resources Information System (HRIS). The firm thinks it is best to give her the access she needs to sensitive HR data in a secure manner without having to temporarily provide her with hardware. She will mainly be working in existing restricted file shares and the new cloud-based HRIS platform. She does not require robust processing power or to have her environment backed up. With VDI, Calypso can easily log into her Siren account from any location to access the data she needs for her consulting work. Calypso will be a standard user only temporarily and W365 is likely the best solution for her.
Power User: Circe is the Portfolio Manager at Siren Capital. She is responsible for managing investment strategies for Siren clients. Circe needs consistent access to corporate email and file systems as well as hosted trading applications in order to successfully communicate with clients, keep up with market conditions, and be able to act in a timely manner to meet investment objectives. Circe utilizes Bloomberg and is a heavy Excel user with multiple macros. Circe has a home in NYC and one in Florida and does not wish to have to build and maintain corporate hardware at each location. VDI is ideal for her because she can securely log into her VDI from any machine in any location within the Azure East US region, access corporate assets, an effectively service her clients. With a robust setup like this, Circe is a power user and Dedicated AVD is likely the best solution for her.
Power User: Athena is a Software Development Intern at Siren Capital. She will only be working at the firm for a few months during her summer break from university to help build out proprietary trading models. The firm does not see value in ordering and configuring a laptop for Athena’s short tenure and would like to be able to reassign her account to someone else when she returns to school. With VDI, Athena can log into her Siren account from a workstation in the office for the time she is with the firm. Since Athena will be a power user only briefly, Pooled AVD is likely the best solution for her.
Elevator Pitch and Competitive Advantage
Elevator Pitch
As the remote workforce grows and firms find their users to be more geographically diverse, having a remote access solution you can trust is increasingly important. Whether users are spread out across a region or there is a need to accommodate temporary users such as contractors or interns, procuring, shipping, and maintaining hardware for users becomes cumbersome and expensive. The VDI solution provides a scalable and secure way for users to access corporate systems from any device, centrally managing all user assets in the cloud and removing the burden of corporate hardware management. This allows users to be productive and efficient from any device at any time.
Competitive Advantage
Product Name | VDI |
Product Category | Managed IT Services |
Product Packaging |
|
Product Main Features |
|
Client Pain Points/Business Problem |
|
Product Value Proposition |
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Pricing
Item | Standard User Specs* | Power User Specs* |
Azure Costs: W365**
| MRC: $75/user
| MRC: $132/user
|
Azure Costs: AVD**
| MRC: $150/user
| MRC: $267/user
|
Azure Costs: Azure Core Infrastructure** | See AVD SOW & Cost Matrix | See AVD SOW & Cost Matrix |
Azure Management Fee** | MRC: 30% of Azure Costs | MRC: 30% of Azure Costs |
Implementation Fee^ | NRC: $250/hr | NRC: $250/hr |
Sales and Support Manager Guidance
*Target Audience section above contains additional information on what constitutes a Standard vs. Power User.
**Total VDI MRC pricing is based on Azure Costs and Azure Management Fee per client specs:
Additional Azure Core Infrastructure components my include storage, backups, bandwidth, and logs.
Nerdio’s AVD Cost Calculator is a good resource for Azure Costs estimation and may be found here.
Average Azure Costs for Dedicated AVD with all components is ~$300/VM/month.
Average Azure Costs for Pooled AVD with all components is
~$335-520/VM/month.
^VDI Implementation projects are estimated to take 25-50 hours depending on client specs.
Process and Workflows
Internal Process Information
Phase | Responsible Team - New Clients | Responsible Team - Existing Clients |
Sales | Sales Team | Support Managers |
Implementation | Onboarding Team | Support Team |
Support | Support Team | Support Team |
Decommission | Support Team | Support Team |
W365 Workflow
AVD Workflow
