This article was written by Liam Rae, Senior Cloud Consultant at Bridgeall.

I’ve always been a strong advocate for Virtual Desktop Infrastructure (VDI) solutions like Azure Virtual Desktop (AVD) and Windows Cloud PC. These technologies have transformed how organisations enable remote work, improve security, and streamline IT management. Recently, when facing performance issues with my laptop, I decided to practice what I preach and deployed a Windows Cloud PC for my daily work. Now I have had the opportunity to experience the benefits first-hand I thought I would share a little more about my experience.

What is Windows Cloud PC?

Windows Cloud PC is Microsoft’s take on a Desktop as a Service (DaaS) solution, offering a fully managed cloud-based desktop experience. Unlike Azure Virtual Desktop, where you need to manage infrastructure such as session hosts, storage, and networking, Windows Cloud PC abstracts all of that away. Microsoft handles the backend, allowing you to focus on delivering a seamless desktop experience to your users.

One of the great features I love about Windows Cloud PCs is that they integrate seamlessly with Azure Virtual Networks, enabling secure access to your organisation’s resources. They are provisioned and managed through Microsoft Intune, making it easy to deploy applications, enforce security policies, and ensure compliance, a lot of organisations will already have this in place for their existing devices. With Windows Cloud PC, you get a scalable, secure, and high-performance desktop solution that’s accessible from virtually any device across the internet.

My Experience with Windows Cloud PC

After experiencing persistent performance issues with my laptop which was starting to impact my productivity, I decided to deploy a Windows Cloud PC as this has been a solution I have recommended to customers that have high performance requirements themselves. The setup process was straightforward and incredibly fast. Within minutes, I had a fully functional cloud desktop ready to go. I was able to deploy all the apps and software that was installed on my current laptop through Intune which saved a lot of time. From an administrator point of view it quickly demonstrated again how efficient and hassle free the deployment process was compared to traditional desktop management.

One of my primary reasons for turning to Cloud PCs was performance and the performance improvements were immediately noticeable. My Cloud PC ran smoothly, even with resource-intensive applications and multitasking, and I no longer had to worry about hardware limitations or local storage constraints. I was using the new Windows App for connecting to the Cloud PC, compared to the Remote Desktop app I thought this looked much sleeker and is more intuitive. I could access my Azure Virtual Desktop resources and apps too from a unified interface.

When my laptop issues escalated, I had to resort to using my personal MacBook temporarily. Thanks to the Cloud PC, my work experience remained consistent and secure. I didn’t have to worry about mixing personal and work data, as everything is isolated in the cloud. This reinforced the security and flexibility of Cloud PCs, especially for remote work scenarios.

Use Cases for Windows Cloud PC

While my personal experience has highlighted and reinforced the benefits of Cloud PCs for performance and productivity, I’ve also seen how they can transform organisations for other use cases.

  • Remote Workforces – Cloud PCs provide a secure and consistent desktop experience, regardless of the device being used or their location. This is especially valuable for employees using personal devices, as it ensures work data remains secure and separate from personal data.
  • Contractors and Temporary Workers – Cloud PCs are ideal for contractors or temporary staff who need access to organisations resources without the need for dedicated hardware. You can quickly provision and deprovision Cloud PCs as needed, reducing costs, improving security and streamlining the onboarding and offboarding process.
  • High-Performance Requirements – Similar to myself, users who require high-performance desktops (e.g., developers, designers, or data analysts), Cloud PCs can be configured with the necessary compute and storage resources, scaling when required, eliminating the need for expensive local hardware.
  • Security and Compliance – With sensitive data remaining in the cloud with robust security controls to protect the data, organisations can maintain compliance requirements while enabling flexible work scenarios.
  • Disaster Recovery and Business Continuity – Cloud PCs ensure that employees can continue working seamlessly, even in the event of hardware failure or other disruptions.
  • Bring Your Own Device (BYOD) – Organisations embracing BYOD policies can leverage Cloud PCs to provide a secure and consistent work environment without compromising on user experience.

Why I’m Even More Convinced Now

While I’ve always believed in the power of Azure Virtual Desktop and Windows Cloud PC, experiencing the benefits myself has strengthened my love and confidence for them even more, as well as giving me firsthand experience that I can share with customers. I’ve loved working with customers implementing these solutions and seeing how they are transforming the way they work. I believe the DaaS offerings will only get better as they continue to become an integral part of a modern workplace.

If you’ve faced similar challenges with hardware limitations, remote work, or security concerns, I’d encourage you to explore how Azure Virtual Desktop or Windows Cloud PC could benefit your organisation it really is a game changer.

Feel free to connect and reach out if you’d like to share your thoughts and experiences or discuss how these solutions might meet your needs.