What's new in Windows Virtual Desktop for July 2021

Here's what changed in July 2021:

Azure Virtual Desktop images now include optimized Teams

All available images in the Azure Virtual Desktop image gallery that include Microsoft 365 Apps for Enterprise now have the media-optimized version of Teams for Azure Virtual Desktop pre-installed. For more information, see our announcement.

Azure Active Directory Domain Join for Session hosts is in public preview

You can now join your Azure Virtual Desktop virtual machines (VMs) directly to Azure Active Directory (Azure AD). This feature lets you connect to your VMs from any device with basic credentials. You can also automatically enroll your VMs with Microsoft Endpoint Manager. For certain scenarios, this will help eliminate the need for a domain controller, reduce costs, and streamline your deployment. Learn more at Deploy Azure AD joined virtual machines in Azure Virtual Desktop.

FSLogix version 2105 is now available

FSLogix version 2105 is now generally available. This version includes improved sign-in times and bug fixes that weren't available in the public preview version (version 2105). For more detailed information, you can see the FSLogix release notes and our blog post.

Azure Virtual Desktop in China has entered public preview

With Azure Virtual Desktop available in China, we now have more rounded global coverage that helps organizations support customers in this region with improved performance and latency. Learn more at our announcement page.

The getting started feature for Azure Virtual Desktop

This feature offers a streamlined onboarding experience in the Azure portal to set up your Azure Virtual Desktop environment. You can use this feature to create deployments that meet system requirements for automated Azure Active Directory Domain Services the simple and easy way. For more information, check out our blog post.

Start VM on connect is now generally available

The start VM on connect feature is now generally available. This feature helps you optimize costs by letting you turn off deallocated or stopped VMs, letting your deployment be flexible with user demands. For more information, see Start Virtual Machine on Connect.

Remote app streaming documentation

We recently announced a new pricing option for remote app streaming for using Azure Virtual Desktop to deliver apps as a service to your customers and business partners. For example, software vendors can use remote app streaming to deliver apps as a software as a service (SaaS) solution that's accessible to their customers. To learn more about remote app streaming, check out our documentation.

From July 14th, 2021 to December 31st, 2021, we're giving customers who use remote app streaming a promotional offer that lets their business partners and customers access Azure Virtual Desktop for no charge. This offer only applies to external user access rights. Regular billing will resume on January 1st, 2022. In the meantime, you can continue to use your existing Windows license entitlements found in licenses like Microsoft 365 E3 or Windows E3. To learn more about this offer, see the Azure Virtual Desktop pricing page.

New Azure Virtual Desktop handbooks

We recently released four new handbooks to help you design and deploy Azure Virtual Desktop in different scenarios:

• Application Management will show you how to modernize application delivery and simplify IT management.
• In Disaster Recovery, learn how to strengthen business resilience by developing a disaster recovery strategy.
• Get more value from Citrix investments with the Citrix Cloud with Azure Virtual Desktop migration guide.
• Get more value from existing VMware investments with the VMware Horizon with Azure Virtual Desktop migration guide.