Optimizing RDP Connectivity for Windows 365
Updated with RDP & Zscaler connectivity improvements August 2025 The use of VPN or Secure Web Gateway (SWG) client software or agents to provide tunneled access to on-premises resources in addition to providing protected internet access via a cloud based Secure Web Gateway (SWG) or a legacy VPN & on-premises proxy path is very commonly seen in Windows 365 and AVD deployments. This is especially the case when deployed in the recommended Windows 365 with Microsoft Hosted Network (MHN) model where the Cloud PC is located on a network with direct, open high-speed internet available. The more modern, cloud based SWG solutions fit perfectly with this modern Zero-Trust approach and generally perform at a higher level than traditional VPN software, where internet browsing is hairpinned through on-premises proxies and back out to the internet. As we have many Windows 365 customers using such solutions as part of their deployment, there are some specific configuration guidelines which are outlined in this post which Microsoft recommends are applied to optimize key traffic and provide the highest levels of user experience. What is the Problem? Many of these VPN/SWG solutions build a tunnel in the user context, which means that when a user logs in to their device, the service starts and creates the tunnels required to provide both internet and private access as defined for that user. With a physical device the tunnel is normally up and running before or shortly after the user sees their desktop on screen, meaning they can then quickly get on with their work without noticing its presence. However, as with any virtualized device which needs a remote connection to access, the above model poses several challenges: 1. Additional Latency Firstly, the remote desktop traffic is latency sensitive, in that delay to the traffic reaching its destination can easily translate into a poor user experience, with lag on actions and desktop display. Routing this traffic through a tunnel to an intermediary device to reach its destination adds latency and can restrict throughput regardless of how well configured or performing said device is. Modern SWG solutions tend to perform at a much higher levels than a traditional VPN/Proxy approach, but the highest level of experience is always achieved through a direct connection and avoiding any inspection or intermediary devices. Much like Teams media traffic, the RDP traffic in the Windows 365 case should be routed via the most optimal path between the two endpoints so as to deliver the very highest levels of performance, this is almost always the direct path via the nearest network egress. From a Cloud PC side this also means the traffic never leaves Microsoft’s managed network if directly egressed. 2. RDP Connection Drops An additional challenge comes from the use of user-based tunnels. As the user initiates a connection to the Cloud PC, the connection reaches the session host without issue and the user successfully sees the initial logon screen. However, once the user login starts, and the client software then builds the tunnels to the SWG/VPN for the user, the user then experiences a freeze of the login screen. The connection then drops, and we have to go through the reconnection process to re-establish the connection to the Cloud PC. Once this is complete, the user can successfully use the Cloud PC without further issue. Users however may also experience disconnects of the remote session if there is any issue with the tunnel, for example if the tunnel temporarily drops for some reason. Overall, this doesn’t provide a great user experience with the Cloud PC, especially on initial login. Why does this occur? It occurs because the tunnels built to route internet traffic to the SWG generally capture all internet bound traffic unless configured not to do so, a forced tunnel or ‘Inverse split tunnel’. This means the initial login works without issue but as soon as this tunnel is established upon user logon, the RDP traffic gets transferred into it and as it’s a new path, requires reconnecting. Equally, as the traffic is inside this tunnel, if the tunnel drops momentarily and needs to reconnect, this also causes the RDP session to require reconnecting inside the re-established tunnel. In the diagram below, you can see a simplified representation of this indirect connectivity approach with a forced tunnel in place. RDP traffic has to traverse the VPN/SWG resources before hitting the gateway handling the traffic. Whilst this is not a problem for less sensitive traffic and general web browsing, for latency critical traffic such as Teams and the RDP traffic, it is non-optimal. What’s the Solution? Microsoft strongly recommends implementing a forced tunnel exception for the critical RDP traffic which means that it does not enter the tunnel to the SWG or VPN gateway and is instead directly routed to its destination. This solves both of the above problems by providing a direct path for the RDP traffic and also ensuring it isn’t impacted by changes in the tunnel state. This is the same model as used by specific ‘Optimize’ marked Office 365 traffic such as Teams media traffic. On the Cloud PC side this also means this traffic never leaves Microsoft’s managed network. What exactly do I need to bypass from these tunnels? Previously, solving this problem meant significant complexity due to the large number of IP addresses required to configure optimization for this RDP traffic, we provided a script as part of this blog to assist with collecting and formatting these IPs. I'm pleased to share that Microsoft has invested in an extensive and complex piece of work to solve this challenge by building a new, upgraded global gateway infrastructure to allow it to be addressed from a single subnet. In addition to that simplification that we have planned so that this subnet should not see any regular change, abstracting customers from change as we scale the infrastructure and add new regions in future. As of February 2025, this work has now been completed and the old infrastructure decommissioned, this was all completed with zero downtime for our customers. This now allows RDP based traffic to now be covered by two single subnets rather than many hundred as previously was the case. There are further improvement works due to be delivered in the coming months for UDP based RDP to provide new dedicated and globally scaled TURN infrastructure. This post will be updated when this is complete and RDP connectivity is therefore in its final and complete, simplified and secured state. These temporary elements are: The WindowsVirtualDesktop service tag Is now up to date as of 19th March 2025 with all decommissioned IPs removed. 2. UDP based RDP via TURN now exclusively uses 51.5.0.0/16 as of August 2025. The new, dedicated subnet is in the WindowsVirtualDesktop service tag. More on this can be found in this post. This work will also vastly expand our global TURN relay availability. RDP based Connectivity bypass: As of August 2025, the critical traffic which carries RDP is contained within the following simplified endpoints: RDP Endpoints for Optimization Row Endpoint Protocol Port Purpose 1 *.wvd.microsoft.com TCP 443 Core TCP based RDP and other critical service traffic 2 40.64.144.0/20 TCP 443 Core TCP based RDP 3 51.5.0.0/16 UDP 3478 Core UDP based RDP via TURN Please see this article for more information on row 3 In some network equipment/software we can configure bypass using FQDNs and wildcard FQDNs alone, and we’d recommend that this method (row 1) is used in addition to the IP based rules if possible. However, some solutions do not allow the use of wildcard FQDNs so it’s common to see only IP addresses used for this bypass configuration. In this case you can use the newly simplified rows 2 & 3 in the table above, making sure row 1 is still accessible via the SWG/Proxy. There are also a small number of other endpoints which should be bypassed on the Cloud PC side: Other required VPN/SWG bypass requirements: Other endpoints for Optimization Row Endpoint Protocol Port Purpose 4 azkms.core.windows.net TCP 1688 Azure KMS - Traffic Needs to arrive from Azure public IPs 5 169.254.169.254 TCP 80 Azure Fabric communication 6 168.63.129.16 TCP 80 Azure Fabric communication These additional bypass requirements (4-6) are not RDP related but are required for the following reasons: Row 4 – This is Azure KMS activation which is a required endpoint for a Cloud PC and AVD Session Hosts. The traffic for this needs to arrive from an Azure public IP, if not then the connection will not be successful. Therefore it should not be sent via a 3 rd party internet egress such as via an SWG or proxy. IP addresses corresponding to the FQDN can be found via the link above if required. Rows 5 & 6 – These are critical IP addresses used to communicate to the Azure Fabric to operate the VM. We need to ensure these are not inadvertently sent in any VPN/SWG tunnel where they will not be then able to reach their destination in Azure. How do I implement the RDP bypass in common VPN/SWG solutions? Microsoft is working with several partners in this space to provide bespoke guidance and we’ll add detailed guidance for other solutions here as we get them confirmed. Already available however is Zscaler ZIA. Zscaler Client Connector The changes outlined above should make configuration in all scenarios vastly simpler moving forward. Due to some fantastic work to assist our mutual customers by our friends at Zscaler, as of February 2025 and version 4.3.2 of the Zscaler Client Connector, the majority of the mentioned Windows 365 and AVD traffic which requires optimization, including RDP can be bypassed with a single click configuration within a predefined IP based bypass! Zscaler ZIA Configuration Version 4.3.2 (Released Feb 2025) of the Zscaler Connector Client portal enables this feature. Ensure a recent version of the Client Connector is installed on both the Cloud PC (And Physical device if Zscaler is used there) to take advantage. In the Zscaler Client Connector Portal, select the new IP-Based, Predefined Application Bypass for Windows 365 & Azure Virtual Desktop. This contains preconfigured bypass for RDP and KMS traffic. 3. Add the following endpoints to the bypass configuration manually as they are not included in the automatic bypass. Endpoint Protocol Port Purpose 169.254.169.254 TCP 80 Azure Fabric communication 168.63.129.16 TCP 80 Azure Fabric communication Other VPN/SWG solutions Microsoft is currently working with other partners in this space to provide detailed guidance for other VPN/SWG solutions and will list them here as they are complete. Please let us know in the comments if you’d like us to list a particular solution and we’ll aim to prioritize based on feedback. In the interim, use rows 1-6 in the tables above to create manual bypasses from VPN/SWG/Proxy tunnels. This should be significantly simpler and have much lower change rates than previously due to the IP consolidation. FAQs: Q: In a Microsoft Hosted Network deployment, is there anything else I need to do? A: Unless the local Windows firewall is configured to block access to the endpoints noted, there should be nothing else required, the network the virtual NIC sits in has direct, high speed connectivity Microsoft’s backbone and the internet. Q: In an Azure Network Connection scenario, is there anything further I need to do? A: In this scenario, the recommended path for the traffic is directly out of the VNet into Microsoft’s backbone. Depending on the configuration it may require allowing the endpoints noted in this article through a firewall or NSG. The WindowsVirtualDesktop service tag or FQDN tag may help with automating rules in firewalls or configuring User Defined Routing. RDP traffic specifically should be sent direct into Microsoft’s backbone via a NAT Gateway or similar with no TLS inspection, avoiding putting load on NVAs such as Firewalls. Q: Do I need to configure the bypass on just the Cloud PC? A: RDP connectivity (Rows 1-3) is used identically on both the physical and cloud sides. It is strongly advised that the bypass is applied to both the Cloud PC and the connecting client if that also uses the SWG/VPN to connect. If both are using the same configuration profile then this should happen automatically. Rows 4-6 are only required on the cloud side. Q: How often do the IP addresses Change? A: Now the improvement work is complete we don’t anticipate regular change. You can monitor the WindowsVirtualDesktop service tag for changes if desired and we’re working on getting these requirements into the M365 Web Service longer term for monitoring and automation. Q: Can I add more than the RDP traffic to the bypass. A: Microsoft only provides IP addresses for the RDP connectivity at present. However if your solution is capable of configuration by FQDN alone, then you can add other service endpoints to your optimized path, these can be found on this Microsoft docs page. Q: Im using a true split tunnel, does this impact me? A: The above advice is for a forced tunnel scenario (inverse split tunnel) where the default path is via the tunnel and only defined exceptions are sent direct, which is often referred to as a split tunnel in common parlance and is the most commonly seen deployment model of such solutions. However a split tunnel in the technically accurate sense of the words, where the default path is the internet and only defined endpoints (such as corp server ranges/names) are sent down the tunnel, shouldn’t need such configuration as the RDP traffic should follow the default path to the internet. Q: Does this also optimize RDP shortpath? A: RDP Shortpath for Public Networks works to provide a UDP based RDP connection between the client and Cloud PC if enabled and achievable. This connection is in addition to the TCP based connection described above and the dynamic virtual channels such as graphics, input etc are switched into the UDP connection if deemed optimal. Row 3 above covers this traffic for connectivity via TURN relays. Please see this article for more information on this connectivity model. Q: Is this advice also shared in Microsoft’s official documentation? A: We’re currently working on uplifting the entire connectivity documentation for Windows 365 and the above will form part of this work in the coming months. We’ll share the official link in this blog when available. Q: Does this advice apply equally to AVD? A: Yes, both Windows 365 and AVD have exactly the same requirements in terms of the connectivity discussed in this blog.
How to Automate Windows 365 Cloud PC Last Login monitoring!
Automate Windows 365 Cloud PC Last Login monitoring! (Windows 365, Azure Active Directory, Power Automate, MS Graph) Contributors: Juan José Guirola Sr. (Next Generation Endpoint GBB for Americas) Bobby Chang (Power Platform GBB for Americas) Enterprises of all sizes are adopting and aligning Windows 365 to solve several business-critical scenarios. Organizations appreciate the simplicity of the solution, rapid deployment, and enhanced end user experience; offering the opportunity to include new solutions to their services catalog! Part of the simplicity of Windows 365 is that its management plane is Microsoft Intune. Leveraging the Windows 365 admin blade in Intune, administrators can perform the initial configuration of the service and perform on going monitoring of Cloud PCs deployed within the enterprise with several reports being made visible through the “Reports” blade, to include Device management, Endpoint Security, Endpoint Analytics, etc. We have recently introduced a new type of analytical report – Cloud PC utilization report (preview) – which brings visibility to Cloud PCs with low usage. This is a nice addition to the platform, and a much-needed report. For some organizations, that level of reporting will suffice. But if you are looking for a more custom report that aligns to the specific goals and needs of your organization, then keep reading. This blog will describe how to use the Microsoft Power Platform to automate the reporting of Windows 365 based on your specific criteria and receive notifications via email when the criteria is met. In our example, we are setting the criteria to report on Cloud PCs that have not been logged on to for 60 days or more. Let’s get started. Prerequisites The following items are required to automate the process and deploy in a production environment: (For personal development and sandbox/testing scenario, you can use the Microsoft 365 Developer Plan and Power Apps Developer Plan). Windows 365 Enterprise Licenses Azure Active Directory (Azure AD) Premium (P1/P2) Microsoft Endpoint Manager Power Automate per flow plan Microsoft Graph (Windows 365 Cloud PC MS Graph API in beta) Working with Windows 365 Cloud PCs using the Microsoft Graph API Azure App Registration with the following permissions: CloudPC.Read.All. For enterprise production scenarios, we would recommend leveraging the Application Lifecycle Management (ALM) capabilities in Power Platform, in order to safely adopt future changes to your processes. However, this is outside of the scope of this blog post. Register MS Graph in Azure AD If you have followed our previous BLOG – How to automate Windows 365 Cloud PC self-service requests – you may have already performed these steps. If so, please proceed to the next section of this BLOG. Register MS Graph as an Enterprise application in Azure Active Directory. Log into the Azure portal with appropriate permissions for making application registrations. Global Administrator privileges will provide the permissions to make application registrations; there are other options by following the custom role details in this documentation Custom role permissions for app registration - Azure AD - Microsoft Entra | Microsoft Docs. In the Azure services portal, click Azure Active Directory > Azure Active Directory. Figure 1: A screenshot of the Azure Active Directory blade in the Azure services portal. Select App registrations in the left navigation menu. Click New registration. Give the application a name, select Single Tenant for the supported account type, and then click Register. Figure 2 : A screenshot of the Register an application screen, showing the details that need to be identified for the new application. Note your Directory (tenant) ID and Application (client) ID GUIDs and then click on API Permissions. Figure 3: A screenshot of the recently created application overview with the Application (client) ID and Directory (tenant) ID details highlighted. Click API permissions in the left navigation menu. Click Add a Permission. Select Microsoft.Graph and choose Application permissions. Ensure the following permissions are added: CloudPC.Read.All User.Read User.Read.All Group.Read.All Mail.Send (optional for sending messages via Graph ) Figure 4: A screenshot of the Select permissions setup. Once the permissions have been added, click Grant consent. Click Certificates & secrets in the left navigation menu, and then click New client secret. Important! Note this secret key and store it somewhere safe, like a key vault. This key will only be visible upon creation. Once you navigate away, you will be unable to expose the key again and will have to generate a new key. Create the Cloud PC Last Login Monitoring automation! In this section, we will build the Power Automate flows that will orchestrate the Last Login monitoring reporting process. This decision flow illustrates the end-to-end process of retrieving Cloud PC attribute values from the Microsoft Graph leveraging the Windows 365 API and parse through the LastLoginResult value to compare against our criteria of 60 days or more. Figure 5: A flowchart depicting the process for reporting Cloud PC Last Login. To begin, sign into Microsoft Power Automate with your Microsoft 365 organization credentials. From the left navigation menu, click + Create then: Click Automated cloud flow. Name the flow and choose the flow trigger, “Recurrence” from list. Click Create. Set your desired Interval. Figure 6: A screenshot that shows the Recurrence trigger. Click on + New step (To add variable for the UPN). In Choose an operation, type variable. Select Initialize variable from Actions. Type Init VARUPN details screen. Give it a name, e.g., VARUPN and select “String” as Type. Click + New step (To add variable for the “lastLoginResult” attribute value of the Cloud PC). Choose an operation, type variable. Select Initialize variable from Actions. Give it a name, e.g. lastLoginResult and select “String” as Type. Click on + New step (To add variable for the “Composed_LastLoginResult_Value” of the Cloud PC). Search for VAR in Choose an operation. Select Initialize variable. Give it a name (e.g. Composed_LastLoginResult) and select “String” as Type. Click on + New step (To add variable for CurrentDateTime). Choose an operation, type variable. Select Initialize variable from Actions. Give it a name (e.g., DateNow) and select “String” as Type. In the Value field, Add, Expression, in Fx type utcNow() Click on + New step (To add variable for DateDifference) Choose an operation, type variable. Select Initialize variable from Actions. Give it a name (e.g., DateDiff) and select “Integer” as Type. Click on + New step (To add variable for the “Criteria,” which in our example is 60 day +). Choose an operation, type variable. Select Initialize variable from Actions. Give it a name (e.g., More than 60 days) and select “String” as Type. At this point, we need to determine the automated actions, based on the “LastLoginResult” value of the Cloud PC. This can be accomplished by parsing through each Cloud PC LastLoginRestult value and applying a “Condition” action. Let’s add a GET step to the flow to gather Cloud PC attribute value: Click Add an action. Important! To add the control to perform Graph API calls against tenant to gather Cloud PC attribute value, search for HTTP. In the Method field, select GET. Under URI, set it up exactly as illustrated below: https://graph.microsoft.com/beta/deviceManagement/virtualEndpoint/cloudPCs? $select=userprincipalname,id,displayName,managedDeviceName,Status,imageDisplayName,lastModifiedDateTime,lastRemoteActionResult,lastLoginResult For Authentication, select Active Directory OAuth. Leave the authority as default. Enter your Tenant ID under Tenant, https://graph.microsoft.com under Audience, the AppID under Client ID, and the Secret in the Secret section. For production scenarios, you should consider storing your secret in a Key Management solution, like Azure Key Vault If you are using Azure Key Vault, then you can first add the Get Secret action from the pre-built Azure Key Vault connector (https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/connectors/keyvault/#actions) then securely pass your Secret into this step of your automation - Figure 7: Example setup for Graph API controls to gather Cloud PC attribute value. Hide your Secret from the Power Automate run history Click on the … to the right of the Power Automate HTTP action Select Settings Turn the toggles to On for “Secure Inputs” and “Secure Outputs” in order to not display your Secret in plain text on the logs or run history Click Add an action, and search for “Parse JSON.” Under Parse JSON, select Body for the Content field and insert the body of the HTTP request response into the Schema field. Use the following schema: Figure 8: A screenshot of completed content and schema details for Parse JSON. { "type": "object", "properties": { "@@odata.context": { "type": "string" }, "value": { "type": "array", "items": { "type": "object", "properties": { "userPrincipalName": { "type": "string" }, "managedDeviceName": { "type": "string" }, "id": { "type": "string" }, "displayName": { "type": "string" }, "imageDisplayName": { "type": "string" }, "status": { "type": "string" }, "lastModifiedDateTime": { "type": "string" }, "lastRemoteActionResult": {}, "lastLoginResult": {} }, "required": [ "id", "userPrincipalName", "displayName", "imageDisplayName", "managedDeviceName", "status", "lastModifiedDateTime", "lastRemoteActionResult", "lastLoginResult" ] } } } } Note: You can also get this schema by using the Graph explorer to request from the same endpoint. Use the Generate from example button to generate the schema. Click Add action and search for “Apply to each.” In the Output field, select Value from our Parse JSON step. Click Add an action and search for “Compose.” In the Compose step, enter rungraph for: {id} Figure 9: Compose control example. Click Add an action and search for “HTTP.” Configure the HTTP using the same variables for TenantID, APpID, and Secret, as in the previous HTTP action, but using the following URI: https://graph.microsoft.com/beta/deviceManagement/virtualEndpoint/cloudPCs/@{items('Apply_to_each_2')?['id']}? $select=userprincipalname,id,displayName,managedDeviceName,Status,imageDisplayName,lastModifiedDateTime,lastLoginResult Example: Figure 10: Example setup for retrieving lastLoginResult value for each specific Cloud PC. Follow the same steps as previously outlined to hide your Secrets from the run history (Click on … > Select Settings > Turn toggles to On for “Secure Inputs” and “Secure Outputs”) Click Add an action, search for “Parse JSON.” Select Body for the Content field and insert the following into the Schema field: { "type": "object", "properties": { "@@odata.context": { "type": "string" }, "value": { "type": "array", "items": { "type": "object", "properties": { "userPrincipalName": { "type": "string" }, "managedDeviceName": { "type": "string" }, "id": { "type": "string" }, "displayName": { "type": "string" }, "imageDisplayName": { "type": "string" }, "status": { "type": "string" }, "lastModifiedDateTime": { "type": "string" }, "lastRemoteActionResult": {}, "lastLoginResult": {} }, "required": [ "id", "userPrincialName", "displayName", "imageDisplayName", "managedDeviceName", "status", "lastModifiedDateTime", "lastRemoteActionResult", "lastLoginResult" ] } } } } Figure 11: A screenshot of the Parse JSON schema. Click Add an action and search for “Condition”. Select lastLoginResult under Parse JSON for the value. Select is not equal to for condition. Under Add dynamic content, type null as the expression. Figure 12: lastLoginResult Condition Expression. At this point we are ready to add logic to the flow based on meeting the criteria of the condition. If yes - Click Add an action and search for “Set variable”. Insert a Name (e.g. lastLoginResult) For Value, select lastLoginResult under Parse JSON2 as the Dynamic content Click Add an action and search for “Compose”. Select Compose as the Data Operation. Enter the following expression in Inputs field: split(variables('lastLoginResult-Value'),'"') Click Add an action and search for “Compose”. Select Compose as the Data Operation. Enter the following expression in Inputs field: outputs('Compose_3')?[3] Click Add an action and search for “Set Variable”. Select Set Variable. Give it a Name (e.g. Composed_LastLoginResult_Value) Click on Add dynamic content to add Value Select Outputs under Compose 4 Step. Click Add an action and search for “Set Variable”. Select Set Variable. Give it a Name (e.g. DateDiff) Click on Add dynamic content to add Value Select Expression and enter the following expression div(sub(ticks(variables('DateNow')),ticks(variables('Composed_LastLoginResult_Value'))),864000000000) Now that we’ve been able to extract the proper number of days since lastlogin, let’s send out the email notifications. Click Add an action and search for “Condition”. Select DateDiff variable as the value. Select is greater than as condition. Enter 60 as the value (or whatever aligns to your criteria) Click Add an action and search for “Send an email”. Select Send an email v2. Provide a name (e.g. More than 60 Days Email notification) Enter the necessary information to the fields as necessary for your environment. See below as an example. Figure 13: Sample email template. Once you’re past the Apply to Each scope, Click Add an action, and search for “Terminate.” Set the Status to Succeeded. Return to the initial criteria Conditon to setup the the If no process. Scroll up in the workflow to access this setup. Click Add an action and search for “Set variable.” Select Set Variable. Enter a name (e.g. lastLoginResult-Value) Value enter Blank The entire flow process should look like the image below. Once you’ve completed adding in steps to your automation flow, you’re ready to test the solution. You can run a manual test or wait till the schedule task kicks off. Finally, you should receive an email like the one below: Admin Email Notification NOTE: WE WILL UPDATE THIS ARTICLE IN THE NEAR FUTURE TO INCLUDE THE ADDITION OF UPDATING A TABLE IN POWER APPS AND A FRONT FACING APPLICATION WHERE ADMINS CAN TAKE ACTION TO RECLAIM WINDOWS 365 LICENSE! STAY TUNED!!! Continue the conversation by joining us in the Microsoft 365 Tech Community! Whether you have product questions or just want to stay informed with updates on new releases, tools, and blogs, Microsoft 365 Tech Community is your go-to resource to stay connected.[On demand] Delivering like-local Windows experiences from the cloud
Learn how Windows cloud features like RDP Multipath and TURN improve connectivity and reduce connections times, while HEVC hardware acceleration and enhanced device redirection boost performance. Watch Delivering like-local Windows experiences from the cloud – now on demand – and join the conversation at https://aka.ms/LikeLocalInTheCloud. To help you learn more, here are the links referenced in the session: Hardware-accelerated HEVC (h.265) graphics encoding is currently in public preview! See Enable GPU acceleration for Azure Virtual Desktop | Microsoft Learn for more details For more free technical skilling on the latest in Windows, Windows in the cloud, and Microsoft Intune, view the full Microsoft Technical Takeoff session list.[On demand] Skill up! Cloud PC management and reporting
Get to know the tools you can use today to track Windows 365 utilization, identify underutilized Cloud PCs, and monitor connected Cloud PCs. Watch Skill up! Cloud PC management and reporting – now on demand – and join the conversation at https://aka.ms/CloudPCReporting. For more free technical skilling on the latest in Windows, Windows in the cloud, and Microsoft Intune, view the full Microsoft Technical Takeoff session list.[On demand] Unlocking productivity on the frontline with Windows 365
Dive deep and uncover practical guidance on how to deploy and manage Windows 365 Frontline effectively. Watch Unlocking productivity on the frontline with Windows 365 – now on demand – and join the conversation at https://aka.ms/FrontlineProductivity. To help you learn more, watch our bonus video with frequently asked questions on Windows 365 Frontline: And here are the links referenced in the session: Read our latest blog: aka.ms/W365FrontlineSharedBlog Watch the Windows 365 Frontline video: aka.ms/W365FrontlineVideo Watch the new Microsoft Mechanics video: aka.ms/W365FrontlineMechanics Learn more on the Windows 365 Frontline website For more free technical skilling on the latest in Windows, Windows in the cloud, and Microsoft Intune, view the full Microsoft Technical Takeoff session list.Windows 365 and Azure Virtual Desktop sessions at the Microsoft Technical Takeoff
The next iteration of the Microsoft Technical Takeoff is coming up quick. Four days of in depth sessions, demos, roadmap and Q&A are coming up on Monday March the 3rd to Thursday the 6th. This is a great learning event where we in the Microsoft engineering and product groups go deep on a whole host of topics, from Windows, Azure Virtual Desktop, Intune and Windows365. For those specifically interested in Windows 365 and Azure Virtual Desktop then this is the ultimate short list of sessions. Please click on the link for the session below and then click on the Attend button, (times below are in PST). To access the full site with the entire agenda and session list just visit: aka.ms/TechnicalTakeoff Windows 365 and Azure Virtual Desktop Monday, March 3, 2025 8:30 AM - The path ahead: The roadmap for Windows in the cloud 10:30 AM - Understanding security and management on Windows 365 Link 11:00 AM - Unlocking productivity on the frontline with Windows 365 Tuesday, March 4, 2025 10:30 AM - Skill up! Cloud PC management and reporting 11:00 AM - Get to know Windows security and resiliency in the cloud Wednesday, March 5, 2025 9:30 AM - Enhancing resiliency with Windows 365 10:30 AM - Delivering like-local Windows experiences from the cloud Thursday, March 6, 2025 7:00 AM - Azure Virtual Desktop app management 7:30 AM - Azure Virtual Desktop hostpool management at scale 11:00 AM - Windows cloud migration and deployment best practices
Scanners and TWAIN
hey guys. how are you guys handling users with scanners that need to scan directly to windows 365? We have a current AVD environment where 100 users connect to 3 host servers. the host servers have TSScan installed on them to assist with scanner redirection. Moving to W365 would require a TSScan license for each 100 users which would be too cost prohibitive.Unlocking the Power of Windows 365 in 2025: Your Ultimate Learning Guide
Fun fact, the article below is written by Microsoft Copilot! Before kicking off, I want to wish all of you Happy (and successful) New Year! As we move further into 2025, the digital workspace continues to evolve, and Windows 365 remains at the forefront, offering seamless and flexible cloud computing solutions. Last year, we have been recognized for the second consecutive year as a Leader in the 2024 Gartner® Magic Quadrant™ for Desktop as a Service (DaaS). Whether you're a seasoned professional or new to the world of cloud PCs, there's always more to learn about making the most out of Windows 365. To kick this year off with a tradition, here’s your comprehensive new guide to mastering Windows 365 in the year 2025! Getting started with Windows 365 Microsoft provides a wealth of resources to help users understand and maximize Windows 365. Start by exploring the official Windows 365 website for detailed documentation, tutorials, and updates. Additionally, the Microsoft Learn platform offers structured learning paths and modules specifically tailored to Windows 365. Windows 365 migration: It's easier than you think - Windows IT Pro Blog Windows 365 Cloud PCs and Microsoft Intune for VDI administrators | Windows IT Pro Blog New end-user experiences for Windows in the cloud: December 2024 | Microsoft Community Hub Technical deep dive bootcamp on Microsoft AVD and Windows 365 The future of Windows, Windows 365 and AI | Microsoft 365 Community Conference Create provisioning policies for Windows 365 Windows 365 deployment overview Windows 365 networking deployment options Windows in the Cloud video series Windows in the Cloud video series dives into Windows 365 capabilities: Windows 365 and Azure Virtual Desktop news from Microsoft Ignite - Windows in the Cloud What’s next in Windows 365 Frontline - Windows in the Cloud Introducing Windows 365 Link – the first Cloud PC device Microsoft Teams in the Windows cloud Windows App: what's new and what's next | Windows in the Cloud GPU-enhanced Windows 365 Cloud PCs - Windows in the Cloud Leadership spotlights Leadership spotlight: Melissa Grant, Windows Marketing Leadership spotlight: Marcus Ash on the future of Windows and AI design Customer spotlights Episode 1 - Windows 365 Customer Spotlights with Sepideh AMAs (Ask Microsoft Anything) Looking for more tips to deploy and manage Windows 365 and Azure Virtual Desktop faster, better, and simple? Catch up on the most recent sessions on-demand: AMA: The latest in Windows 365 and Windows in the cloud(December 2024) AMA: Windows 365 - Q3 2024 capabilities(October 2024) AMA: Windows 365 GPU-enabled Cloud PCs(September 2024) AMA: Windows App(August 2024) Upcoming dates: January 29, 2025 - AMA: Windows 365 February 26, 2025 - AMA: Windows 365 March 26, 2025 - AMA: Windows 365 Microsoft Ignite ’24 content available on demand In case you missed any of the breakout sessions that the Windows cloud engineering team delivered to Microsoft Ignite, they are now available on demand. Here are just a few highlights: Transform end-user computing experiences with Windows, Windows 365 and Intune Download PowerPoint slides here. Secure and resilient Windows strategy from Client to Cloud Download PowerPoint slides here. What's New in Windows Security, Productivity and Cloud What's new and what's next for Azure Virtual Desktop Books Mastering Windows 365 Mastering Microsoft Intune Get Microsoft certified As a candidate for this certification, you have subject matter expertise managing devices and client applications in a Microsoft 365 tenant by using Microsoft Intune. You’re responsible for: Implementing solutions for efficient deployment and management of endpoints on various operating systems, platforms, and device types. Implementing and managing endpoints at scale by using Microsoft Intune, Microsoft Intune Suite, Windows Autopilot, Microsoft Copilot for Security, Microsoft Defender for Endpoint, Microsoft Entra ID, Azure Virtual Desktop, and Windows 365. Implementing identity, security, access, policies, updates, and apps for endpoints. Learn more about the course via: Microsoft 365 Certified: Endpoint Administrator Associate - Certifications | Microsoft Learn Join the Windows 365 Community Engage with the Windows 365 community to share experiences, ask questions, and learn from others. Participate in forums such as the Microsoft Tech Community and follow relevant hashtags on social media platforms like LinkedIn and Twitter. Connecting with peers and experts can provide valuable insights and tips. Windows 365 Community weekly newsletters Follow us on LinkedIn Join our community on Discord Hands-On Practice There’s no substitute for hands-on experience. Set up your own Windows 365 environment and experiment with its features. Create different scenarios, troubleshoot issues, and explore various settings to get a practical understanding of how Windows 365 works. This practical approach will help solidify your knowledge and boost your confidence in using the platform. Go for our Interactive Demo for Windows 365 to: https://aka.ms/w365demo Attend Virtual Events and Webinars Save the date now for the third installment of the Microsoft Technical Takeoff for Windows and Microsoft Intune! This free, virtual skilling event will offer prescriptive, technical deep dives and panel-based discussions to help you feel prepared and confident in deploying and managing devices, apps, and experiences from client to cloud! Microsoft Technical Takeoff | Microsoft Community Hub Community events in 2025 to attend Workplace Ninja Summit + local user groups Workplace Ninja Summit is another amazing community event where you can learn about all things Intune and Windows 365. Its goal is to share knowledge with the community and to make workplace management with Microsoft Technologies simpler for everybody. Dates: 22 - 25 September 2025 More information can be found at Workplace Ninja Summit 2025 UK edition Workplace Ninjas UK 2025 - Expo + Breakouts | Edinburgh - 16 - 17 June 2025 Australia edition Workplace Ninja Australia Tour 2025 - Canberra, Fri, Feb 14, 2025, 9:00 AM | Meetup USA edition Workplace Ninjas US | 2025 Two-Day Conference Announcement December 2025 MMS Minnesota The Midwest Management Summit is a 4-day conference purposely capped at 750 attendees so that nobody gets lost in the crowd. Speakers have time to meet and talk to you. There are no people rushing out of a session to get the next speaker going. You have time to absorb what you see and talk it over with speakers and other attendees. Dates: May 4-8, 2025 at the Radisson Blu in Bloomington, MN More information can be found at https://mmsmoa.com/ MEM Summit Modern Endpoint Management Summit is an event dedicated to exploring the latest trends, innovations, and best practices in the field of endpoint management. Dates: 23 - 25 April 2025 - Paris, France Learn more about the event via: MEM Summit 2025 EUC Tech Summit Denmark EUCtech Denmark, an independent organization focusing on End User Computing technologies from Citrix and Microsoft. Dates: May 22, 2025 @ 7:30 am - 4:30 pm Learn more: EUCtech Denmark AVD Techfest AVD TechFest is an international festival bringing industry experts, vendors, and community speakers together to share and discover best practices for Windows 365 and Microsoft Azure Virtual Desktop (AVD) technology. Learn more at avdtechfest.com Stay in touch with us. Learning about Windows 365 in 2025 is an ongoing journey that combines official resources, community engagement, and hands-on experience. By tapping into these diverse learning avenues, you can stay ahead of the curve and fully harness the potential of Windows 365 to transform your digital workspace. Oh, and if you did not already, make sure to follow me on Linkedin to stay connected! Happy learning! Christiaan d.
