Microsoft Azure, often referred to as Azure, is a cloud computing platform run by Microsoft. The platform delivers access, management, and the development of applications and services through global data centers. Like all Microsoft offerings, the product undergoes continual updates and changes from its initial rollout until its obsolescence at some point in the future. At Alliance IT, we support install and support Microsoft Azure for our clients looking for this innovative functionality. Here are the updates announced by Microsoft over the summer months of 2023 that may affect your business if you have Azure installed.
- Watermarking: When utilized with screen capture protection, the watermarking feature helps safeguard your critical and sensitive data from capture on client endpoints. When enabled, QR code watermarks appear integrated into remote desktops. The QR code contains the connection ID of a remote session that admins can use to trace the session. Users may configure watermarking on session hosts and monitor/enforce it with the Remote Desktop client. This feature was made generally available in July 2023.
- Preview: Audio Call Redirection: Call redirection optimizes audio calls for WebRTC-based calling apps. The feature redirects media content from Azure Virtual Desktop to your local system for more rapid processing and rendering. Microsoft Edge and Google Chrome both support call redirection on the Windows Desktop client. Click here for more information.
- Preview: Autoscale for Personal Host Pools: The autoscale feature allows users to scale their session host virtual machines (VMs) in a host pool up or down according to a schedule to maximize deployment costs. Click here to read more.
- Confidential Virtual Machines (VMs): As of July 2023, confidential VMs were made generally available to Virtual Desktop users. Azure confidential virtual machines (VMs) deliver VM memory encryption with integrity protection, which bolsters guest protections to deny the hypervisor and other host management components code access to the VM memory and state. Trusted Launch prevents advanced and ongoing attack techniques. This feature permits secure deployment of VMs with verified boot loaders, OS kernels, and drivers. Trusted Launch also safeguards keys, certificates, and secrets in VMs. Trusted Launch is now enabled by default with Virtual Desktop. Click here to read more.
- Private Link with Azure Virtual Desktop: Now generally available, Private Link with Virtual Desktop gives users the ability to establish secure connections to remote resources utilizing private endpoints. With Private Link, communication between the virtual network and the Azure Virtual Desktop platform is transmitted via the Microsoft backbone network. This routing eradicates the need to expose service to the public internet, elevating infrastructure security. By corraling traffic within a protected network, Private Link increases security for the business’ Azure Virtual Desktop environment. Click here to read more.
Earlier in the summer, Microsoft made two additional announcements regarding their Desktop Service.
- Virtual Desktop Insights, the dashboard integrated into Azure Monitor workbooks that assists IT professionals in understanding their Azure Virtual Desktop environments, added support in preview mode.
- Microsoft created an administrative template for Azure Virtual Desktop to help businesses configure specific features in Azure Virtual Desktop. This administrative template is available through Intune, which provides the capability to configure session hosts that are enrolled in Intune and joined to Azure Active Directory (Azure AD) or hybrid Azure AD in one central location.
Microsoft Azure Support
If you are an IT professional, you likely read the above post and understood its implications. However, if you are a Sarasota SMB and need assistance implementing Azure functionality, you can call Alliance IT. We offer a deep bench of expertise in all things Microsoft and are here to come alongside your staff and provide the skills you need to elevate your company’s productivity and competitiveness.
Are you ready to learn more about how managed services can help your business to thrive? Call today for a consultation.
