What is Azure Virtual Desktop?

Formerly known as Windows Virtual Desktop (WVD), Azure Virtual Desktop is Microsoft’s cloud-based desktop and app virtualization service. No matter where they are, users can connect to Microsoft’s Azure cloud platform to access their custom Windows 10, Windows 11, and Windows 365 Cloud PC desktop environments, as long as they have an internet connection.

Azure Virtual Desktop enables organizations to set up multi-session Windows 11 and Windows 10 deployments that deliver a complete Windows desktop experience. This technology scales across even the largest of enterprises, because it leverages the scalability of the Azure cloud platform to allocate computing resources in real time, based on fluctuating demand.

This cloud-based desktop is also optimized for presenting users with the Microsoft 365 apps that they rely on to get their jobs done. From Excel spreadsheets to Word documents to PowerPoint presentations and everything in between, Azure Virtual Desktop makes it easy for remote workers and Thin Client users to access their most commonly used software tools.

Azure Virtual Desktop also gives your IT Team the power to set up a scalable and flexible environment to support workers across every department. Between the power to manage applications, data, permissions from a centralized hub and the ability to provide individual ownership via personalized persistent desktops, AVD is an ideal solution for organizations that are accustomed to working within the Microsoft ecosystem and want to expand their remote working or Thin/Zero Client capabilities.

What is Virtual Desktop Infrastructure?

Also known as VDI, virtual desktop infrastructure is an advanced technology with a simple purpose: instead of running a desktop and applications on local hardware, such as the processors in your desktop or laptop, we do so in the cloud. All we need is a lightweight device, such as a Thin or Zero client, to connect to the cloud, and the high-powered server computers in Microsoft’s data centers take care of the majority of the workload.

VDI has a number of advantages for both end users and the IT staff that supports them. Cloud computing offers unparalleled scalability and flexibility, which allows users to get the resources they need when they need them, while simultaneously making it easy for administrators to add and remove users, integrate new technologies, and maintain data governance and cybersecurity best practices.

Last, but not least, it also saves substantially on cost. Instead of investing in expensive hardware every few years for each individual user, workers can continue to use the same Thin or Zero Client to access their Azure Virtual Desktops and Windows 365 Cloud PCs. Without ever having to upgrade their desktop or laptop, users will always be able to run the latest applications and access the resources they need.

Companies can stretch their IT budget even further by repurposing older PCs as Thin Clients. Although, they may not be able to run the latest Windows operating system on their own hardware, they’re often more than capable of serving as an endpoint for connecting to an Azure Virtual Desktop or Windows 365 Cloud PC.

How to Configure a Connection to Azure Virtual Desktop on a NOS-M Zero Client

Setting up an Azure Virtual Desktop connection on a 10ZiG Thin or Zero client is fast and easy. This technology makes it simple by offering a connection to an Azure Virtual Desktop, Windows 365 Cloud PC, and remote desktop services under a single, securely managed platform.

Follow these instructions, and we’ll be done in a matter of minutes:

The first time we boot the machine, we start by setting the region that we’re working from, as well as the date and time. This is just like getting started with a local desktop environment.

From there, we can choose our connection type and feed discovery URL. 10ZiG’s hardware supports WVD fall 2019 and WVD ARM spring 2020, alongside custom URL feeds. This makes our Thin and Zero clients suitable for all AVD environments.

After that, key in your credentials to gain access to the AVD resource area. Type in your username, domain, and password. You can also cache the credentials to save your username and password to easily login in the future. Be sure to only choose this option if you are the only person using this device and you’re doing so in a secure location.

If you prefer not to cache your credentials and save your password in this step, simply continue forward through the setup, bypassing these settings and you’ll be prompted to enter your password and username each time you login.

For extra security, we also recommend setting up multi-factor authentication (MFA) at this point. In addition to requiring the correct username and password, Azure will send a secure access code to a device of your choice, such as your cell phone. It just takes a few extra seconds and makes your device and network exponentially more secure against hackers and other malicious actors.

Congratulations! You now have access to all the resources assigned to your user account. Now you can use your virtual Windows 10, Windows 11, and Windows 365 Cloud PC desktops in the Azure cloud in the same way that you’d use any other computer.

Thin Clients Provide Reliability in Manufacturing Environments

Uptime is everything. The reason why a system goes down is irrelevant. All that matters is whether the production line is moving and creating output. Downtime directly translates to lost revenue, so manufacturers pick their technologies carefully with reliability in mind.

Thin Clients are more reliable than traditional PCs. They have a longer run time before failure for two key reasons.

First, since a Thin Client only needs enough hardware to power a connection to a centralized server, which provides the desktop environment, there are no moving parts. That means there’s less opportunity for fans to fail, cables to falter, or spinning disks to break. Second, a Thin Client doesn’t run its own operating system or software. That significantly reduces our chances of running into errors, bugs, or misconfigurations.

A follow-up to this point is that recovering a Thin Client is much faster and easier than a PC. Instead of having to deploy an IT Specialist to a location and troubleshoot a diverse set of systems, IT can handle it remotely. It can be as simple as reverting the system to the most recent functional state.

Thin Clients Bolster Manufacturing Cybersecurity

Today’s manufacturers are under immense pressure to keep their operational technology (OT) networks secure alongside their traditional IT infrastructure. As more digital technologies enter the OT network, the organization’s attack surface increases and puts the company at increased risk of ransomware, corporate espionage, or even worse.

Thin Clients aid cybersecurity efforts in a few key ways. First, since these systems are centrally managed and configured, they are better defined than isolated computers. It’s easier to more clearly and immediately know what software is running on it and what data it can access. Essentially, Thin Clients enable a more comprehensive definition of workstations. Second, patch management is also much simpler and more fully covered with Thin Client infrastructure. Instead of having to manually attending to each PC and making sure that they are fully patched for known vulnerabilities, you can do so on the server, and the patch will automatically propagate throughout the systems.

Thin Clients Can Provide Manufacturing Cost Savings

A Thin Client can cost far less than a fat PC for identical, even better, functionality. That alone is enough to actualize a potential ROI from investing in Thin Clients.

Beyond that, Thin Clients also consume much less energy. A typical PC uses around 80 watts of power per hour, while a Thin Client can consume about only 20 watts. Especially when you consider that in the context of a factory that has many computers and runs 24/7, reducing power needs by 75% could help to lead to substantial savings over time.

Finally, manufacturers can realize even greater cost savings by giving existing hardware a new purpose with Repurposing software like 10ZiG’s RepurpOS. Turn an old PC into a Thin Client to get more value out of a machine that would otherwise need to be decommissioned. This reduces overhead spending and saves on immediate device costs.

10ZiG Thin Clients for Manufacturing

Between improved reliability, better security, and significant costs savings, investing in Thin Client technology for manufacturing is an obvious choice. When you integrate Thin Clients into your manufacturing business, you remove the potential points of failure represented by traditional PCs. Ultimately, that means you can spend less time worrying about IT and more time building products.

10ZiG is a leading Thin & Zero Client endpoint hardware and software provider for VDI, Cloud, DaaS, and SaaS. We provide leading Intel and AMD based, Dual and Quad Core Thin & Zero Clients for VMware, Citrix, Microsoft, and other environments. 10ZiG offers free, no-obligation demo devices, best-in-industry Technical Support teams based in the U.S. and Europe, and provides for FREE, Cloud-enabled “10ZiG Manager™” centralized management software with unlimited user licenses. Get your free demo at [email protected] or [email protected] or just click here > FREE demo.

From the ubiquitous teller’s terminal to the multi-monitor command and control setups preferred by investment professionals, computing is almost as important to finance as money itself. Especially in today’s day and age, when dollars are more often numbers on a screen than bills in hand—not to mention the purely digital cryptocurrency phenomenon – IT is the lifeblood of today’s financial sector.

It’s been a long time in the making. Banks were some of the first adopters of early mainframe computers outside of academia, and they’ve continued to stay at the comfortable edge between the latest and greatest and the tried and true.

Today’s financial institutions leverage computers for everything from serving customers at the branch, supporting mobile banking, running machine learning algorithms to optimize investment portfolios, and much more. While tech may be indispensable, it can be costly, it often creates challenges, and, especially in the heavily regulated finance industry, maintaining compliance requires an extra level of security and scrutiny.

That’s why Thin Client Computers are a perfect option for financial institutions of all sizes, from the smallest boutique wealth management firm to the largest multinational conglomerate.

Thin Client Computers: Compliance and Security

Financial IT systems are under intense scrutiny from local, state, federal, and even international regulators – and, rightly so. Financial information is sensitive data, and customers expect their social security numbers, their accounts, and all of their other personal information to be protected from malicious cyberattacks and data breaches.

In a traditional computing environment, with data spread out across many different computers, adequately safeguarding each and every computer is a major struggle. Thin Client Computers’ unique virtual desktop infrastructure (VDI) simplifies cybersecurity and compliance management because everything is centrally managed.

Essentially, instead of storing data on individual PCs, everything, including the desktop itself, comes from a tightly controlled server. It’s the next level of cloud computing—rather than access data or applications from the cloud, Thin Client Computer users connect their devices to the cloud – and everything from their wallpaper to their client’s data – stays on the cloud.

Instead of having to oversee, patch, and manage every desktop PC across the company, IT professionals only have to worry about building a “moat around the castle” – securing the server that hosts the virtual desktops – as well as the connections between them. Overall, this makes the burden of maintaining compliance much lighter.

Thin Client Computers: Flexibility and Adaptability

Thin Client Computers take the agility of the cloud one step further. Bankers can go from desk to desk, or even from branch to branch, and pull up their own personalized desktop environment, simply by logging in.

A Thin Client Computer architecture also opens up the door to greater remote work possibilities for financial professionals. Whether they’re at home or on the road, all it takes is a secure connection to access their desktop. Unlike a VPN or traditional laptop setup, nothing leaves the secure perimeter of the host server.

Another way that Thin Client Computers improve the adaptability of financial institutions is by being environmentally friendly. More and more companies are making carbon reduction and/or neutrality pledges, and Thin Client Computers are a perfect green solution. They draw significantly less electricity than standard PCs, their smaller material requirements lower their carbon footprint, and their longer lifespan results in less waste.

Thin Client Computers: A Profitable Investment

It’s basic economics. You want to get the most bang for your buck. Thin Client Computers offer a greater return on investment than other alternatives.

First off, Thin Client Computers are substantially cheaper than individual computers with a similar performance. It really comes down to economies of scale. Instead of having to provision each computer with its own hardware, Thin Client Computers share the resources of a powerful central computer. Don’t invest in lots of distributed systems when you can achieve the same performance for potentially a fraction of the cost.

Thin Client Computers also maximize your capital expenditure budget. While normal computers need to be replaced every few years so that users can run the latest applications on upgraded hardware, all Thin Client Computers have to do is connect to the server. That means that upgrading the server’s hardware instantly translates to upgrading every workstation that connects to it. A Thin Client Computer will continue to serve you well for years to come after a normal computer would have required replacement.

You can even squeeze even more value out of your previous IT investments by transforming old PCs into Thin Client Computers. Since Thin Client Computer architecture only requires minimal hardware, you can give new life to legacy equipment that would otherwise be useless.

Thin Client Computers: 10ZiG Hardware & Software

Thin Client Computers are an ideal solution for the financial industry because they aid compliance and security, they improve flexibility and adaptability, and they’re a downright profitable investment. You’re in the financial business for a reason. Do the math for yourself, and you’ll see just how much money you can save by investing in Thin Client Computers now.

10ZiG is a leading Thin & Zero Client endpoint hardware and software provider for VDI, Cloud, DaaS, and SaaS. We provide leading Intel and AMD based, Dual and Quad Core Thin & Zero Clients for VMware, Citrix, Microsoft, and other environments. 10ZiG offers free, no-obligation demo devices, best-in-industry Technical Support teams based in the U.S. and Europe, and provides for FREE, Cloud-enabled “10ZiG Manager™” centralized management software with unlimited user licenses. Get your free demo at [email protected] or [email protected] or just click here > FREE demo.

Who needs the hassle?

Why settle for the disappointment of endpoint management subscriptions and tech support help that costs you money? Endpoint management should be simple, user-friendly, and highly functional with all the technical advances and support you deserve. It should come at no cost with unlimited number of users/licenses. It should make endpoint management, configuration, and deployment efficient and easy.

Why is it not free?

Endpoint management software should always be FREE with endpoint device purchases. Tech Support for a number of years should also come at no cost with the right management software offering from the right vendor. If you’re new to looking for endpoint management software or paying for it right now and realizing that you should not have to, you’re right – you should not.

Why make things difficult?

With the right endpoint management software, IT Admins can remotely control any and all endpoints in one centrally-managed and easy-to-use platform. By connecting via a LAN/WAN or the Cloud, you should be able to manage large volumes of endpoints located remotely in cities across the country, or anywhere in the world. Setup and updates should be easy, and support should be readily available.

Why not have it all?

Endpoint management software should be ever-evolving when it comes to tech, security, and management features, both in and out of the Cloud. Is it Cloud-Ready? Does it have Role Based Access? How easy is its Automatic Configuration & Firmware Versioning? How in-depth are its Reporting features? What about its Power Management, Task Scheduling, Shadowing, etc? Does it have Distributed Firmware Versioning? What new features will soon be added?

So, how do you “manage?”

Did you know that the 10ZiG Manager™ is fully-free, easy-to-use endpoint management software provided to all 10ZiG customers using Linux- and Windows- based Thin Clients as well as 10ZiG NOS™ Zero Clients running on VMware, Citrix, Microsoft, etc., platforms? 10ZiG Manager provides IT Admins the choice of managing endpoints via traditional LAN/ WAN or the Cloud, using either our Desktop Console or Web Console; both platforms come with a variety of features that make managing large volumes of endpoints a breeze, regardless of your location. And, it is always FREE.

FREE 10ZiG Manager Software for Centralized Automatic Configuration, Maintenance, and Full Admin Control.
Perfect management for hybrid-working, supporting both local and remote attached 10ZiG Clients.

• Centralized management via installable console or web browser
• Group management via automatic filtering and drag & drop
• Image cloning & configuration for 10ZiG NOS™ Zero, PeakOS™, RepurpOS™ & Windows 10 IoT
• Cloud connector enabling remote management for 10ZiG NOS™, PeakOS™, RepurpOS™ & Windows 10 IoT
• Scheduling tool automates common tasks to Clients, individually or via groups
• Reporting tool for complete 10ZiG Client inventory auditing
• Role-based access allows admins to delegate management permissions to staff

Watch the 10ZiG Manager in action as we demo the Shell Launcher within a Win10 IoT 10ZiG Thin Client!

About 10ZiG

10ZiG is a leading Thin & Zero Client endpoint hardware and software provider for VDI, Cloud, DaaS, and SaaS. We provide leading Intel and AMD based, Dual and Quad Core Thin & Zero Clients for VMware, Citrix, Microsoft, and other environments. 10ZiG offers free, no-obligation demo devices, best-in-industry Technical Support teams based in the U.S. and Europe, and provides for FREE, Cloud-enabled “10ZiG Manager™

Thin Client Virtual Desktops – Data Security & Compliance

An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure. The saying is just as true for managing cyber threats as it is for medicine. Thin Client Virtual Desktops help healthcare companies safeguard patient data, protect proprietary data and/or applications, and mitigate the threat of ransomware attacks. Since everything is centrally managed, IT can more strictly enforce controls and protocols, and they can do so more dynamically. Instead of patching each individual computer, for instance, patches only need to be applied at the server level. The same is true for implementing authorization and access controls or any other cybersecurity upgrade. The fact that all of the data is stored in a centralized location also makes protecting it that much easier. Instead of worrying about hard drives scattered throughout the hospital or elsewhere, IT and security analysts can focus on protecting data in the data center or in the cloud. As a result, Thin Client Virtual Desktops make attaining HIPAA and/or other compliance that much simpler and less expensive. Healthcare companies are held to higher standards for protecting sensitive personal information (PI) than most other industries, so any technology that helps to meet the demanding standards of these regulations is seriously worth considering. Another facet of this advantage is how Thin Client Virtual Desktops provide a secure workstation for remote workforces. They make compliance possible and reduce risk by making sure that those working from home or elsewhere are on secure devices and that no data leaves the server.

Thin Client Virtual Desktops – Flexibility & Accessibility

This then unlocks a level of flexibility that the healthcare industry previously lacked. Anyone ranging from HR to Accounting to IT can work from home on a Thin Client Virtual Desktop, and you get the peace of mind that they’re doing so in a way that’s secure and compliant. Doctors can even schedule telehealth appointments from home via a Thin Client Virtual Desktop setup. Thin Client Virtual Desktops also improve flexibility on the hospital floor. When a doctor enters a patient’s room, they simply log in and they get their personal desktop, not a generic one that has to be one-size-fits-all. This enables them to seamlessly move between computers in different patient rooms, stay organized, and personalize their desktop in whatever way works best for them. It also becomes that much easier and faster to pull up a patient’s chart or other necessary data. No more searching for data, trying to figure out where it is or who has it. Since it’s all centrally located, doctors and other providers know exactly where to look and how to get what they need, when they need it. Especially for time-sensitive treatments, this can have a potential real effect on patient outcomes. One final mention here is that Thin Client Virtual Desktops are also more environmentally friendly than ordinary PCs because they draw less electricity, require fewer materials, and support a longer lifespan since upgrades happen at the server level instead of on the client. This enables healthcare companies to adapt to our changing world and meet carbon reduction pledges.

Thin Client Virtual Desktops – Cost Savings & Efficiency

We understand that budgets are tight and, choosing a new technology to invest in can have big implications, especially since it may mean sacrificing one initiative for another. While many other tech companies promise reduced costs or enhanced efficiency at some point down the road, Thin Client Virtual Desktops can potentially help to save you money right away. First off, these devices can be cheaper than regular PCs. If the time has come to upgrade employees’ desktop computers, Thin Client Virtual Desktops may let you do so at a fraction of the price. They don’t need expensive hardware to function as intended, and when computing improves in the future and you do want more powerful performance, making that upgrade to your servers or on the cloud will boost it without having to make an investment across every computer work station. Even if you’re not ready to invest in Thin Client Virtual Desktop hardware, this technology can still help you reduce costs by enabling you to repurpose aging PCs to run a purpose-built OS. Those old computers may not be able to run modern applications on their own, but you can continue to get value from that investment by transforming them until you’re really ready for a hardware purchase. Thin Client Virtual Desktops may not be a remedy for every affliction that today’s healthcare sector is facing, but they do offer an antidote for some of the most pressing issues. Thin Client Virtual Desktops protect healthcare companies from ransomware attacks, help you stay HIPAA compliant, offer unprecedented flexibility, and save money.

10ZiG Thin Client Virtual Desktops for Healthcare – Free Demo

10ZiG is a leading Thin & Zero Client endpoint hardware and software provider for VDI, Cloud, DaaS, and SaaS. We provide leading Intel and AMD based, Dual and Quad Core Thin & Zero Clients for VMware, Citrix, Microsoft, and other environments. 10ZiG offers free, no-obligation demo devices, best-in-industry Technical Support teams based in the U.S. and Europe, and provides for FREE, Cloud-enabled “The 10ZiG Manager™” centralized management software with unlimited user licenses. Get your free demo at [email protected] or [email protected] or just click here > FREE demo.