Yesterday, Microsoft made an important announcement regarding virtual desktops. Currently, if you want to use any form of Virtual Desktop Infrastructure, you need to pay an additional fee for a Virtualised Enterprise Centralised Desktop (VECD) license. The headline news is that the replacement for VECD, Virtual Desktop Access (VDA), will be a Software Assurance Benefit as of 1st July – so effectively free of charge to customers who maintain Software Assurance on their desktop operating system licenses. If you don’t have SA, VDA will be slightly cheaper than VECD.
This is really good news for anyone operating in the desktop virtualisation space, as it removes one of the blockers to adoption of this technology. It’s fantastic news for our customers as it means that they can make a decision on which technology to use independent of the licensing costs. There are seriously compelling reasons now for ensuring that you have SA on your desktop operating systems now, with VDA included and access to MDOP for a pittance – which gives you App-V for application among other things. Looks like a very cost-effective way of gaining access to some of the most exciting recent technology developments around desktop delivery.
Interesting also to see Microsoft taking the fight to VMware PCoIP with their forthcoming RemoteFX 3D and graphics acceleration technology, which will be extended by the impressive Citrix HDX. Microsoft are certainly serious about the partnership with Citrix, and those two are equally serious in their desire to compete for the virtual desktop with VMware.
Whichever vendor you favour, the real winners here are current and potential customers of VDI technology. Not only is your choice increased, but the licensing terms will be considerably more favourable come 1st July!
Sam Routledge's Blog 
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