Case Study: Architectural Firm Scales Up with Windows Virtual Desktop

Our client* is a full service architecture firm in the Northeast, specializing in educational, commercial, and residential design projects. Their team works primarily in AutoCAD and Revit software, producing complex models via robust computing systems. This heavy hardware became a roadblock in March, when their employees began working from home. Our consultants recommended migrating them into Windows Virtual Desktop (WVD), and built a collaborative workspace in the cloud.

Learn More About How Our Client Saved with Windows Virtual Desktop:

Supporting Remote Employees with Windows Virtual Desktop

Our virtualization team began by creating a Windows Virtual Desktop pilot program for six members of their design team, who were working on a shared project. With Windows Virtual Desktop, our consultants were able to:

1. Provide seamless integration with Microsoft 365 Apps, in a familiar desktop format

2. Apply the right access controls to users and devices with Azure AD Conditional Access

3. Reduce licensing and infrastructure costs by using eligible Windows or Microsoft 365 licenses

4. Quickly get users up and running with limitless scale and full automation based on business needs

Each designer received a dedicated virtual machine where they could access AutoCAD and Revit. Over the course of the pilot, our consultants tested additional software and rendering, which had been a longstanding pain point. Before the WVD pilot, designers would use a dedicated machine to process renderings. But since the firm has four locations, they had to relocate the machine for large-scale projects. Not only was this process inefficient, they were paying for a machine that sat idle 80% of the time. With Azure, they could turn up a WVD during the rendering process, then turn it off when no longer in use. 

For the past 25+ years, iCorps has been refining outsourced and hybridized IT strategies for companies across the Northeast. If you are interested in learning how cloud-based IT solutions can support and drive change within your business, contact an iCorps expert.

*Name has been redacted for privacy.