In April 2025, Microsoft hosted Virtualization Days at the sleek Black Box event space in Helsinki’s Mall of Tripla.The gathering brought together Microsoft experts, partners, and tech leaders to share the latest innovations and visions for desktop virtualization and the future of the Windows ecosystem.Here are the most exciting takeaways you need to know.
Microsoft is doubling down on AVD’s growth and flexibility.
Windows 10 ESU through AVDEven after official support ends in October 2025, you’ll be able to extend support for long-lived environments directly via AVD. Session Host ConfigurationUpdate AVD hosts during boot without taking them offline, much like Citrix MCS. Boot SchedulingApply updates at the host pool level with ease. Windows Hotpatching now supports Windows Server 2022/2025 and Windows 11 24H2: Only 3 reboots per year Quarterly major updates Monthly patches without restarts. AVD On-Prem Without Azure Stack HCIA preview is coming, with VMware vSphere support generating serious buzz. Windows App MultipathSwitch between connections on the fly for a smoother user experience. A Shift Toward Personal VMsMicrosoft’s Mikko Lindström hinted at moving away from multi-user sessions for more resource-efficient, high-performance setups.
Windows 365 – Thin Clients, Licensing & New Use Cases
Windows 365 is gaining flexibility in hardware and licensing.Windows 365 ThinClient, Microsoft’s first in-house ThinClient (~€400) made its Finnish debut at the event.Evolving License Models: Enterprise – The classic option. Frontline Part-Time – Multiple users on the same license in shifts, each with their own PC. Frontline Shared Mode – Non-persistent devices that can be assigned to different pools. If multi-session support arrives, it could reshape AVD’s role. Multiple PCs per User, A single user can now manage several devices under one account.
Performance, Optimization & Scalability
Optimization Tip, Always use the latest D-series VMs for new pools, best performance for the price.Dynamic Scaling Plan for AVD, Automatically add or remove hosts based on demand, enabled by the new Session Host Configuration feature.
The Big Picture
Microsoft Virtualization Days 2025 made the direction clear:More scalability, better management, and richer user experiences, both in the cloud and, soon, on-premises without heavy infrastructure requirements.AVD and Windows 365 appear to be moving toward convergence, offering organizations a wide menu of deployment models to fit diverse needs.
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