Unlicensed case study M365*

Virtual Desktop Solution Design

 Small and Medium Business Team

Microsoft s.r.o.

1 Management Summary 

1.1 Comparison of Remote Desktop Solutions - 30 Users

In case you need to solve work from anywhere, one of the options can be the acquisition of a terminal server or nowadays more often called virtual desktop solution. This can be solved by either buying your own HW for the company or renting infrastructure that runs in the provider's data center. The example below compares the two options, local and leased from Microsoft. This is an example of a company with 30 users working remotely.

Local solution  

       (server purchase and operation in the company)  

- Investment first year 625 352 CZK
(capital costs)

- Total for 5 years CZK 898 388

- Fast communication of computers with internal servers and data.
- It is necessary to take into account the performance reserve - company development, newer software (30 % more performance).
- I provide maintenance and operation by my own forces in cooperation with HW and SW suppliers.
- I set up everything myself - All administration, updates, configuration, backup, restore, etc.
- If you have a license with Microsoft Software Assurance you have the right to new versions of the software. Otherwise you remain on the version you purchased at the time of purchase.
I ensure data security and protection against modern threats with my own forces.
- I ensure compliance with legislation and standards myself. In case of HW or SW failures, the restoration can take hours or days. Usual HW renewal is every 5 years.

Rental solution(cloud)

(rental in Microsoft data centre)

-I pay monthly 10 826 CZK (operating costs)

-Total for 5 years 649 568 CZK (saving 28 %)

- I get a modern and secure environment with Windows 10, possibly with Microsoft 365 (Office, Teams), I can use Windows, Mac, iOS, Android, HTML5 client.
- By moving from CAPEX (capital) to OPEX (operating) costs, we can optimize cash flow and P&L.
- Everything is charged directly to consumption, no need to deal with depreciation. What you consume is what you pay, that's what goes into your expenses. I don't have to deal with inventory.
- Servers can add or subtract power as needed.
- Communication with servers and data is via an internet encrypted connection. Maintenance and operation is provided by Microsoft under SLA and contractually guaranteed availability of 99.9 -99.95%
- Security is provided by Microsoft Cyber Defense Operations Center 24×7, Multi-factor authentication and more.
- Ensured compliance with ISO 27001, 27018, 27701, PCI, FedRAMP High for Commercial and HIPAA, GDPR and more
- Savings on already purchased Microsoft 365 or Windows licenses per user.

1.2 Total acquisition and operating costs

1.3 Remote desktop options with Microsoft 365

                                      (30 users)

1 The biggest benefits and savings are for customers who have already purchased M365 licenses (see 3.1 for a complete list). By upgrading, for example, from M365 Business Standard to M365 Business Premium, they also get a client license for remote desktop access. The entire solution is thus significantly cheaper than the local solution. See section 2.3 for a complete calculation.

2 Detailed technical comparison of remote desktop solutions

      2.1 Local solution with high availability - 5 years of operation*

*Prices shown are indicative only, final pricing and design of the specific solution will be determined by the relevant Microsoft partner

2.2 High Availability Azure Leased Services - 5 years of operation*

2.3 Comparison of remote desktop solutions including Microsoft 365 - 5 years of operation*

*Prices shown are indicative only, final pricing and design of the specific solution will be determined by the relevant Microsoft partner

3. Microsoft Azure and work from anywhere

Microsoft Azure is an expanding set of integrated cloud services, database, analytics, storage, compute, mobile, network and web, enabling you to achieve better results and save money.

3.1 Windows Virtual Desktop (WVD)

A comprehensive desktop and application virtualization service running in the cloud that allows employees to work remotely from anywhere using their device, an internet connection and Microsoft Windows Virtual Desktop. With WVD, multiple users can connect to a single Windows 10 computer, each with their own work environment, making it the best way to leverage Microsoft Office 365.

The price for using Windows Virtual Desktop is based on Virtual Machine (VM), storage and connection usage only, and only during the time you use the service. You only pay for the service you use.

You can start using Windows Virtual Desktop immediately if you already have these licenses: *

  • Microsoft 365 E3/E5/F3/A3/A5/Student Use Benefits
  • Microsoft 365 Business Premium
  • Windows 10 Enterprise E3/E5 or Windows 10 Education A3/A5
  • Windows 10 VDA per user

* Figures valid as of September 2020. Subject to change

Windows Virtual Desktop documentation is available on Microsoft's website docs.microsoft.com.

3.2 Security and Compliance in Microsoft Azure

Azure is a public cloud service that supports a wide range of operating systems, programming languages, architectures, tools, databases and devices. Security is therefore the number one priority. Microsoft offers a comprehensive set of tools so you can customize security for the unique requirements in your company.

All important documentation on Azure security can be found on Microsoft's website. Azure Security Documentation | Microsoft Docs

Microsoft ensures compliance with legislative standards to an extent that no other cloud provider offers. If your company needs to ensure legal standards, start here Compliance Documentation in Azure | Microsoft Docsfor a complete overview, or you can dive straight into actual self-study with our compliance offer at https://aka.ms/AzureCompliance.

The General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) is a separate chapter in compliance in the European Union. Azure is the first major cloud provider to be certified as a data processor for the new international standard ISO/IEC 27701 Privacy Information Management System (PIMS).

PIMS certification shows that Azure provides a comprehensive set of management and operational controls that can help your organization demonstrate compliance with data privacy laws and regulations. To learn more about how Microsoft can help you with GDPR check out General Data Protection Regulation - Microsoft GDPR | Microsoft Docs

3.3 References

Microsoft Azure helps companies across industries. See Czech and Slovak case studies and international solutions. Case studies.