INCOMING: Microsoft Teams optimization for AVD and CloudPC

Microsoft Teams enables real-time communication via chat, video or audio calls, file-sharing, collaboration, and more. Running Microsoft Teams in a VDI environment poses a few challenges around network bandwidth, CPU, and memory requirements. As all traffic must pass through the VDI environment, any latency in the network degrades the transmission quality and overall experience.

Microsoft recently added Microsoft Teams media optimization to Azure Virtual Desktop (AVD) and Windows 365 (Cloud PC). This change focused on how the remote desktop client handles audio and video. It works by minimizing the data transmitted across the VDI network and enabling peer-to-peer A/V calls directly between endpoints. All Teams data remains within the VDI environment, minimizing the risk of a data breach.

This optimization is a win-win as it reduces the overall bandwidth, CPU load, and memory deployment requirements while improving session performance and potentially lowering overall costs.

In collaboration with Microsoft, we have implemented the Microsoft Teams optimization package into our LEAF OS software endpoint and EX500 thin client for AVD and Windows 365. The integration ensures that Microsoft Teams runs smoothly without lag or delay–critical for virtual, real-time collaboration. Currently under Private Review, this update will be available in an official firmware release in April.