Revolutionize Your IT with Azure Virtual Desktop
Meet the Client
KLC Accounting & Tax Services
A professional accounting and tax services firm with 10 employees, relying on on-premises servers to host critical business applications including QuickBooks Desktop, Drake Accounting Software, and check printing tools. Their existing setup was costly, complex to maintain, and lacked the flexibility to support secure remote work.
Challenges
High IT Costs
Hardware refresh cycles, maintenance contracts, and licensing fees were consuming a significant portion of the IT budget.
Limited Scalability
Adding users or resources required purchasing and configuring new hardware.
Inconsistent Availability
On-premises servers were susceptible to outages, impacting employee productivity.
Security Concerns
Remote access required VPN connections that were difficult to manage securely.
User Access Control
The firm needed role-based access to ensure staff only accessed the applications and data relevant to their responsibilities.
Solution
KLC engaged our cloud architecture team to design and implement a robust, secure, and cost-effective Azure Virtual Desktop (AVD) environment.
Key Features of the Solution
- Azure Virtual Desktop (AVD) Host Pools configured for multi-session Windows 11 Enterprise, optimized to run all required business applications.
-
Microsoft Entra Domain Services integration for secure authentication, Group Policy management, and Kerberos/
NTLM support. - Role-Based Access Control (RBAC) to assign application groups based on employee roles.
- Azure Files with FSLogix for user profile management and shared storage of client tax and accounting documents.
- Private Networking & Security No public IPs on session hosts, secure access via Microsoft’s Windows App without VPN exposure.
- Autoscaling to power up resources during business hours (8 AM – 8 PM PT) and shut them down after hours to control costs.
Implementation Highlights
- Migrated all business applications to the AVD environment and configured them as RemoteApps.
- Grouped applications so each user only sees and launches the tools they need.
- Implemented Azure File Shares with granular permissions for secure client data storage.
- Delivered a 99.9% availability SLA by leveraging Azure’s resilient architecture.
- Ensured employees could securely log in from anywhere using Windows App on their devices.
Results
High IT Costs
Hardware refresh cycles, maintenance contracts, and licensing fees were consuming a significant portion of the IT budget.
Productivity Boost
Employees can access their work environment securely from anywhere, with fast login and app launch times.
Enhanced Security
Data never leaves Azure; all access is encrypted, and RBAC limits exposure
Scalability
Adding a new employee now takes minutes instead of days.
Reliability
Zero downtime reported in the first 7 weeks of production.
“Our move to Azure Virtual Desktop was a game-changer. We no longer worry about server failures or slow VPN connections. Our team can work from anywhere with the same speed and security as in the office, and we’re actually saving money every month.”
Why This Matters for SMBs
Small and medium-sized businesses can now access enterprise-grade virtual desktop infrastructure without the high capital expenditure of on-premises hardware. Azure Virtual Desktop delivers:
Lower TCO
through pay-as-you-go cloud
resources.
Enterprise-Level Security
without managing physical
servers.
Flexibility
to adapt to changing business
needs instantly.