Microsoft has unveiled the general availability of its new Teams application designed specifically for Virtual Desktop Infrastructure (VDI), as of December 7, 2023. The application, aimed at business customers, aims to enhance the functionality and performance of Teams in VDI environments. However, it has not yet been released for users of Microsoft 365 Government cloud service, with plans to make it available to those subscribers at an unspecified future date.
Features and Optimizations
The new Microsoft Teams app boasts significant improvements over the previous version. Microsoft says the app offers equal features compared to the non-VDI Teams application while providing better performance, reliability, and security. However, certain capabilities, such as user-generated custom backgrounds and Teams Premium features, are not yet supported.
The application is distinguished by its ability to switch instantaneously between chats, channels, and activities, as well as improved scrolling speeds. Microsoft highlights that the app performs twice as fast and requires 50% less memory than its predecessor. Designed with simplicity in mind, the app can be installed using a single installer for both desktop and VDI. Moreover, automatic updates are an option for VDI deployments.
Deployment and End of Support for Classic Teams
The application supports deployment through application management tools like Microsoft Intune, affirming the company's commitment to ease of administration. Additionally, it integrates with MSIX App Attach, which allows for customized images in session hosts while leveraging Windows security features, maintaining the app's updated status with the latest security patches and fixes.
Microsoft encourages users of the VDI platform to transition to the new Teams app, as it plans to phase out the classic Teams in VDI by June 30, 2024. Post this date, the classic version will no longer be supported, prompting users to switch to the new application.
In a parallel development, Microsoft had released a revamped version of its Teams app for Windows and Mac clients in October of the previous year. The revamped versions were designed to be faster, consume less memory, and require less storage space, substantiating Microsoft's emphasis on performance and efficiency.
The deployment of the new Teams application for VDI marks a significant step forward in Microsoft's effort to streamline collaboration tools for virtual environments. The advancements signal Microsoft's commitment to staying at the forefront of cloud-based productivity solutions, while catering to an increasingly remote and distributed workforce.
