New Microsoft Teams VDI App Now Available!

Today, we're thrilled to share that the new Microsoft Teams app for virtual desktop infrastructure (VDI) is now widely available. Users and admins can now enjoy the full benefits of Teams within their virtual environments. This new version of Teams mirrors the classic app in features but provides enhanced performance, reliability, and security.

•  Improved Speed: Launch and join meetings quicker than ever. Enjoy instant switching between chats and channels.
• Enhanced Efficiency: Uses up to 50% less memory and less disk space. Say goodbye to slow scrolling and wait times!
• Unified Installer: One-stop solution for desktop and VDI, with automatic updates in VDI.
• Admin-Friendly: Microsoft Intune integration for seamless app management. Silent installation and removal save time and resources.
• Advanced Security: MSIX packaging ensures Windows security coverage, plus regular updates and bug fixes.
• Azure Virtual Desktop Support: Perfectly compatible with MSIX App Attach for easy application delivery.

We appreciate the valuable input from customers during the public preview. Their feedback significantly aided in refining VDI-specific capabilities and ensuring a seamless transition to the new Teams app. The new Teams app promises a speedier experience with better responsiveness, like quicker app launches and meeting joins, while also using less memory and hard drive space.

The efficiency of navigation between chats, channels, and activities has been significantly improved. Users can scroll quickly to pertinent information, benefiting from reduced load times and a smoother scrolling experience. The new Teams app for VDI has been demonstrated to be up to twice as fast as its predecessor while consuming 50% less memory.

Administrators will find app management more straightforward with tools like Microsoft Intune, which supports the deployment and update of Teams through unobtrusive install and uninstall procedures. This promises to conserve network bandwidth and decrease memory usage, all the while incorporating the MSIX packaging format, ensuring compatibility with Windows’ security measures. To delve deeper into this, please see this page for more information.

As we look ahead, only the new Teams will offer the latest features, enhancements, and capabilities. With the classic Teams set to lose support by June 30th, 2024, we strongly suggest switching to the new Teams app soon. For further guidance on the upgrade process, you can refer to the new Teams VDI page.

Please note that deployment of the new Teams for VDI within Microsoft 365 Government clouds will happen at a subsequent time. We will announce the official rollout date in the future, so keep an eye out for that announcement.