The Problem
Your organization needs modern desktops — but the options are confusing. Windows 365 or AVD? Intune or still ConfigMgr? Physical devices, Cloud PCs, or both? Every vendor has a pitch. You need a practitioner who has deployed all of these and can tell you which combination actually works for your environment.
Windows 365 Cloud PC Deployment
We design and deploy Windows 365 environments at enterprise scale. Our reference architecture covers:
Architecture & Provisioning
- Provisioning policies sized to your workload profiles (frontline, knowledge worker, developer, power user)
- Custom Windows 365 images with your applications, configurations, and security baselines baked in
- Terraform-automated infrastructure — repeatable, version-controlled, auditable
- Network design with Azure Network Connection for on-premises resource access
Security & Compliance
- Conditional access policies for Cloud PC access (device compliance, location, MFA)
- Security baselines aligned to CIS benchmarks and Microsoft best practices
- Data loss prevention policies for Cloud PC sessions
- Audit logging and compliance reporting
Day-2 Operations
- Monitoring and alerting for Cloud PC health and performance
- Automated patching via Windows Autopatch integration
- User self-service: resize, reset, and restore from snapshots
- Runbooks and knowledge transfer for your IT team
Windows 365 vs. AVD
We’ve deployed both. Here’s the honest comparison:
| Dimension | Windows 365 | Azure Virtual Desktop |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Fixed per-user/month | Consumption-based (pay for what you use) |
| Management | Intune (like a physical PC) | Azure portal + infrastructure management |
| Best for | Dedicated desktops, predictable budgets | Pooled desktops, variable workloads |
| Complexity | Lower — fully managed by Microsoft | Higher — you manage the infrastructure |
| Offline access | Yes (Windows 365 Boot/Switch) | No |
| Customization | Moderate | Extensive |
Choose W365 when you want simplicity, predictable costs, and Intune-managed desktops. Choose AVD when you need pooled desktops, multi-session, or granular cost control. Choose both when different user groups have different needs.
We help you make this decision with real data — not vendor marketing.
Intune & Endpoint Management
Windows 365 Cloud PCs are managed through Intune — and so should your physical devices. We deploy unified endpoint management that treats Cloud PCs and physical devices as a single fleet:
- Compliance policies that enforce encryption, OS version, antivirus, and password requirements
- Security baselines aligned to CIS and Microsoft benchmarks
- Application deployment — Win32 apps, MSIX, Microsoft Store, and LOB apps via Intune
- Autopilot for zero-touch physical device provisioning
- ConfigMgr co-management migration for organizations still running SCCM
Training
Our flagship course — Windows 365 Now — is the fastest instructor-led path from zero to deployment-ready:
- 4 days, instructor-led, live labs
- 10 seats maximum per cohort (actual hands-on, not a webinar)
- Covers: provisioning, Intune management, security hardening, image management, day-2 operations
- Next cohort: April 27-30, 2026
Why Big Hat Group
17x Microsoft MVP — Kevin Kaminski has been recognized annually by Microsoft since 2008 for expertise in Windows, Azure, and endpoint management.
Conference speaker — TechMentor, BriForum, MVPDays. We teach this material to rooms of IT professionals — not just PowerPoint.
Production deployments — We’ve deployed Windows 365 Cloud PCs for organizations ranging from 25-user pilots to enterprise rollouts. We know what breaks at scale and how to prevent it.
Full-stack expertise — Windows 365 doesn’t exist in isolation. We understand the Azure networking, Entra ID identity, Intune management, and Terraform automation that makes a Cloud PC deployment production-ready.