The Online Workspace now runs on AVD. In our own data centre.

For twenty years the Online Workspace has been our answer to working anywhere without worrying about servers: a complete Windows desktop in our own data centre, with all your programs and files at hand, for a fixed amount per employee. That foundation stays exactly as it is. What is new is the layer on top: the Online Workspace now runs on AVD.

AVD stands for Azure Virtual Desktop, Microsoft's workplace technology. It is how Microsoft itself delivers a workplace in the cloud, fully integrated with Microsoft 365. We bring that technology to our own servers in Eindhoven and Den Bosch. So you get the workplace the way Microsoft designed it, with your files in the Netherlands and an invoice that is the same every month.

What you know stays the same

Our data centres, our servers, our backups, our monitoring and our team: none of that changes. Your industry software keeps running, whether that is Exact, AFAS, Twinfield, Exquise, Oase Dental, CClaw or ISAH. Unlimited storage stays unlimited. The price for the workspace stays €35 per user per month, cancel monthly. And you still call the same people who know your environment.

AVD does not replace that foundation. It is the layer on top that lets the workspace work more smoothly with Microsoft 365.

What AVD adds

Sign in once. You sign in with your Microsoft 365 account and the multi-factor authentication you already use for Outlook on your phone. After that, Word, Outlook and Teams simply know you. One account, one password, once a day.

Teams like on a real PC. Video calls, screen sharing and audio run directly through your own device. You join the meeting with sharp video and clear audio, also from the workspace.

An environment of your own. Your users, your files and your settings stand on their own, in an environment that is yours alone. For anyone dealing with a NEN 7510 or GDPR audit, that is a comfortable answer to the question who else can reach your data: nobody.

Security from your own Microsoft 365. Microsoft Defender protects every workplace, updates are rolled out centrally and access rules come from your own Microsoft 365 environment. That is part of your Business Premium licence. There is no separate security invoice.

One app, every device. You open the workspace with Microsoft's Windows App, on Windows, Mac, iPad, Android or simply in the browser. No VPN, no separate settings.

For those who want the details

Are you responsible for IT, or reviewing this on behalf of a healthcare organisation or accounting firm? Here is the short version. The workspace servers are with us and are connected to Microsoft's AVD management layer. Sign-in and access rules run through your own Microsoft 365 tenant, Defender and updates are managed from that same environment, and Teams is handled on the user's device rather than on the server. Every client has an environment of their own. This is built and running; it is the foundation on which we deliver workspaces.

Where is your data?

Your identity and licences live in Microsoft 365, within Microsoft's EU Data Boundary. That is already the case if you use Microsoft 365. Your desktop, your files and your applications run on our servers in the Netherlands. Microsoft orchestrates sign-in and security, the content stays with us. Want to know more about European data boundaries and Dutch hosting? Read what digital sovereignty means for SMEs.

What does it cost?

The Online Workspace costs €35 per user per month. Microsoft 365 Business Premium (€19.06) goes with it, because that is what you sign in with and it includes Defender and Intune. Together €54.06 per employee per month, cancel monthly, no consumption charges.

Already using Business Premium? Then nothing changes on the licence side and you only pay the €35 for the workspace. On Business Standard today? Then the step to Premium is €8.23 per user, and you get Defender, Intune and the complete workspace in return. The full calculation is in what an online workplace costs per employee.

Which workspace fits you?

For most Dutch SMEs, practices and firms with five to two hundred employees and their own industry software, the Online Workspace in our data centre is the logical choice. Prefer a personal Cloud PC per user at Microsoft itself? Then we arrange Windows 365 for you. Working in several countries, or does your number of users fluctuate a lot? Then we build and manage AVD at Microsoft itself. It is the same technology, so we are happy to advise which variant suits you best.

Frequently asked questions

What is AVD?

AVD stands for Azure Virtual Desktop: Microsoft's workplace technology, fully integrated with Microsoft 365. We run that technology on our own servers in the Netherlands.

Does my workspace now run at Microsoft?

No. The technology comes from Microsoft; the servers are in our data centre in Eindhoven and Den Bosch. You pay no consumption charges and your files stay in the Netherlands.

Do I need Microsoft 365 Business Premium?

Yes. You sign in with your Microsoft account and the security (Defender, Intune) comes from that licence. Already using Business Premium? Then there is nothing to add.

Does my industry software work?

Yes. It is a full Windows desktop. Anything that runs on Windows Server runs here. We install it for you.

Can I try it first?

Yes. Thirty days free, no obligations.

Want to see it? Book an advisory call or call +31 85 013 4500. Working in healthcare? Also read what this means for IT for healthcare.