Remote Infrastructure & Azure Virtual Desktop | Case Study

Project at a glance

Challenge

With the Covid outbreak Queen's University Belfast were faced with the urgent challenge of facilitating remote learning almost overnight. They needed to quickly implement a virtual platform that could equip students with the required applications and solutions to continue their education.

Solution we designed

Codec’s consultants recommended Queen’s University Belfast adopt Microsoft Azure Windows Virtual Desktop as its go-to platform for virtual learning, facilitating the delivery of more than 130 specialised applications securely and at scale for its users.

Impact we delivered

Reduced IT support costs as all of the institution’s apps are managed in the cloud.
Enhanced security infrastructure, including cloud-based storage and mechanisms such as multi-factor authentication.
Automatic scaling of workloads, minimising costs during periods of lower utilisation.
A dramatic reduction in demand for technical support, thanks to the simplicity of Windows Virtual Desktop.

Problem

Navigating an abrupt shift to remote learning

Educational institutions were not spared by the widespread disruption of the COVID-19 pandemic. Almost overnight, universities were tasked with delivering a remote infrastructure facilitating lectures and other learning experiences in a remote environment.

Speed was of the essence in finding a suitable solution that could accommodate the university and its students. To go from an “in-person” university experience to remote learning without any time for transition presented a number of challenges for the IT department.

Faced with this urgent challenge, Queen’s University Belfast needed to quickly implement a virtual platform that could equip students with the required applications and solutions to continue their learning remotely.

“Educational institutions face unique challenges in migrating in-person classes and learning experiences online. Our consultants recognised the need for a virtual desktop solution that was quick to implement and accessible to a broad range of users.”

Brian Smyth

Project Lead, Codec

Solution

Deploying a virtual desktop at scale in mere minutes

To deliver more than 130 specialised applications at scale, while maintaining security of the university’s new remote learning infrastructure, Codec’s consultants recommended Queen’s University Belfast adopt Azure Virtual Desktop as its go-to platform for virtual learning.

Azure Virtual Desktop offered a number of critical benefits to the university and its students. Given the institution’s time constraints, Azure Virtual Desktop offered fast deployment at scale across a student and faculty body of more than 1,500 users. The university could deploy the infrastructure within minutes while maintaining a secure connection between cloud-based applications and student devices. Virtual Desktop also simplified management and administration by centralising remote learning operations through a single Azure interface.

Given the financial challenges brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic, Virtual Desktop also offered the benefit of being free for educational bodies, which only had to pay for ancillary expenses such as software licensing and data storage. Those licensing costs were also only charged during the academic year, multiplying these timely cost savings.

Results

Fully equipped remote learning for every student

With Azure Windows Virtual Desktop in place, Queen’s University Belfast successfully facilitated remote learning access for more than 1,500 users initially, giving each student the full processing power and range of tools offered by the university.

Other highlights of this transformation include:

Reduced IT support costs as all of the institution’s apps are managed in the cloud.
Enhanced security infrastructure, including cloud-based storage and mechanisms such as multi-factor authentication.
Automatic scaling of workloads, minimising costs during periods of lower utilisation.
A dramatic reduction in demand for technical support, thanks to the simplicity of Azure Virtual Desktop.

“The united effort by the Queen’s community in response to COVID 19 demonstrates our commitment to delivering a positive impact on society. We are enormously proud of the collective strength and determination to make a difference to those who need it most.”

Professor Stuart Elborn

Pro-Vice Chancellor, Faculty of Medicine, Health and Life Sciences

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Implementing Azure Virtual Desktop to support remote learning at Queen’s University Belfast

Project at a glance

Challenge

Solution we designed

Impact we delivered

Navigating an abrupt shift to remote learning

Deploying a virtual desktop at scale in mere minutes

Fully equipped remote learning for every student

Professor Stuart Elborn

Enabling more efficient, intelligent frontline labour management for daa

Let us deliver impact for
your organisation

Implementing Azure Virtual Desktop to support remote learning at Queen’s University Belfast

Project at a glance

Challenge

Solution we designed

Impact we delivered

Navigating an abrupt shift to remote learning

Deploying a virtual desktop at scale in mere minutes

Fully equipped remote learning for every student

Professor Stuart Elborn

Enabling more efficient, intelligent frontline labour management for daa

Let us deliver impact foryour organisation

Let us deliver impact for
your organisation