VDI

Lync Server 2010 supported a very limited number of workloads through a Virtual Desktop Infrastructure (VDI) client and specifically excluded any kind of media sharing. The only way to support audio for the VDI user was through USB redirection pairing of a Lync Phone Edition client, so users had no ability to use headset or speakerphone audio devices. There was also no capability to share video with a thin client user.

Lync 2013 has introduced a VDI plugin that is installed on the thin client and pairs with the actual Lync 2013 application running on the remote desktop. The plugin allows the end user to leverage devices local to the thin client for both audio and video so the media stream continues to be peer-to-peer between clients and not run through the virtualized remote desktop. The end result is that the thin clients can now be attached to local or built-in devices for audio and video.