In brief: Running Microsoft Teams in virtual desktop infrastructure (VDI) environments is more complex than running it on physical workstations. SA organisations deploying Teams in Citrix, VMware Horizon, or Windows 365 environments need specific configuration to achieve acceptable call and meeting quality.
Why Teams in VDI Is Challenging
Virtual desktop infrastructure (VDI) runs Windows desktops on centralised servers, with users accessing their desktop remotely from thin clients, laptops, or web browsers. While VDI works well for most business applications, real-time audio and video communication is particularly challenging because audio and video processing is compute-intensive, real-time sensitive, and bandwidth-demanding — the opposite of what traditional VDI was optimised for.
Without specific optimisation, Teams running in a VDI environment routes all audio and video through the VDI server, which then compresses and transmits it over the remote desktop protocol to the user’s endpoint device. This “hairpinning” introduces latency, consumes server CPU, and produces poor audio quality. A 100-user VDI environment with all users in Teams calls simultaneously would require enormous server resources and produce unacceptable audio quality.
Microsoft Teams VDI Optimisation
Microsoft and the major VDI vendors (Citrix and VMware) have developed Teams VDI optimisation solutions that “offload” audio and video processing from the VDI server to the user’s local endpoint device:
How optimisation works: When a user joins a Teams call in an optimised VDI environment, the Teams application signals to a local Teams plugin (installed on the endpoint device) to handle audio and video locally. The audio and video stream goes directly between the user’s endpoint and the other Teams participants — bypassing the VDI server entirely for media traffic. Only the Teams UI (control messages, chat text, sharing) continues through the VDI session.
Citrix HDX optimisation for Teams: Citrix’s HDX Real-Time Media Engine enables Teams call optimisation in Citrix Virtual Apps and Desktops environments. Requires: the HDX media engine installed on the endpoint device, a compatible version of Teams in the Citrix published apps, and specific network and Citrix policy configuration. Microsoft and Citrix maintain documentation for supported configurations and version compatibility matrices.
VMware Horizon Teams optimisation: VMware Horizon Blast protocol includes Teams optimisation for supported endpoint clients. Similar model to Citrix: local Horizon client on the endpoint handles media processing, bypassing the VDI server for audio and video.
Windows 365 and Azure Virtual Desktop (AVD): Microsoft’s own cloud PC products include native Teams optimisation through the Windows App or Remote Desktop client. This is generally simpler to configure than third-party VDI because Microsoft controls both the Teams application and the virtual desktop platform.
SA-Specific VDI and Teams Considerations
Internet bandwidth at endpoint: In an optimised VDI environment, audio/video travels directly from the endpoint to Microsoft’s cloud. The endpoint’s internet connection must be sized accordingly — each Teams video call requires 1.5Mbps per participant at HD quality. For SA users at home or in branch offices, this means a reliable connection is required at the endpoint, not just at the data centre running the VDI servers.
Load shedding impact on VDI endpoints: In a VDI environment where thin clients or laptops access the virtual desktop remotely, load shedding affecting the endpoint device takes the user out of their session — even if the VDI server itself is on UPS. SA organisations deploying VDI with Teams need endpoint resilience strategies (laptops with battery, thin clients on UPS) if Teams availability during load shedding is critical.
Peripheral compatibility: USB headsets and webcams need to be properly redirected from the endpoint to the VDI session and/or the Teams client. Verify that optimisation extends to peripheral devices — some VDI configurations redirect USB audio devices through the VDI session rather than letting the local Teams handle them, defeating the purpose of optimisation.
Testing Teams VDI Quality
Microsoft provides a Teams call quality dashboard and a pre-call network assessment tool (Microsoft Network Assessment Tool) that can be used to verify that a VDI environment meets the requirements for good Teams call quality. Running this assessment from an endpoint in the VDI environment before rollout identifies potential issues.
Additionally, conducting test calls in the VDI environment before go-live — with internal calls between colleagues, and with external participants — provides a subjective quality assessment that the automated tools can miss.
When VDI Optimisation Isn’t Enough
In some SA deployments, even properly optimised VDI Teams calls don’t achieve acceptable quality — typically because endpoint devices are underpowered (older thin clients without hardware video acceleration), internet connections are unreliable, or the VDI platform version doesn’t support the optimisation features.
In these cases, consider whether a hybrid approach is appropriate: VDI for standard productivity applications, but Teams (and other real-time communication tools) running locally on physical Windows hardware or Microsoft 365-connected laptops. The overhead of managing two environments needs to be weighed against the quality improvement for communication-intensive users.
What This Means for SA Telecoms Resellers
VDI environments are common in SA financial services, mining, and enterprise organisations that centralise desktop management for security or compliance reasons. Teams in these environments is often poorly implemented — either because VDI optimisation wasn’t configured, or because it was configured without adequate testing.
Resellers who can diagnose and resolve Teams VDI quality issues — whether through proper optimisation configuration, endpoint upgrades, or architectural recommendations — deliver genuine value to organisations that struggle with this problem. It’s a specialist niche with limited competition and strong willingness to pay for solutions that work.
About the Author
Mechelle Gindra
Mechelle Gindra is the managing editor and lead content strategist at Telecoms-Channel, South Africa's dedicated intelligence platform for telecoms resellers, ICT distributors, and channel partners. She oversees the editorial team's AI-assisted content production pipeline, ensuring vendor news, market analysis, and regulatory updates are accurate, timely, and actionable for the SA telecoms channel community. With deep expertise in the South African telecoms reseller ecosystem, Mechelle directs coverage of vendor partner programmes, ICASA regulatory developments, wholesale market dynamics, and channel business strategy. She is responsible for maintaining Telecoms-Channel's editorial standards, fact-checking processes, and corrections policy.
