Microsoft has launched the general availability of Teams optimisation for Amazon WorkSpaces, aiming to improve the virtual desktop experience for remote and hybrid workers.
Until now, users faced latency, inconsistent audio-video quality, and high system load when using Teams on WorkSpaces.
The optimisation moves audio and video processing from the virtual machine to the user’s local device, promising a more reliable collaboration experience.
The feature was first tested in a public preview from September 2025. Microsoft used feedback from early adopters to address edge cases and refine the solution.
“With Teams VDI2 optimization, we are delivering innovative capabilities that transform virtual desktop performance, offering rich functionality, smooth audio and video experiences, and exceptional reliability, said Juan Rivera, Corporate Vice President at Microsoft.
“By enabling direct endpoint routing for media traffic, organizations can provide employees with the high-quality Teams experience they expect while maintaining flexibility and optimizing infrastructure costs.”
The rollout reflects the increasing pressure on cloud-based virtual desktop environments to handle the demands of remote collaboration.
As organisations rely on video conferencing more heavily, even minor performance issues in virtual desktops can disrupt workflows and cause frustration for employees.
“The feedback from customers helped us fine-tune the experience, tackle edge cases, and make sure the solution worked for organisations of all shapes and sizes,” AWS said in a blog post.
Multimedia Offloading
The core change introduced by the optimisation is multimedia offloading.
Audio and video processing, which previously occurred entirely within the virtual machine, now runs on the endpoint device.
This reduces latency, minimises dropped frames, and frees up the virtual machine to handle other tasks.
For users, this means meetings should be smoother, calls should sound clearer, and video should remain in sync even in less-than-ideal network conditions.
By shifting the processing workload, the optimisation addresses one of the long-standing criticisms of virtual desktop infrastructure: that high-bandwidth applications such as video conferencing often strain limited VM resources.
The change represents a more efficient use of both client and server resources and is a response to enterprise demand for consistent user experiences across hybrid work environments.
How Teams Optimisation Works
When Teams is launched inside a WorkSpaces virtual machine, the MS Teams VDI Bridge detects that it is running in a virtual environment and opens a virtual channel to the endpoint device.
The MSTeamsPlugin.dll loads on the local device, downloads the Slimcore MSIX package from Microsoft’s CDN, and initiates MsTeamsVDI.exe to manage audio and video processing locally.
Unlike other software updates that require manual intervention, this process is automatic.
According to Microsoft, early adopters of the optimisation report measurable improvements.
André Akkerman, Director of Workplace Technology at Wolters Kluwer, said, “Our Amazon WorkSpaces users initially faced challenges with video conferencing, including connection stability, system performance, and audio-video quality. Working with AWS and Microsoft, we implemented MS Teams Optimisation across our global user base. The results have been outstanding.”
Availability and Limitations
The optimisation is currently only supported on Windows WorkSpaces client endpoints.
AppStream and other platforms are not yet supported, limiting adoption in environments that mix operating systems or streaming platforms.
Organisations need to ensure that their WorkSpaces instances are updated with the latest Teams client, MSTeamsPlugin.dll, and Slimcore MSIX package for the endpoint to process media locally.
Even with these limitations, the feature represents a meaningful step forward for businesses seeking to maintain video and audio quality in virtual desktop infrastructure.
It addresses a clear need in hybrid and remote work settings, where employees rely heavily on video collaboration tools to stay connected and productive.
Implications for Enterprise VDI
The release underscores the ongoing evolution of virtual desktop infrastructure.
Organisations have long faced trade-offs between performance and flexibility, particularly when running demanding applications like video conferencing in the cloud.
Microsoft’s approach – offloading heavy workloads to client endpoints – reflects a growing trend in VDI optimisation that balances user experience with infrastructure efficiency.
By freeing up VM resources, organisations may be able to deploy smaller, less expensive virtual machines without sacrificing performance. At the same time, ensuring endpoint devices are capable of handling local media processing will be crucial.
While limited to Windows endpoints for now, the update represents a functional upgrade that could shape enterprise decisions around virtual desktop deployments.
