TWM Solicitors rolls out 10ZiG thin clients for Azure AVD

TWM Solicitors has deployed 10ZiG thin client devices across its offices as part of a migration to Microsoft Azure Virtual Desktop. The rollout covers about 240 devices for the Surrey law firm’s 240 staff across three sites.

The project was part of a broader overhaul of the firm’s desktop and back-end systems, carried out by a four-person IT team over several months. Alongside the move from Microsoft Remote Desktop Services to Azure Virtual Desktop, the firm shifted back-end infrastructure into Microsoft Azure, upgraded to Microsoft 365, introduced new practice management software and rolled out dual monitors across desks.

For the firm, the move marked a shift away from on-premise systems towards cloud and software-as-a-service tools. The aim was to reduce capital spending, move to a more predictable operating cost model and simplify the delivery of new technology services to staff in the office and at home.

Azure Virtual Desktop became the main desktop virtualisation platform, reflecting the firm’s use of software built largely within the Microsoft environment. Session hosts are provisioned from a single image applied across endpoints, giving the firm centralised patching, tighter security controls and the option to rebuild infrastructure if needed.

Nerdio manages the scaling of session hosts during the day, allowing the firm to match computing use to demand. The approach is designed to avoid paying for unused cloud compute.

Endpoint overhaul

The desktop migration also required new endpoint hardware. TWM wanted devices that could support dual 24-inch monitors, run Windows drivers for SpeechWrite digital dictation software and be managed remotely across sites.

The firm sourced the devices through Softcat, a reseller it has worked with for more than a decade, and after a trial bought about 240 units running Windows IoT LTSC. The devices are configured to open Azure Virtual Desktop sessions and hold no local user data, so failed units can be replaced without data recovery or software reinstallation.

Alan Barrett, Head of IT at TWM Solicitors, outlined the technical requirements behind the decision. “Our requirements were clear: new desktop hardware needed to drive dual 24-inch monitors at full resolution, support Windows drivers for our SpeechWrite digital dictation software and provide a robust, centralized remote management platform to keep devices updated without requiring physical site visits,” he said.

The endpoints are also set up to handle Microsoft Teams and Zoom calls running within Azure Virtual Desktop by using local device resources where needed. That was important for a legal practice with staff working in a hybrid pattern and relying on voice and video tools as well as dictation software.

Barrett said the shift changed the role of the desktop device rather than reducing its importance. “When we moved to AVD, the endpoint became both less important and more critical at the same time,” he said. “Less important because all the compute is now happening in the cloud; more critical because it’s the device that everyone uses to do their work. 10ZiG has been the right answer on both counts. They’re so low maintenance that they’ve essentially become invisible, which is exactly what you want from an endpoint.”

Rollout process

Before shipment, the IT team worked with 10ZiG to create a standard device image with the required software, drivers and settings. The devices then arrived configured and ready to connect to the network, reducing work during installation.

That proved useful during a large-scale office swap-out. “This saved us a lot of time during the rollout, which was welcome given the physical effort involved: unpacking computers and monitors, assembling thin client bases and monitor arms, fitting everything to desks, then removing old equipment and recycling packaging. At our largest office in Guildford, we replaced more than 100 machines and monitors in a single day,” Barrett said.

He added that preparation before the rollout was central to avoiding disruption for staff returning after the changeover. “I remember saying to our Managing Partner afterwards: where else have you worked where so many computers have been changed over a weekend and everything worked on Monday?” he said.

Cost and management

TWM now uses 10ZiG Manager to power devices on and off remotely, deploy patches and maintain the same configuration across its offices. The firm said central management has reduced the need for engineers to travel between sites, saving hundreds of hours of IT time as well as transport costs.

The economics of the hardware also formed part of the case for the move. The firm put the device cost at about £450 each and estimated a lifespan of eight or nine years, which works out at roughly £50 a year per unit.

Barrett said that translated into low ongoing support demands. “When you break it down, we’re paying roughly £1 a week for a device with very little day-to-day management required,” he said. “We’ve made the right decision to invest in 10ZiG modernized thin clients. They’re easy to manage, easy to maintain and the 10ZiG team has been excellent to work with. The burden of desktop management, which used to be time-consuming, boring and frustrating, has simply disappeared.”

James Broughton of 10ZiG said the project reflected a wider pattern among organisations moving desktop environments into the cloud. “Organisations moving towards Microsoft AVD and cloud-based work environments increasingly need endpoint solutions that are secure, simple to manage and operationally efficient,” he said. “By combining our thin client endpoints with Microsoft AVD and 10ZiG Manager, TWM Solicitors is an excellent example of how organizations can modernize desktop infrastructure while simplifying IT operations and supporting long-term cloud transformation strategies.”