Introducing Hydra 2.5.0: Expanded Windows 365 and AVD Management
June 1, 2026
The Hydra 2.5.0 release continues our focus on streamlining desktop management across Azure Virtual Desktop and Windows 365 environments, while improving the day-to-day usability of the platform for administrators and helpdesk teams.
This release introduces new Windows 365 license management capabilities, a more streamlined settings experience aligned with Microsoft Intune, and several significant usability enhancements across the Hydra platform.
Centralized Windows 365 Cloud PC License Management
A new License Assignments view for Windows 365 now provides administrators with centralized visibility into license allocation and assignment details. With the new interface, admins can:
- View license assignments across the environment, from a single location.
- Access detailed insights into both Direct Assignments and Pooled licenses.
- Simplify operational oversight for Windows 365 licensing.
Windows 365 license management is often handled in a separate Microsoft 365 admin center, outside the tools many VDI admins use every day. In turn, this can limit license visibility and create reactive cost discussions. This latest release provides administrators with a clear view of the information they actually need: available licenses, assignment status, and activity, all without digging through Microsoft 365 or Intune.
Streamlined Windows 365 Settings Experience
Hydra now consolidates Windows 365 settings within the sidebar navigation structure. This aligns more closely with the Microsoft Intune administrative experience, creating a familiar and intuitive experience.
Hydra 2.5.0 also surfaces new preview settings from Microsoft, including:
- Windows App (Preview) settings within the Cloud PC Settings page.
- Updated terminology where Frontline has been renamed Flex to align with Microsoft’s latest branding updates.
These changes help administrators manage evolving Windows 365 capabilities from a more organized and consistent interface.
Let Users Set Their Own Cloud PC Autostart Schedule
Hydra 2.5.0 enhances the self-service experience by allowing users to configure their own autostart time and time zone preferences.
This improvement gives organizations with distributed or global workforces greater flexibility while reducing administrative overhead for desktop scheduling configuration.
Hydra Improvements: A More Consistent, Streamlined Experience
There are also several enhancements focused on platform consistency and improved workflow efficiency:
- The AVD Host Pools view now uses Hydra’s generic table component for a more unified administrative experience.
- Drag-and-drop interactions have been improved for Autoscaling, Script Schedules, and Session Timeout configuration tables.
Together, these make Hydra a faster, cleaner and more consistent management experience across the platform.
Expanded Hydra Proxy Flexibility
We have also added support for different destination regions when copying Hydra proxy images, providing additional flexibility for organizations deploying across multiple Azure regions and supporting more advanced hybrid and distributed deployment scenarios.
Continuing to Evolve Hydra
Every Hydra release is driven by the same question: what’s making AVD and Windows 365 management harder than it needs to be? That’s why 2.5.0 addresses licensing visibility, settings consistency, and the stuff that just shouldn’t be as hard as it is.
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