MSIX is the most modern and future proof application package format from Microsoft, a MSIX container includes all application files and registry entries and makes it easy to deploy applications in real-time to any machine and user without touching the OS, this will keep your desktop images clean and stable. Only users assigned to the application will have access, preventing a workspace full of pollution. A MSIX container can be deployed directly or converted to app attach, this allows the MSIX container to be deployed from a virtual disk. With MSIX the applications are separated from the OS and they can be easily updated without having to update your desktop images all the time. This also makes upgrading to newer Windows versions incredibly easy. The MSIX format is from Microsoft itself and open source, you don’t need any expensive vendor package format which will lock you into a non future proof way of deploying applications. MSIX is the replacement of all traditional application installation formats like MSI, EXE installers and App-V. Microsoft is investing a lot in MSIX and is following the one application format approach like MacOS has with DMG and Android with APK. Try MSIX for yourself and see how easy it works!

A MSIX container is created with the MSIX packaging tool from Microsoft or with 3th party tools like appCURE, Advanced Installer, etc.
Also more and more software vendors are starting to release their applications directly as MSIX container, did you know that all the built-in applications in you Windows machine are already MSIX?
MSIX adoption and compatibility is increasing everyday and we see applications working inside a MSIX container which where not working in for example the App-V format.

AppVentiX supports native (direct) MSIX deployments and MSIX delivered by app attach on every kind of desktop whether it’s on-premises or in the cloud. No matter what type of desktop you have and where it’s running (laptop, physical PC or a desktop running in Windows365, AVD or Citrix\Omnissa) AppVentiX makes it incredibly easy to deploy and manage the MSIX containers in real-time. With AppVentiX application updates can be done in matter of seconds across all your desktop environments, you will directly see the results and feel back in control.

Users will only have the applications they need (old versions are removed automatically) and do not even have to logoff and back on again to receive new applications and updates.

App Attach in Azure relates to the portal integration in Azure Virtual Desktop, the integration for app attach itself is embedded in the Windows operating system. This means that other solutions like AppVentiX can also use this integration. Below you will find some of the added value of AppVentiX:

• AppVentiX supports native MSIX deployment and MSIX delivered through app attach (AVD is app attach only)
• Allows MSIX and app attach in other environments as well, like on-premises and hybrid environments. All kind of desktop deployments are supported (Citrix, VMware, Windows365\AVD, Laptops & Physical machines)
• Graphical overview of machines and which MSIX containers they have attached, also possible to see the connected users and which containers they have published in real-time
• Graphical overview of all the content in a repository, single click convert to app attach (no command lines needed), after convert AppVentiX saves the MSIX package in a backup folder automatically so it can be easily used for updates later
• Graphical overview of all deployment and publishing events
• AppVentiX works with publishing tasks, you assign a user group to a MSIX container and it will be visible for the user instantly. When the publishing task is removed – or when the user is removed from the group assigned to the publishing task – the MSIX container is unpublished for the user automatically, this makes application upgrades easy and real-time without the users having to logoff and back on again. No more left overs of old applications and versions!
• You can use one publishing task for assigning the MSIX application to the users desktop and (optionally) publish the icon as seamless application in AVD or another virtual desktop broker like Citrix and VMware. This makes it easy to mix published apps with published desktops.
• With AppVentiX you can choose to attach MSIX containers before users login (pre-cache) or dynamically when a user logs in (default). The AVD app attach integration attaches all the containers to the machines in the hostpool, this makes it harder to manage them and is less efficient
• AppVentiX supports MSIX Shared Containers
• With AppVentiX you can publish CMD and Powershell scripts that run inside the container
• AppVentiX has an agent GUI which is handy for package managers to test MSIX applications

With Intune it’s possible to deploy native MSIX packages (app attach is not supported), while Intune is great as mobile device management solution it’s not a real-time application deployment management solution. Deployment through Intune has some drawbacks:

• Hard to integrate with (non-persistent) images like AVD, Citrix, VMware
• Intune is designed for mobile device management and not as real-time application deployment solution, this makes it hard to use it in environments with a diverse application landscape where application updates need to be instant, visible and controllable.
• Intune license needed and machines needs to be onboarded in Intune
• Only possible to deploy, there is no auto unpublish and removal. Applications will stay on the device.
• It’s not clear when exactly Intune performs deployment actions and this makes it hard to manage application deployment and updates
• Does not support app attach and no support for MSIX shared containers
• Hard to combine with a hybrid environment, where some of the users are working in a virtual environment like AVD or Citrix and some on a laptop or physical PC (or a combination of both)

AppVentiX uses the same MSIX integration in the Windows operating system but makes the deployment real-time, adds a lot of value and puts you back in control. AppVentiX is easy to integrate with your image management procedure and allows you to deploy and manage MSIX in the same way across all your desktop environments whether they are domain joined or Entra ID joined.