IT strategy &
enterprise architecture
for your digital workplace
Grounded IT strategy, explained from practice: I share more than ten years of enterprise IT knowledge publicly and independently — with a focus on Microsoft technologies such as Windows 365 and Azure Virtual Desktop. Analyses, tools and comparisons for the digital workplace, vendor-neutral and traceable.
Workplace Decoded: content, tools and insights on DaaS, Azure Virtual Desktop, Windows 365, Citrix and sovereign cloud desktops.
Five phases that have proven themselves in practice haben
Whatever the vendor, successful digital workplace rollouts tend to follow the same pattern — from the first analysis to stable operation. These five phases have proven themselves again and again.
Three pillars for your digital workplace
DaaS — Desktop as a Service
Platform comparisons, cost analyses and strategic frameworks.
Architecture & compliance
Enterprise architecture, TOGAF and compliance mapping onto Microsoft.
Data sovereignty
Sovereign cloud desktops with oneClick — GDPR, BSI C5, made in Germany.
My core topics
Each topic builds on the last — from infrastructure through the workplace to governance.
Enterprise architecture & IT strategy
I work at the interface between business and technology. With TOGAF (ADM), ArchiMate modelling and pragmatic roadmapping, I translate business goals into IT structures that hold. No ivory tower — architecture that actually gets built.
Combined with my ITQAN framework, I connect TOGAF with the Microsoft Cloud Adoption Framework and real implementation projects. The result: strategy, architecture and technology as one consistent whole — from the target picture to a working landing zone.
End-to-end TCO analysis
Technical decisions are economic decisions. A solid TCO analysis runs over three to five years — including licences, Azure compute, storage, networking, management tools, operations and hidden costs such as egress or overprovisioning, which are routinely missing from early calculations.
On top of that come the Microsoft funding programmes (ECIF, PCF, PIE, Azure Accelerate), the licence tiers between Microsoft 365 E3, E5 and F3, and the question of what is run in-house and what is bought in. Together these shift the economics of a project more than the platform choice itself.
Azure Virtual Desktop
From the landing zone through host pool design and FSLogix profiling to autoscaling with Nerdio — I design and implement AVD environments for organisations of any size. My focus is multi-session efficiency, image management and operational excellence.
New: with Azure Arc-enabled session hosts I also cover hybrid scenarios where compute has to stay on-premises — ideal for regulated industries.
Windows 365
Windows 365 Enterprise and Business offer a fully managed Cloud PC — but only with the right strategy. I help with persona analysis, licence optimisation and integration into existing Microsoft 365 environments.
Particularly relevant: Windows 365 Link as a thin client replacement, and where it differs from AVD in hybrid scenarios.
Citrix Cloud & migration
Many organisations still run Citrix environments — on-premises or in the cloud. I support the evaluation: continue with Citrix DaaS, migrate to AVD, or build hybrid coexistence?
Particular focus: legacy application compatibility, printer driver migration and a realistic TCO comparison between the platforms.
Endpoint management — strategy & administration
The cloud desktop is only half the story. How do users reach the environment, which devices are permitted, how is BYOD kept apart from corporate hardware? I build end-to-end endpoint strategies based on Intune, Autopilot and Entra ID.
The range runs from thin client standardisation (IGEL, Unicon) through Windows Autopilot zero-touch rollouts to mobile application management for BYOD scenarios. Conditional Access and compliance policies tie endpoint and DaaS into one coherent security model.
Microsoft ecosystem & security
Microsoft 365 is not a product — it is a toolkit of 40+ services, most of which organisations use only a fraction of. I cover the whole ecosystem: Entra ID (identity), Purview (governance & DLP), the Defender suite (XDR), Sentinel (SIEM), Viva (employee experience) and Copilot (AI).
Security does not begin at the endpoint — it begins with the architecture. Conditional Access, MFA, Defender for Endpoint, Information Protection and Sentinel integration are part of my standard toolkit. Compliance frameworks such as ISO 27001, TISAX, BSI IT-Grundschutz and NIS2 feed straight into architectural decisions.
Cloud governance & CAF
Every cloud transformation needs structure. I work with the Microsoft Cloud Adoption Framework (CAF) and the Well-Architected Framework to build landing zones, policy sets and management group hierarchies.
The result: a scalable Azure environment with clear governance rules, cost management and a documented target architecture.
Architecture. Strategy. Delivery.
DaaS strategy & architecture
End-to-end DaaS strategies — from requirements analysis to a CAF-aligned target architecture.
enterprise architecture
TOGAF-oriented planning for workplace transformations — governance, roadmap, alignment.
Security & compliance
Zero Trust and compliance mapping for regulated environments.
Intune & endpoint strategy
Modern endpoint management strategies with Intune, Autopilot and DEX.
Data sovereignty & oneClick
Sovereign cloud desktops with oneClick — BSI C5, GDPR, German data centres.
Workshops & enablement
Strategic workshops, ADRs and knowledge transfer for IT teams and C-level.
Tools & content — free and vendor-neutral
Everything I have gathered over the years, publicly available. No paywall, no login, no hidden sales intent. Simply knowledge for the IT community.
DaaS Maps
The most extensive vendor-neutral comparison matrix for Desktop-as-a-Service. 6 DaaS platforms, 5 management tools, 270+ features.
TCO Calculator
A realistic full-cost calculation over three to five years for AVD, Windows 365 and Citrix. Including compute, storage, licences and hidden costs.
DaaS Advisor
Four questions, one fitting recommendation. The advisor guides through the decision space of AVD vs Windows 365 vs Citrix vs oneClick.
Compliance mapping
ISO 27001, TISAX, BSI IT-Grundschutz and NIS2 mapped against Microsoft controls. An interactive catalogue to search through.
Blog
Workplace Decoded as a reading series. In-depth analyses, field reports and strategic insight on the cloud workplace.
Vlog
Video insights on DaaS architectures, tool comparisons and real-world setups. Workplace Decoded in a format to watch.
Solutions for your industry
Every industry has its own compliance requirements, working models and IT constraints. I know the differences — and the architectures that fit them.
Industrie & Fertigung
Shift work, production-adjacent IT, OT/IT convergence — with AVD, workplaces can be provisioned centrally and restored within minutes when something fails.
Gesundheitswesen
Mobile ward rounds, thin client stations, GDPR-compliant patient data — cloud workplaces for secure documentation and diagnostics from anywhere.
Finanzen & Versicherung
BaFin compliance, flexible seating in office towers, highly secure data processing — regulated industries benefit from central control and auditability.
Public administration
BSI IT-Grundschutz, sovereign cloud, desk sharing in public bodies — the digital workplace for the public sector has to meet particularly high security standards.
Blog & vlog — insights from the digital workplace
FAQ
The questions that come up most often about cloud workplaces, advice and working together.
AVD is an IaaS solution with maximum control over infrastructure, networking and images. Windows 365 is a SaaS offering — one fully managed Cloud PC per user. AVD suits complex, regulated environments; Windows 365 suits standardised knowledge worker scenarios. Often a hybrid model using both makes the most sense.
Thirty minutes, remotely via Teams. We talk through your current IT landscape, your requirements and whether a cloud workplace makes sense for you. No sales pitch, just an honest assessment — including concrete next steps.
Yes. I am Citrix CCE-V certified and have years of experience with Citrix Cloud and CVAD. My view is vendor-neutral — if Citrix DaaS is the better answer, I say so. If a migration to AVD makes sense, I support the whole process.
I currently do not work freelance or commercially — I offer no paid consulting . Instead I share what I know publicly through the blog, the vlog and tools such as DaaS Maps. The best route for an exchange is LinkedIn: connect there, and we can discuss topics and the industry.
More questions on strategy, architecture, technology and compliance: Go to the FAQ →
The whole platform at a glance
DaaS
- DaaS Maps
- → Strategy · Platform · Security · Ops
- TCO Calculator
- → AVD · W365 · Citrix
- DaaS Advisor
- → four-question wizard
- Platform comparison
- → AVD vs W365 vs Citrix
- → Nerdio · ControlUp · FSLogix
Architektur
- TOGAF & EA
- → ADM · ArchiMate · Roadmap
- Practical examples
- → AVD · Citrix · Intune
- Compliance mapping
- → ISO 27001 × Microsoft
- → TISAX × Microsoft
- → NIS2 × Microsoft
- ITQAN Framework
Sovereignty
- oneClick Platform
- → Overview · use cases
- Modules
- → Encryption · BYOK
- → Key management (HSM)
- Regulation
- → GDPR · Schrems II
- → BSI C5 · SOC 2
More
- Blog & vlog
- → Workplace Decoded
- Glossary A–Z
- → AVD · Citrix · DaaS
- → FSLogix · Intune · W365
- About me
- Contact
Sofiane Salmi
As a cloud solution architect I bring more than a decade of experience in digital workplace solutions — with a focus on IT strategy and enterprise architecture.
What sets me apart: I think in architectures, not in products. Vendor-independent, strategically grounded and always with an eye on the whole.
AZ-305 · Solutions Architect Expert
SC-100 · Cybersecurity Architect
AZ-140 · AVD Specialty
CCE-V · Citrix Expert
CC-DaaS-MA · Citrix DaaS + Azure
CC-DaaS-CC · Citrix DaaS
CC-Content-Collaboration · Content Collaboration
CC-WMS · Workspace Microapps
AZ-104 · Azure Administrator
AZ-700 · Network Engineer
SC-300 · Identity & Access
MD-102 · Modern Desktop
Windows Server Hybrid Administrator
Ready for the next step
in your workplace strategy?
A conversation between equals — LinkedIn is the quickest way to connect with me. For direct questions, email works too.