What and why
To improve meeting quality, reliability, and supportability in virtualized environments, Microsoft is retiring the WebRTC-based media optimization experience, "Teams is Omnissa Media Optimized" for Microsoft Teams on Omnissa Horizon Windows endpoints. Customers should transition to the new VDI solution for Teams.
The new VDI solution for Teams uses the same media engine as the native Microsoft Teams desktop client, which enables advanced meeting capabilities, reduced call setup times, improved diagnostics, and simplified servicing.
This change applies only to Windows endpoints connecting to Omnissa Horizon virtual desktop environments. It does not affect macOS, Linux, HTML5 or other endpoint platforms in Omnissa Horizon environments.
Rollout schedule
This retirement will occur in two phases.
End of support: April 1, 2027
- February 1st, 2027 - March 31, 2027: Users will start seeing dismissible dialogues notifying them of the upcoming retirement.
- Users may see the banner when they connect or reconnect to a virtual desktop, no more than once every 8 hours. This means users may see the banner a maximum of three times per day and a minimum of one time per day.
- Beginning April 1, 2027, WebRTC-based media optimization will continue to function but will no longer be supported. Users may still see the banner after Teams launches.
End of availability: September 1, 2027
- July 1, 2027 - August 30, 2027: Users will see a modal dialog notifying them of the upcoming retirement.
- Beginning September 1, 2027, "Teams is Omnissa Media Optimized" (WebRTC-based media optimization) will no longer function and the new VDI solution for Teams will be enforced.
- If Teams cannot optimize using the new VDI solution, Teams will fall back to server-side rendering.
Rollout timing:
- Worldwide: Beginning in early February 2027 and expected to complete by early September 2027
Impact on your organization
Who is affected
- Organizations using Microsoft Teams in Omnissa Horizon VDI environments on Windows endpoints, specifically tenants that have not fully transitioned to the new VDI solution for Teams
Platforms and services
- Microsoft Teams
- Omnissa Horizon VDI
- Windows endpoints
Not affected:
- Citrix, Azure Virtual Desktop, Windows 365, Amazon WorkSpaces
- macOS, Linux, HTML5, and other endpoint platforms
What will happen
- Legacy optimization, "Teams is Omnissa Media Optimized" will be retired.
- Users will transition to the new VDI solution for Teams when minimum requirements are met.
- After September 1, 2027, WebRTC-based media optimization will no longer function on Windows endpoints.
- Teams media processing in supported Omnissa Horizon environments will use the new VDI solution for Teams.
- If Teams cannot use the new VDI solution, Teams will fall back to server-side rendering.
Minimum requirements
- Omnissa Horizon Client for Windows version 8.17 (2512) or later. Microsoft recommends 8.18 (2603) or 8.19 (2609)
- Microsoft Teams version 26120.xxx.xxxx.xxxx or later. Microsoft recommends keeping Teams up to date.
Action required and recommendations
Complete the following by March 31, 2027:
- Review your Omnissa Horizon VDI deployment and confirm the new VDI solution for Teams is in use.
- Review the Networking section on the main VDI article, and have a discussion with your networking team
- Update Windows endpoints to meet the minimum requirements listed above.
- Microsoft recommends the latest Horizon Client version
- Monitor adoption and optimization status using the Teams Client Health dashboard, which provides built-in reports and troubleshooting tools to help admins identify and resolve VDI issues, and the Call Quality Dashboard, which aggregates data so you can compare statistics across groups of users and identify trends and patterns in media quality.
- Notify your helpdesk and support teams, VDI administrators, and end users who rely on Teams in Omnissa Horizon environments.
- Update internal documentation that references "Teams is Omnissa Media Optimized."
Learn more
Compliance considerations
| Question | Answer |
| Does this change alter how admins monitor, report on, or demonstrate compliance activities? | Yes. The new VDI solution for Teams provides expanded visibility and diagnostics through the Teams admin center and the Call Quality Dashboard, which changes how admins monitor, troubleshoot, and report on media quality in Omnissa Horizon VDI environments. |