With the concept of work changing completely over the past couple of years, Microsoft has announced Windows 365, a cloud service that introduces a new way to experience Windows 10 or Windows 11 (when it is introduced) for every worker.
Windows 365 takes the operating system to the Microsoft Cloud, securely streaming the full Windows experience – including all the apps, data, and settings – to the worker’s personal or corporate devices. Microsoft are calling it Cloud PC, a fully new personal computing category, created specifically for the hybrid world.
“With Windows 365, we’re creating a new category: the Cloud PC,” said Satya Nadella, chairman and CEO, Microsoft. “Just like applications were brought to the cloud with SaaS, we are now bringing the operating system to the cloud, providing organisations with greater flexibility and a secure way to empower their workforce to be more productive and connected, regardless of location.”
Windows 365 will be available to businesses of all sizes starting August 2. It does nor replace Azure Virtual Desktop (AVD) which is the starting point that the company uses to build Windows 365. While in AVD, payment is on a consumption basis, in Windows 365, payment will be on the basis of per user per month per PC or per Cloud PC.
Wangui McKelvey, General Manager, Microsoft 365, explained how Cloud PC worked.
“Our recent Work Trend Index found that 73% of workers want flexible remote work options to stay, but at the same time, 67% say they also want more in-person collaboration, post-pandemic. This creates the hybrid work paradox, leaving organisations around the world to grapple with how to connect in a hybrid world and provide workers access to organisational resources at home, in the office, and at all points between,” said McKelvey.
“Much like how we’ve embraced the cloud for other products, our vision for a Windows 365 Cloud PC is to deliver a new way to experience Windows through the power of the cloud – while solving both novel and traditional challenges for organisations. This new paradigm isn’t just about allowing and securing remote access. The user experience is more important than ever for attracting and retaining talent, improving productivity, and ensuring security.
“The Cloud PC draws on the power of the cloud and the capabilities of the device to provide a powerful, simple, and secure full Windows 10 or Windows 11 experience that you can use to empower your workforce, regardless of location or device. Windows 365 provides an instant-on boot experience that enables users to stream all their personalised applications, tools, data, and settings from the cloud across any device including your Mac, iPad, Linux device, and Android.
“The Windows experience is consistent, no matter the device. You can pick up right where you left off, because the state of your Cloud PC remains the same, even when you switch devices. You can get the same work done on a laptop in a hotel room, a tablet from their car between appointments, or your desktop while you’re in the office.”
Windows 365 provides the full PC experience in the cloud. The cloud also provides versatility in processing power and storage, enabling IT to scale up or down, based on their needs.
One can scale processing power and monitor the performance of the Cloud PC to make sure all users are getting the best experience. A built-in analytics looks at connection health across networks to make sure the Cloud PC users can reach everything they need on the network to be productive.
With Windows 365 optimised for the endpoint, IT can easily procure, deploy, and manage Cloud PCs for their organisation just like they manage physical PCs through Microsoft Endpoint Manager. It is also secure by design, leveraging the power of the cloud and the principles of Zero Trust.
Windows 365 will be available to businesses of all sizes starting August 2. It does nor replace Azure Virtual Desktop (AVD) which is the starting point that the company uses to build Windows 365. While in AVD, payment is on a consumption basis, in Windows 365, payment will be on the basis of per-user, per-month, per-PC or per Cloud PC.
