At the Inspire, Microsoft presented the Windows 365 cloud service for companies. From August 2nd, Windows 10 and later also Windows 11 will be offered on cloud PCs, which can be selected from any device using the native app or in the browser in individual configurations depending on performance requirements.
Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) is followed by Microsoft's Operating System as a Service (OSaaS) at the Inspire in-house exhibition. “With Windows 365 we are creating a new category: the cloud PC,” says Satya Nadella, Chairman and CEO of Microsoft.
Microsoft sees the advantages of Windows 365 primarily in three areas. On the one hand, the cloud service should be powerful and offer flexibility in computing power and storage space so that IT departments can scale them as required. Instead of upgrading PCs locally, more computing power can be booked in the cloud if required. In future, Microsoft will ensure that the latest hardware with new functions is always available instead of the company's IT department.
Windows on every device
The cloud PC should be able to be switched on immediately and thus be immediately ready for use and make all applications, tools, data and settings available on any end device. For the use of the cloud PC, Microsoft wants to offer native applications for different environments, but also support in the browser. The only requirement is an internet connection. Windows 365 can be run on a wide variety of desktop operating systems, Android, iOS and practically any system with a browser.
At the start, the online PCs run Windows 10, in the further course of the year, when the new version has been completed, Windows 11 will also be offered. According to the current timetable, Windows 11 should come onto the market by the end of the year.
Twelve hardware configurations
For the billing system, Microsoft relies on a monthly fixed price per cloud PC, which has not yet been announced in euros or US dollars. As The Verge reports, the Business and Enterprise variants and a total of twelve hardware configurations are planned for Windows 365, ranging from a single-core CPU, 2 GB RAM and 64 GB storage to eight cores, 32 GB RAM and 512 GB storage should be enough.
Azure Virtual Desktop is preserved
As a second point, Microsoft focuses on the simple setup of the solution, which does not require any knowledge of virtualization. Windows 365 is implemented behind the scenes via Azure Virtual Desktop, with which Microsoft already offers operating systems in the cloud, but implemented there in a much more complex manner. For IT departments, Windows 365 is intended to simplify the provision, update and management of the operating system. As with local computers, the Microsoft Endpoint Manager is used to manage the cloud PCs.
Microsoft will offer Windows 365 for small and medium-sized companies directly or via a service provider and cloud PCs should be set up “with just a few clicks”. At the same time, Azure Virtual Desktop is to be retained and further developed for companies that already have extensive experience with virtualization and want more customization and flexibility options.
Windows 365 should be safe
The subject of security is the third important point in Windows 365, says Microsoft. All data is generally stored and secured in the cloud instead of on the end device that accesses Windows 365. With Windows 365, no administrator or user needs to worry about updates that cannot always be installed immediately in companies to prevent potential incompatibilities and failures. “Windows 365 is always up to date and builds on the strengths of the extensive security functions and fundamentals from Microsoft.”