Posted by Singapore: Microsoft announced Windows 365 – a cloud service that focuses on hybrid work models. It offers a new way to experience Windows 10 or Windows 11 to businesses of all sizes, the company said.
With Windows 365, Microsoft takes the operating system to the cloud, enabling the streaming of the full Windows experience across apps, data and settings – to personal or corporate devices.
It is secure by design and built with zero trust principles, making information secured and stored in the cloud and not on the device. This overall provides a secure, productive experience for users.
Windows 365 leverages the capabilities of the cloud and device to provide a full personalized Windows experience. Microsoft has put Windows 365 into a new hybrid personal computing category termed Cloud PC. The company’s new offering targets hybrid work models where employees are both on-site and distributed globally.
“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,” added Nadella.
The shift to hybrid work is changing the role of technology. Microsoft’s new cloud service has tried to reduce the gaps between the cloud and devices. “Today’s announcement of Windows 365 is just the beginning of what will be possible as we blur the lines between the device and the cloud,” said Jared Spataro, Corporate VP – Microsoft 365.
Windows 365 focuses on three aspects – power, simplicity and security. It brings instant-on boot allowing users to stream all their applications, tools, data, and settings from the cloud to any device. And provides the full PC experience in the cloud with versatility in processing power and storage, enabling IT to scale up or down, based on their needs.
Microsoft said it offers a choice of either Windows 10 or Windows 11 (once it is generally available later in 2021) so organisations can choose the Cloud PC that works for them with per-user per-month pricing.
On the simplicity front, Microsoft said that its Cloud PC lets users to log in and pick back-up where they left off across devices, providing a simple and familiar Windows experience delivered by the cloud.
Likewise, for IT, Microsoft said that Windows 365 has simplified deployment, updates, and management and doesn’t require any virtualization experience. With Windows 365 optimized 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.
Small and mid-size businesses can purchase Windows 365 directly or through a cloud service provider, and set-up their organisation with Cloud PCs with just a few clicks.
Microsoft said its new cloud service is secure by design and leverages the power of cloud and zero trust. This secures the information and stored in the cloud, not on the device.
Always up to date and building on the strength of rich Microsoft security capabilities and baselines, Windows 365 simplifies security and recommends the best security settings for the environment at hand.
Windows 365 will be generally available to businesses of all sizes starting on Aug. 2, 2021.