Windows 365 Cloud PC is a new "Desktop as a Service" (DaaS) built on top of Azure virtual desktops, with the goal of providing a new way for businesses of all sizes to experience Windows 10 or Windows 11. The service was announced in mid-July 2021 and, as announced at the time, went live on Aug. 2, 2021.
With the development of virtual technology, we have been exposed to a lot of cloud services, such as: cloud disk, cloud server and so on. But I wonder if you have ever thought that Microsoft, the industry giant, will open a cloud PC service. Think about these years, virtual technology has brought fire to the cloud services, Microsoft will surely not let go of this huge business prospects.
Windows 365 Cloud PC is a new "Desktop as a Service" (DaaS) built on top of Azure virtual desktops, with the goal of providing a new way for businesses of all sizes to experience Windows 10 or Windows 11. The service was announced in mid-July 2021 and, as announced at the time, went live on Aug. 2, 2021.
Windows 365 transfers the operating system to the Microsoft cloud, delivering the complete Windows experience (applications, data and settings) as a stream of data to a personal or enterprise device. Windows 365 is secure by design and based on the principle of zero trust, ensuring that information is stored securely in the cloud (not on the device), providing security for everyone from interns and contractors to software developers and industrial designers, providing a secure, productive experience for all employees.
Windows 365 creates a new hybrid personal computing category called Cloud PC, which leverages a combination of cloud and device-side capabilities to deliver a complete, personalized Windows experience. The launch of this service represents a groundbreaking development as organizations around the world struggle to find the best ways to facilitate a hybrid work model where employees are not only onsite, but may also be spread across the globe.
It was mentioned above that windows 365 was initially launched only for enterprise users. As for whether and when the mass consumers can use it, Microsoft has not given any clear official information yet. In fact, the above analysis for Windows 365 can know that Windows 365 may not mean much to most consumers, but it may change the life of IT departments and small businesses. It can be said from the following points.
Cloud PC must be something that can be a significant cost savings, after all, the purchase cost of local devices will be greatly reduced, each device does not even need to be pre-installed Windows, which saves a licensing fee, only need to pay an annual subscription to Windows 365 can be.
Windows 365 leverages cloud performance and the principle of zero trust to achieve security by design. Information is protected and stored in the cloud, not on the device. Windows 365 is always up to date, building on Microsoft's strong security capabilities and bottom-line guidelines, simplifying security and providing optimal security settings based on the user's current environment.
With Cloud PC, users can log in and pick up where they left off on a variety of devices, providing a simple and familiar Windows experience through the cloud. Small and midsize businesses can purchase Windows 365 directly or through a cloud service provider and set it up for their organization with the simplicity of Cloud PC.
Cloud PC allows users to log in across devices and continue work that has not been done before, bringing a simplified, familiar, cloud-based Windows experience. For IT staff, Windows 365 also simplifies deployment, updates, and management. With Windows 365's optimization of endpoints, IT staff can easily help their organizations procure, deploy, and manage Cloud PCs just as they manage physical PCs through Microsoft Endpoint Manager. SMBs can also procure Windows 365 directly or through a cloud service provider and complete their organization's Cloud PC setup with a simple point-and-click operation.
Finally, the Windows 11 image available for Windows 365 Enterprise on October 5, 2021 includes the same pre-installed and configured applications as Windows 10. In addition, on October 5 Microsoft also opened the option to upgrade Cloud PCs from Windows 10 to Windows 11.