Windows 365 takes the operating system to
the Microsoft cloud, streaming the full Windows experience — apps, data and
settings — to personal or corporate devices. Secure by design and built with
the principles of Zero Trust, Windows 365 secures and stores information in the
cloud, not on the device, providing a secure, productive experience for workers
from interns and contractors to software developers and industrial designers.
Windows 365 also creates a new hybrid personal computing category called Cloud
PC, which uses both the power of the cloud and the capabilities of the device
to provide a full, personalized Windows experience.
The announcement represents a
groundbreaking development as organizations around the world grapple with the
best ways to facilitate hybrid work models where employees are both on-site and
distributed across the globe.
“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 organizations with greater flexibility
and a secure way to empower their workforce to be more productive and
connected, regardless of location.”
A new computing paradigm for hybrid work
As the pandemic begins to ease in parts of
the world, a new way of working is emerging, transformed by virtual processes
and remote collaboration. In this more distributed environment, employees need
access to corporate resources across locations and devices — and with
cybersecurity threats on the rise, securing those resources is paramount.
“Hybrid work has fundamentally changed the
role of technology in organizations today,” said Jared Spataro, corporate vice
president, Microsoft 365. “With workforces more disparate than ever before,
organizations need a new way to deliver a great productivity experience with
increased versatility, simplicity and security. Cloud PC is an exciting new
category of hybrid personal computing that turns any device into a personalized,
productive and secure digital workspace. 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.”
Windows 365 helps employers solve
challenges they’ve faced since long before the pandemic. Workers expect greater
flexibility and more options to work from different locations, while still
ensuring the security of the organization’s data. Seasonal workers can cycle on
and off teams without the logistical challenges of issuing new hardware or
securing personal devices — allowing the organization to scale for busy periods
more efficiently and securely. And companies can easily ensure specialized
workers in creative, analytics, engineering or scientific roles have greater
compute power and secure access to critical applications that they need.
Versatile, simple, secure: the
transformational impact of Windows 365
By building on the power of the Windows
operating system and the strength of the cloud, Windows 365 gives any
organization greater peace of mind in three key ways:
- Powerful. With instant-on boot to their personal Cloud PC, users can stream all their applications, tools, data and settings from the cloud across any device. 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. With a choice of either Windows 10 or Windows 11 (once it is generally available later in 2021), organizations can choose the Cloud PC that works for them with per-user per-month pricing.
- Simple. With a Cloud PC, users can log in and pick back up where they left off across devices, providing a simple and familiar Windows experience delivered by the cloud. For IT, Windows 365 also simplifies deployment, updates and management — and unlike other solutions, Windows 365 doesn’t require any virtualization experience. With Windows 365 optimized for the endpoint, IT can easily procure, deploy and manage Cloud PCs for their organization just as they manage physical PCs through Microsoft Endpoint Manager. Small and midsize businesses can purchase Windows 365 directly or through a cloud service provider, and set up their organization with Cloud PCs with just a few clicks. Microsoft also continues to innovate in Azure Virtual Desktop for those organizations with deep virtualization experience that want more customization and flexibility options.
- Secure. Windows 365 is secure by design, leveraging the power of the cloud and the principles of Zero Trust. Information is secured 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.
New opportunities for the Microsoft partner
ecosystem
For decades, Microsoft partners have been
at the center of how Microsoft delivers technologies and business
transformation to customers around the world. The depth of Microsoft’s cloud
offerings and technology portfolio gives partners the power to build
innovative, industry-specific solutions. Windows 365 will allow partners to
continue to make more possible.
From systems integrators to managed service
providers to independent software vendors (ISVs) to original equipment
manufacturers (OEMs), the new Cloud PC category creates opportunity for
Microsoft partners to deliver new Windows experiences in the cloud.
Organizations will look to systems
integrators and managed service providers to help them get the most out of
their entire Windows estate. ISVs can continue to build Windows apps and now
deliver them in the cloud to help businesses work in new ways as they continue
to digitally transform. And OEMs gain an opportunity to integrate Windows 365
into their broad portfolio of services alongside their devices’ robust features
and secure hardware.
“To be their best in a new world of work,
employees need workplace technology that’s familiar, easy to use, secure and
always available,” said Veit Siegenheim, global modern workplace lead, Avanade.
“With Windows 365, Microsoft is capitalizing on the power of the cloud to
empower productivity anywhere, across any device and elevate the workplace
experience.”
Availability
Windows 365 will be generally available to
businesses of all sizes starting on Aug. 2, 2021. More information can be found
at https://Microsoft.com/Windows-365.