Windows 365 will deliver a full, personalized PC experience
from the cloud to any device, giving workers and organizations
power, simplicity and security for hybrid work.
REDMOND, Wash., July 14, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Microsoft Corp. on
Wednesday announced Windows 365, a cloud service that introduces a
new way to experience Windows 10 or Windows 11 (when it becomes
available) to businesses of all sizes. 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.
About Microsoft
Microsoft (Nasdaq "MSFT" @microsoft) enables digital
transformation for the era of an intelligent cloud and an
intelligent edge. Its mission is to empower every person and every
organization on the planet to achieve more.
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