From a certain point of view, it was inevitable. The work done with Azure, Office 365 / Microsoft 365, Xbox Game Pass and XCloud made it clear that Microsoft has bet its future on the cloud, but the only missing piece of the puzzle was Windows. However, starting August 2, business users will be able to be part of Windows 365, a new subscription system that essentially places a PC in the cloud, with images of Windows 10 / 11, and several virtual configurations available.
Windows 365 and the era of “hybrid work”
Microsoft's message is simple: The world has changed. The last 18 months created new challenges and forced us to abandon habits we once took for granted. The way we work has been altered from one end to the other, and the concept of “hybrid work” gains more and more strength. Some will return to the office, others will continue working from home, but many will seek to establish a new balance between both options.
That's where Windows 365 points. The name is very suggestive, but it is not an operating system (as some sites have indicated), but rather a new virtualization service, built on Azure Virtual Desktop. This will allow users to access environments of Windows 10 and Windows 11 (when it debuts in the market), applications, specific tools, and stored data. In short, a virtual PC.
“Windows everywhere”, pure cloud
It doesn't matter if the devices are personal or business, whether they are smartphones, tablets, or thin clients, Linux, Mac, Android, or iOS: The idea is that Windows 365 works on all of them, allowing the user to “move” from one device to another without bumps, and continue their work as if it never stopped.
Another very interesting aspect of Windows 365 is that administrators will be able to create cloud computers using up to twelve different configurations. The most basic offers one virtual core, 2 GB of RAM, and 64 GB of storage, while the most powerful goes up to eight virtual cores, 32 GB of RAM, and 512 GB of storage. Obviously, support will not be limited to Microsoft apps and services: If it can run on Windows 10 or Windows 11, it should work on Windows 365.
A glimpse into the future
There are still no official prices for Windows 365, but it is estimated that it will adopt a flat-rate system, with values “per user, per month”. Initially there will be no association with Office 365 / Microsoft 365, and it will continue as a separate subscription.
And that leads us to a very important detail: Windows 365 does not seek to replace local versions of Windows, but the relationship between Microsoft and the cloud will be increasingly close, and it would be a mistake to ignore the possibility that a variant “for general consumption” might be developed later. Are we ready for a “streaming” of Windows? Do we even want something like that? Leave a comment.
Official announcement: Click here
