Windows 365 is Microsoft’s latest rendition of the platform many of us have been using for years. But this time, it’s different.
Whether you began your Microsoft journey with Windows 98, or Windows 10, you will be fundamentally aware that Windows, the operating system, is on your laptop or desktop. You would also aware that the programs you run are often loaded onto your computers, and you access them via your Windows operating system.
With the release of Windows 11, Microsoft’s latest operating system, Microsoft have introduced Windows 365, a cloud service that users can log into from any device to access their Windows operating system. This means the programs we use do not need to be installed onto our local computers, they can be installed onto our Windows 365 virtual PCs.
For organisations striving to develop a modern workplace by adopting hybrid working, Windows 365 provides a platform to significantly reduce the complexities involved.
What is Windows 365?
Windows 365 is a virtualisation solution, and anybody in the IT industry will know that virtualisation technology has existed for years. However, Windows 365 is arguably the first virtualisation technology to be made so accessible and so easily integrated into existing environments.
How is Windows 365 integrated?
Every virtual PC is managed, licensed, and assigned to a user via Microsoft Azure. Admins simply assign a Windows 365 license to a user in the same way they would assign an Office 365 license. For a business with Microsoft 365 at its core, Windows 365 is an ideal way to really take advantage of hybrid working.
Featuring the latest Windows 11 operating system, each PC is assigned to an individual user, uses Microsoft security, and is then made accessible for the user to access on any device with internet connectivity.
Windows 365 is delivered through Microsoft Endpoint Management using Microsoft Intune to truly tailor the PCs to the user's needs, in much the same way as many businesses do now.
As with many other virtualised services, pricing is relative to PC sizing. The configuration of resources, such as RAM, CPUs, and storage capacity, determines the price per PC.
Who is Windows 365 for?
Windows 365 can be used personally or in businesses as a viable alternative to non-integrated virtualisation technologies, or managed hardware. Windows 365 allows organisations to standardise builds per function, based on compute requirements and application needs, providing users with the resources they need on whichever device suits them personally, wherever they may be.
Currently, there is a 300-seat limit on Windows 365, so rolling it out across large enterprises may not be viable at this time. However, by targeting a specific function, organisations can still benefit from Microsoft’s latest innovation within the 365 world.
Enterprise or Business Licenses?
Currently, two versions of Windows 365 are available: Enterprise and Business. Enterprise provides greater control, and a richer feature set, but that’s not to say the Business version is lacking in any way.
A key difference in the two versions is that while Business licenses provide default PC settings, Enterprise PCs are fully customisable.
If your business is already using end user compute technologies, Windows 365 could be the next step forward in enabling your modern workplace.
If you would like to learn more about how Windows 365 could fit your organisation, and where to begin your transition, get in touch with the Core team today at hello@core.co.uk.
