Windows 365 Cloud PC: Everything UK Businesses Need to Know

Introduction

2021 has been a big year for Microsoft so far.

From the announcement of Windows 11 to the soaring popularity of Microsoft Teams, the company seems to be going from strength to strength. But this train isn’t stopping there.

In the company’s latest big announcement, they look set to make remote and hybrid working even easier thanks to an all-new approach to cloud computing: Windows 365 Cloud PC.

The name may be similar to Microsoft 365, but this is something different. In fact, it might just be an entirely new way to work.

Let’s learn more about Windows 365 Cloud PC and how it could help your business as it rolls out in 2021.

What is Windows 365 Cloud PC?

Announced in late July 2021, Windows 365 Cloud PC is a cloud-based computer which is accessible from almost any internet-enabled device.

Think of Windows 365 as a personal computer which you stream from Microsoft’s servers to wherever you are in real time. All of your files, all of your settings, all of your Windows experience — but without the need for a single physical computer.

Now that Microsoft’s cloud infrastructure is so well-developed, especially in light of the success of the Microsoft 365 suite, the tech giant has seen fit to produce a personalised cloud PC to stream your apps, data, and files in real time. If you’re using a mouse and keyboard, or even a touch screen on your phone or tablet, your Windows 10 or 11 experience should be seamless — almost as though it were installed locally.

That’s what Microsoft is promising, anyway.

The history of cloud-based steaming applications suggests that Windows 365 will need to be battle-tested before we can be sure it’s the right choice for businesses in the hybrid world of work.

The business benefits of Windows 365 Cloud PC

Windows 365 Cloud PC is a system which allows businesses to set up, manage, and assign streamable Windows experiences to their team no matter where they are.

But why else should UK businesses be interested in Windows 365?

Here are the biggest benefits that we can see so far.

• Simplified PC fleet management. Setting up a physical computer for every employee can take time and expense, and can be very tricky is a user is entirely remote. With Windows 365, your IT support team will be able to instantly add or remove virtual PCs whenever they’re needed.
• Faster employee onboarding. No longer will you need to post out laptops to new remote employees, or wait for delivery of new workstations, because you’ll be able to simply create a PC, choose its resources, and assign it to an employee. They can then log in and use Windows from anywhere.
• More options to enable remote working. While there will always be a need for hardware within UK businesses, Windows 365 can make the upgrade process a lot easier and faster. Because the nuts and bolts of the Windows PC are hosted on Microsoft’s servers, even slow hardware will be able to run Windows 365 Cloud PCs.
• Instant upgrades whenever you need them. One of the best features of Windows 365 is the scalability factor. Each machine can be almost instantly upgraded from the admin console of your setup, or by your IT support company, remotely. You can change processor, add storage, increase RAM, and more — all at the click of a button.

Windows 365 vs. Azure Virtual Desktop

If you’re a regular reader of the Get Support blog, the concept behind Windows 365 Cloud PC might sound a bit familiar to you.

After all, isn’t Azure Virtual Desktop essentially the same thing?

Well… yes. Sort of. But also no.

Let’s explain.

With Azure Virtual Desktop, you or your administrative IT support team is responsible for all the backend management and provisioning of the Windows operating systems, including general administration of an Azure subscription to support it all. As we covered in a previous article, this is definitively a “Desktop as a Service” (DaaS) service, and requires significant backend work to maintain the instances of virtual desktop.

On the other hand, Windows 365’s instances of Windows 10 or 11 are entirely managed in the background by Microsoft. The aim of this setup is to make Windows 365 Cloud PCs as nimble and agile as possible — just click to launch your PC from the Microsoft website or mobile app, and you’re off to the races. This makes Windows 365 a “Software as a Service” (SaaS) solution, meaning almost everything is managed for you.

How to start using Windows 365 Cloud PC

The Windows 365 business subscriptions are based on the resources you might need for your business.

Need more cores for a faster processor, known as “vCPUs”? Or perhaps additional RAM so you can jump between apps with ease? Or potentially storage is what matters most to you? With flexible pricing, you can choose to machine horsepower you want and then pay on a per-user basis.

Windows 365 Cloud PC is now available in two flavours:

• Windows 365 Business is ideal for small businesses, giving IT support teams an easy way to manage and deploy Windows 365 Cloud PCs with support for the Microsoft 365 apps and the desktop version of Microsoft Teams. With this license, businesses can add up to 300 users, with the lowest-powered cloud PC starting at £20.50 per user per month.
• Windows 365 Enterprise doesn’t mean more powerful cloud computers, but does deliver larger scale virtual machine management options powered by Microsoft Endpoint Manager. It also offers more options for integrations with other Microsoft services and unlimited users. Prices for Enterprise start at £17.00 per user per month, but will require certain technological prerequisites because the plan is aimed at larger companies.

Within these two larger umbrellas, Windows 365 Cloud PCs are also priced based on power and performance. Here’s how this breaks down for a selection of use cases based on the Windows 365 Business plan:

• A basic computer (for browsing, emailing, and not much else) equipped with 1 vCPU, 2GB RAM, and 64GB storage would cost £20.50 per user per month.
• An average computer (ideal for work use) equipped with 2 vCPU, 8GB RAM, and 128GB storage would cost £38.20 per user per month.
• A higher-end machine (for power users) equipped with 4 vCPU, 16GB RAM, and 256GB storage would cost £67.30 per user per month.
• The most powerful Cloud PC you can choose, equipped with 8 vCPU, 32GB RAM, and 512GB storage, would cost £138 per user per month.

If you’re interested in knowing more about getting set up with Windows 365, we can help. See below for details on how to get started.

Want to stay ahead of the game on Microsoft’s latest and greatest?

Whether you’re thinking about trying out Windows 365, or you want the inside track on the move to Windows 11 beginning at the end of 2021, you’ll need an expert partner to help you get things done the right way.

At Get Support, we’re proud to be a direct Microsoft cloud provider, which means we’re perfectly placed to help you get to grips with all of the Microsoft cloud services — including Windows 365, whenever it becomes generally available. We offer a range of IT support services, including the complete administration of your Azure and Microsoft 365 business infrastructure.

Want to know more about Windows 365, Azure, or Microsoft 365? Our team is here to help. Call us today on 01865 59 4000 or just pop your details into the form below.