We all are aware of Office 365 email which is widely used among individuals and businesses. The new Windows 365 service from Microsoft is now publicly accessible, providing consumers with a new method to interact with Windows 10 and, shortly, Windows 11.
The virtualization service, which was announced last month, allows customers to broadcast a Windows desktop and associated programmes to any of their devices (even those running macOS, Linux, or Android) and from any place.
Businesses may begin adopting Windows 365 cloud PCs, which are paid per user per month, starting today. With the exception of a tiny leak, Microsoft has kept its price cards close to its breast, but has recently released a comprehensive list broken down by configuration.
Costs and configuration options for Windows 365
Windows 365 is divided into two subscription options: Business and Enterprise. The former is geared at businesses with fewer than 300 people, while the latter is geared toward bigger businesses, although both provide the same set of functions.
There are a total of twelve Windows 365 cloud PC configurations to select from, each with a distinct performance and storage amount.
The lowest membership, which includes one virtual CPU, 2GB of RAM, and 64GB of storage, costs $20/£17 per month per user. This package is designed for personnel that simply need access to lightweight CRM software and the like, such as frontline and contact center staff.
Users that undertake compute-intensive work often (for example, creatives or software engineers) will have access to a configuration with 8 vCPUs, 32GB RAM, and 512GB storage. Businesses will pay $158/£138 per month per user for this plan.
Both Windows 365 Business and Enterprise have the same cost and configuration choices. Larger businesses that qualify for the Enterprise branch, on the other hand, will immediately receive a discount of $4.00/£3.40 per cloud PC.
Customers who subscribe to Windows 365 Business may also take advantage of the discount, but they must first subscribe to Windows 10 Pro, Microsoft’s current business-oriented operating system.
“Customers with valid Windows 10 Pro licenses can take advantage of the Windows Hybrid Benefit. Each individual who is given a Windows 365 Business license with a Windows Hybrid Benefit license must be the principal user of a Windows 10 Pro licensed device that is also their primary work device “explains the Frequently Asked Questions website.
“During every subscription period in which you access the Windows 365 service, you must also access the service from your Windows 10 Pro licensed device at least once during that same term to preserve your discounted price.”
For a period of 60 days, you may test three of the different configurations for free (the most powerful of which includes four vCPUs, 16GB RAM, and 256GB storage). The trial license, however, is limited to one user per company.
Comparing Windows 365 to other services on the market is difficult because many are priced on a per-use basis, but Windows 365 charges a fixed cost for everything. Microsoft’s price, on the other hand, looks to be competitive across the whole range of configuration possibilities.
For comparison, Amazon charges $28 a month for a virtual Windows PC with specs like Microsoft’s most inexpensive Windows 365 setup.
Analysis: New Prospects
From a cost, administrative, and productivity standpoint, Microsoft’s new virtualization service is expected to offer up a slew of new possibilities for organizations.
Rather of hosting the operating system and programmes locally, which consumes both storage and computational resources, Windows 365 transmits all apps, data, and settings over the cloud, thereby transforming the device into a thin client. By lowering the hardware’s performance requirements, Windows 365 might help organisations reduce total expenses and shift CapEX to OpEX.
The true beauty of the system, though, is that companies aren’t tied to a single performance option; Windows 365 lets clients adjust the performance of any cloud PC deployment based on the computing and storage requirements of each individual employee. It’s also simple to add and remove installations as demand changes throughout the year, with financial implications.
Meanwhile, cloud PCs will show alongside traditional Windows machines in Microsoft Endpoint Manager, and the patch management procedure will stay the same, making the move as seamless as possible for IT company.
Although Microsoft refuses to confirm or reject its plans when questioned, it’s not impossible to foresee Windows 365 becoming available to customers in the future.
