Windows 365 is a big new computing service

When we reflect a little on what happened during the past two years, we will notice a major shift for many companies and commercial establishments to turn to virtual work and joint cooperation from distance due to the Corona virus epidemic, to the extent that it has become normal for companies to announce the hiring of people to work from home full time.

Cloud platform and for

this reason; Microsoft has decided to provide a new cloud work platform under the name "Windows 365", to allow corporate employees the ability to access Windows 10 (or Windows 11 in the future) through any electronic device that has a browser. Take advantage of all official Windows applications and services without the need for the Windows operating system itself on the device used.

This new cloud service has been tested by "Asharq Al-Awsat"... and we will quote here its details:

> What is the "Windows 365" service? It is simply the Windows 10 operating system, but it is not present on your computer. Rather, it is present as an operating system on Microsoft's cloud computing service; Where the system is installed on a computer located in the Microsoft data center, you can rent it for a fixed amount per month and access it at any time and from any device, whether it is a “laptop”, “Mac” - “tablet” or “iPad”.

> How to use «Windows 365»? As we said before, after you have your cloud computer ready, think of it as any website on the Internet that you can access from any browser. We tried accessing our cloud computer from a “tablet” and a computer with a “Windows” operating system, and then to an “iMac” and the process was successful. It is worth saying that we noticed that the process of accessing from Windows devices was smoother due to the presence of the "Remote Desktop" program, which provides a better user experience.

Access to your computer from any device means that any employee can perform the same work through his computer while in the office, and then complete the same work while in a restaurant or cafe through any device that has an Internet browser. Companies can also rely on the service with seasonal or temporary employees without the need to purchase new computers for them.

Companies can also customize the specifications of the devices that employees can obtain through the “Windows 365” service; When we accessed the main menu in the service, we found several specifications to choose from. This means that designers and developers can be provided with powerful specifications that are suitable for their work, while less specification devices can be allocated to the rest of the employees.

> Is the service compatible with Microsoft's business applications? The “Windows 365” service fully supports business applications such as “Microsoft 365” and “Microsoft Dynamics 365”, while adhering to the compatibility of applications with the “App Assure” service, which allows companies with more than 150 users to fix any problems in the applications at no additional cost.

• Is the service available to everyone? currently; Microsoft is focusing on marketing Windows 365 to medium-sized businesses and large organizations as an alternative to traditional computers and laptops. However, there is a great possibility that it will be available to individuals after trying the service and improving it to meet all requirements. Here, we note that our experience with the service was by creating a company, then buying a domain name for it, and then applying for the service from Microsoft.

computing services

> Is it a new technology? No, there are similar services present in the market from “Citrix and Amazon WorkSpace” in addition to the “Azure Virtual Desktop” service from Microsoft, but all of these services need information systems engineers (IT Professionals) to run them, unlike “Windows 365” that anyone can Normal work and processing.

> The price of “Windows 365”:-

In two versions base “Windows 365” service is available : 1. “Business” designed specifically for small and medium-sized all companies with 300 employees or less, and 2.  “Enterprise” for all larger companies. For the monthly subscription fee; It starts at $24 for a device that has 2 CPUs, 4GB of RAM and 128GB of storage; These are indeed the specifications of the computer on which the experiment was based.

It is noteworthy that the devices can be upgraded to up to 8 CPUs, 32 GB of RAM and a storage capacity of up to 512 GB. In this case, the subscription will cost $162 per month.

> Advantages of the “Windows 365” service: There are many advantages provided by the “Windows 365” service at all levels. For example, users of “Linux” and “Mac” devices can get a copy of “Windows 10” on their device without the need to install any programs. Also, for those who do not have a sufficient budget to buy a “laptop - Windows” or for those who want to try a specific thing in “Windows”, they can subscribe to the service and stop it whenever needed. Here are some of the other benefits that Microsoft's new service will give businesses:

> Low start-up cost. Buying expensive computers for employees is one of the biggest obstacles facing startups. Even the big ones, and here comes the "Windows 365" service, which provides you with a cloud computer for a nominal amount compared to buying a device for each employee. A company with 10 employees will cost the employer at least $10,000 to buy laptops, compared to $200 a month!

> Scalability: One of the biggest problems with buying computers or laptops is the difficulty of upgrading when business requirements change. Upgrading requires the purchase of new parts, and also requires technical experts and maintenance technicians to do it. The company may have to sell the hardware and buy another to make the process easier, but the common thing is the high cost of upgrading. With "Windows 365" it only takes a few clicks of the mouse to increase the RAM or internal memory.

> Working from a distance: As it is clear, one of the most important features of «Windows 365» is the ability to work from anywhere and from anywhere. The employee does not need to return to the office if he needs to complete his tasks, but he can complete the work from home by connecting to his cloud device from any “tablet” or home computer.

> High Internet speeds: Since the computers are located in the Microsoft service center, they are connected to the Internet through high speeds that reached 200 megabits per second when tested. The high speed increases the productivity and the stability required by the employer.

Certainly, it is not the first time that we are witnessing the existence of a cloud work platform targeting enterprises and companies, but nevertheless, “Windows 365” is characterized by ease of use, and an acceptable price, and it will be a great choice for companies looking for a reliable and secure work environment and need access to Windows applications and services to enhance capacity and production efficiency.