The world isn’t new to the era of cloud service. Companies like AWS, Microsoft Azure and Google Cloud have been providing cloud storage to households, offices and governments for quite some time now. On July 14, Microsoft decided to take Cloud computing to the next level by announcing Windows 365 which will provide users with a virtual PC that they can access from their physical PC, iPad or any other device from the web browser. At its earliest stage it is likely to focus more on corporate use rather than personal, however. In this article I will point out why I think it is a good initiative taken by Microsoft and it could mean for users at home
Greater Compatibility For Working From Home
It is said that Microsoft was influenced by the current global pandemic to have come up with such a technology. As many employees are required to work from home, Windows365 provides an excellent solution to that. It is possible that a worker may not have access to a PC that has the required hardware to handle all the office apps as well as any other applications that a person working from home may require but may have access to an iPad or a phone with good specs. Windows365 enables workers to use the Cloud PC assigned to them by their company from any device, including an iPad or a Phone. Furthermore, Windows365 allows users to resize their Cloud PC by choosing their specifications as per their requirements. For example, you can choose a 16GB ram, 4 vCPU(virtual CPU) Cloud PC which will perform better than your physical PC. The Cloud PC looks and runs exactly like a Windows PC so there shouldn’t be any problem faced by the users
Security
Security is a top priority for any office out there whether it is for frontline workers or employees in CRM. Windows365 has a zero trust security model where a multi factor authentication is implemented while you are logging into your Cloud PC, preventing anyone else from accessing your data from the cloud. The Cloud PC uses Microsoft defender just like any physical PC and it also has its own security baseline, reducing the chances of viruses attacking the PC. Furthermore, Windows365 has encryption for all data at rest or at transit which means working on a cloud PC will be as if you were at the office and not sending sensitive data from home to your office computers.
Mobility
Windows365 will allow users to access their Cloud PC anywhere from any device out there. You can work in your room on your computer or pick up your iPad and go to the nearby park and get your office work done in the warm sunshine and the slow trickling of the lake. You can check on your Cloud PC when you are away from home, without access to your computer using your mobile device, the experience will be the same as if you were on your computer. If you decide to switch devices don’t worry, your cloud computer will stay as it was when you were using the device before changing into the new one i.e. any running programs will keep on running.
High Speed
Windows365 brings in high speed download and upload rates as cloud PCs will be able to download at 10 gigabytes per second and upload at 4 gigabytes per second. So if you want to stream a movie on your Cloud PC, you can do so without any sort of lag or if you want anything downloaded your waiting time will be significantly reduced. While we are on the topic of high speeds, it is also important that your Computer has a high speed internet connection or you may face lag as you are streaming the cloud PC.
Windows365 is likely to receive more updates and overhauls so that it can be more compatible for office work and be used by households for personal use. Microsoft may incorporate GPUs so that Windows365 can enable cloud gaming like Xbox cloud and Playstation Cloud have been doing.It could mean alot for students as they can access all the features of Windows with just their mobile device without having to buy and carry around a laptop. However, as mentioned before, Windows365 will require a decent internet connection for a smooth and operable stream of the Cloud PC which may not be possible yet in some places of the globe such as Bangladesh.
It is expected that Windows365 will be priced at $31 per user per month and the release date is set to be on 2nd August. Do you think purchasing a Windows365 subscription is worth it over buying a computer for work? Let me know in the comments!
