PR90604

REDMOND, Wash., July 15, 2021 /PRNewswire=KYODO JBN/ --

  -- Windows 365 will deliver a full, personalized PC experience from the cloud

     to any device, giving workers and organizations power, simplicity and

     security for hybrid work.

Microsoft Corp. on Wednesday announced Windows 365, a cloud service that

introduces a new way to experience Windows 10 or Windows 11 (when it becomes

available) to businesses of all sizes. Windows 365 takes the operating system

to the Microsoft cloud, streaming the full Windows experience - apps, data and

settings - to personal or corporate devices. Secure by design and built with

the principles of Zero Trust, Windows 365 secures and stores information in the

cloud, not on the device, providing a secure, productive experience for workers

from interns and contractors to software developers and industrial designers.

Windows 365 also creates a new hybrid personal computing category called Cloud

PC, which uses both the power of the cloud and the capabilities of the device

to provide a full, personalized Windows experience. The announcement represents

a groundbreaking development as organizations around the world grapple with the

best ways to facilitate hybrid work models where employees are both on-site and

distributed across the globe.

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"With Windows 365, we're creating a new category: the Cloud PC," said Satya

Nadella, chairman and CEO, Microsoft. "Just like applications were brought to

the cloud with SaaS, we are now bringing the operating system to the cloud,

providing organizations with greater flexibility and a secure way to empower

their workforce to be more productive and connected, regardless of location."

A new computing paradigm for hybrid work

As the pandemic begins to ease in parts of the world, a new way of working is

emerging, transformed by virtual processes and remote collaboration. In this

more distributed environment, employees need access to corporate resources

across locations and devices - and with cybersecurity threats on the rise,

securing those resources is paramount.

"Hybrid work has fundamentally changed the role of technology in organizations

today," said Jared Spataro, corporate vice president, Microsoft 365. "With

workforces more disparate than ever before, organizations need a new way to

deliver a great productivity experience with increased versatility, simplicity

and security. Cloud PC is an exciting new category of hybrid personal computing

that turns any device into a personalized, productive and secure digital

workspace. Today's announcement of Windows 365 is just the beginning of what

will be possible as we blur the lines between the device and the cloud."

Windows 365 helps employers solve challenges they've faced since long before

the pandemic. Workers expect greater flexibility and more options to work from

different locations, while still ensuring the security of the organization's

data. Seasonal workers can cycle on and off teams without the logistical

challenges of issuing new hardware or securing personal devices - allowing the

organization to scale for busy periods more efficiently and securely. And

companies can easily ensure specialized workers in creative, analytics,

engineering or scientific roles have greater compute power and secure access to

critical applications that they need.

Versatile, simple, secure: the transformational impact of Windows 365

By building on the power of the Windows operating system and the strength of

the cloud, Windows 365 gives any organization greater peace of mind in three

key ways:

  -- Powerful. With instant-on boot to their personal Cloud PC, users can

     stream all their applications, tools, data and settings from the cloud

     across any device. Windows 365 provides the full PC experience in the

     cloud. The cloud also provides versatility in processing power and

     storage, enabling IT to scale up or down, based on their needs. With a

     choice of either Windows 10 or Windows 11 (once it is generally available

     later in 2021), organizations can choose the Cloud PC that works for them

     with per-user per-month pricing.

  -- Simple. With a Cloud PC, users can log in and pick back up where they left

     off across devices, providing a simple and familiar Windows experience

     delivered by the cloud. For IT, Windows 365 also simplifies deployment,

     updates and management - and unlike other solutions, Windows 365 doesn't

     require any virtualization experience. With Windows 365 optimized for the

     endpoint, IT can easily procure, deploy and manage Cloud PCs for their

     organization just as they manage physical PCs through Microsoft Endpoint

     Manager. Small and midsize businesses can purchase Windows 365 directly or

     through a cloud service provider, and set up their organization with Cloud

     PCs with just a few clicks. Microsoft also continues to innovate in Azure

     Virtual Desktop for those organizations with deep virtualization

     experience that want more customization and flexibility options.

  -- Secure. Windows 365 is secure by design, leveraging the power of the cloud

     and the principles of Zero Trust. Information is secured and stored in the

     cloud, not on the device. Always up to date and building on the strength

     of rich Microsoft security capabilities and baselines, Windows 365

     simplifies security and recommends the best security settings for the

     environment at hand.

New opportunities for the Microsoft partner ecosystem

For decades, Microsoft partners have been at the center of how Microsoft

delivers technologies and business transformation to customers around the

world. The depth of Microsoft's cloud offerings and technology portfolio gives

partners the power to build innovative, industry-specific solutions. Windows

365 will allow partners to continue to make more possible.

From systems integrators to managed service providers to independent software

vendors (ISVs) to original equipment manufacturers (OEMs), the new Cloud PC

category creates opportunity for Microsoft partners to deliver new Windows

experiences in the cloud.

Organizations will look to systems integrators and managed service providers to

help them get the most out of their entire Windows estate. ISVs can continue to

build Windows apps and now deliver them in the cloud to help businesses work in

new ways as they continue to digitally transform. And OEMs gain an opportunity

to integrate Windows 365 into their broad portfolio of services alongside their

devices' robust features and secure hardware.

"To be their best in a new world of work, employees need workplace technology

that's familiar, easy to use, secure and always available," said Veit

Siegenheim, global modern workplace lead, Avanade. "With Windows 365, Microsoft

is capitalizing on the power of the cloud to empower productivity anywhere,

across any device and elevate the workplace experience."

Availability

Windows 365 will be generally available to businesses of all sizes starting on

Aug. 2, 2021. More information can be found at

https://Microsoft.com/Windows-365.

About Microsoft

Microsoft (Nasdaq "MSFT" @microsoft) enables digital transformation for the era

of an intelligent cloud and an intelligent edge. Its mission is to empower

every person and every organization on the planet to achieve more.

SOURCE: Microsoft Corp.

CONTACT: Microsoft Media Relations, WE Communications for Microsoft, (425)

638-7777, rapidresponse@we-worldwide.com