Tag: Windows 365

  • Windows 365 and the Pros and Cons of Virtualization in Cloud Computing

    Windows 365 and the Pros and Cons of Virtualization in Cloud Computing

    One of the big announcements that coincided with the news around Windows 11 was the arrival of Windows 365, Microsoft’s new cloud PC product.

    Windows 365 is an easy to use, cross device cloud computing solution. You log into a Windows 10 virtual PC (Windows 11 should be available soon) and it’s already pre-loaded with the Microsoft 365 suite of tools and ready to go.

    The best part is it’s not restricted to whatever device you’re logging into, the Windows 365 instance you log into from work is the same one you can log into from your home device.

    You can even access increased computing power. You can configure a Windows 365 instance that has more processing power than the device you’re logging in from. It also includes one of the main benefits of cloud computing, the ability to easily roll back to a previous instance. Accidentally deleted a file you’ve been working on all day?  Roll back to an earlier instance to easily recover it.

    It’s also beneficial to the security of your business, if you have employees that work from home it can be difficult to manage devices that aren’t under your office network. You can have these employees instead log into their Windows 365 instances and you know that the rules are the same across the board (and that they’re benefitting from the Microsoft 365 advanced security features).

    Pricing for Windows 365 starts at $28 per month for a setup that’s best for low intensity office work all the way up to $162 per month for an 8 Core model with 512 GBs of shortage. Pricing leads us to the discussion of the pros and cons to virtualizing your office.

    5 Pros of Virtualizing Your Office Are:

    1. Increased Availability: As we mentioned, your Windows 365 goes wherever you do. The beauty of the cloud is it’s available everywhere and as most cloud computing products have an uptime guarantee.
    2. Easy to Setup: With Windows 365, many of the applications you use are already preloaded. You can also have your IT team set up the instances ahead of time, so your new employees don’t have to waste a day installing the programs they need to use.
    3. Data Security: This one applies to servers as well but having a cloud backup for both your devices and office server increases your data security through redundancy.
    4. Disaster Recovery: On the same topic, if something happens to the device your employee logs in from or your office server, the data is still safe in the cloud which means little to no downtime.
    5. Efficient: You can apply policies and updates to all of your Windows 365 instances at once, no managing updates one computer at a time.

    The cons you may encounter are:

    1. Start Up Costs: Most of the costs around cloud computing is related to the storage you need, and some of these costs are ongoing. When you buy a device it’s usually a one time purchase, but you also have to think about the costs associated with maintaining the device. With cloud computing, maintenance costs are deferred.
    2. Availability: While most providers have a guaranteed uptime, there can be times where the service is down. Also, your internet connect will matter a great deal when it comes to connecting to your cloud instance. Backups may take longer if you have a poor internet connection at your office.
    3. Limitations: You can spec out any kind of machine you like to fit a specific purpose, but with virtualization you are limited to what’s available and setups for the most common use cases are going to be what’s highly available.

    Here are a few other ways you can use Windows 365 in your business:

    Additional Windows 365 Benefits

    Interested in learning how Valley Techlogic can help your business create a virtualization plan? Learn more today with a quick consultation.

    Looking for more to read? We suggest these other articles from our site.

    This article was powered by Valley TechLogic, an IT service provider in Atwater, CA. You can find more information at https://www.valleytechlogic.com/ or on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/valleytechlogic/ . Follow us on Twitter at https://x.com/valleytechlogic.

  • Windows 365 has been announced, and it could change workplaces as we know it.

    Windows 365 has been announced, and it could change workplaces as we know it.

    On July 14, 2021, Microsoft held their annual Inspire summit, a conference for Microsoft partners to be given inside information about what the year ahead will look like in the world of Microsoft products and how they can leverage changes and features for their clients.

    This year’s event issued in some big changes, all aimed at what Microsoft has dubbed the “Hybrid Workplace”. It’s clear Microsoft is betting that remote work is here to stay, at least partially.

    While Teams and it’s various new and exciting integrations seemed to take center stage in the event offerings, we want to talk about another massive announcement – Windows 365.

    Microsoft is going all in on cloud computing with Windows 365, and while it won’t be replacing Azure Virtual Desktop which will still be a staple in enterprise applications especially where security is especially crucial – it will offer extreme flexibility for businesses with a remote or hybrid workforce.

    Windows 365 Will Work On Any Device

    In the product demo we attended we were shown Windows 365 machines will be capable of lightning-fast data speeds across Microsoft’s networks. Users will also be given the ability to adapt the virtual computer on the fly from an easy to use and navigate interface that let’s you manage all of your active Windows 365 subscriptions.

    They will even offer recommendations based on the usage on these virtual desktops. For example, if one user is always running out of RAM you can perform the upgrade right then and there, instantly.

    The models pricing will be based on use and the virtual computers specs, but pricing hasn’t been made available yet. These virtual desktops will even have the option of including all of Microsoft 365’s product offerings such as Outlook, Excel, Word and more.

    The most intriguing part Isn’t just the functionality of these desktops, which looks impressive. It’s the flexibility of just where and how you use them.

    Windows 365 can purportedly be used across devices, that means not just laptops and desktops but even smart phones and tablets. You can use the web client but there’s also a browser option which could be a game changer for those with slow or unreliable internet connection speeds.

    If you think security features are limited to Azure Virtual Desktop you would also be wrong, Windows 365 will have two factor authentication built in and allow you to tie the virtual machine instance to the user’s phone. When they go to log in they will be prompted to allow the login via the registered phone. This is a necessary aspect for business’s who have been struggling to implement cybersecurity features in their business, especially when it comes to their remote workforce.

    Their Windows 365 virtual desktop will also be cross platform and save the user’s instance. If your employee is working from home three days a week and from the office two days a week, they can use their virtual desktop to remain on track because their work will be saved and ready to go no matter where they are logging in from.

    At Valley Techlogic we have long been a proponent of cloud computing and have implemented creative cloud solutions for our clients. We are excited to see where Windows 365 is going and to have the chance to bring this offering to our customers.

    Are you looking to implement Windows 365 or other cloud offerings such as backups in your business? Valley Techlogic is a dedicated Microsoft partner, and creator of the triple layer backup program TechVault. Schedule a consultation today to learn more.

    Looking for more to read? We suggest these tech articles from the last week.

    This article was powered by Valley TechLogic, an IT service provider in Atwater, CA. You can find more information at https://www.valleytechlogic.com/ or on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/valleytechlogic/ . Follow us on Twitter at https://x.com/valleytechlogic.