Microsoft is making cloud computing more agile with a new Windows 365 Frontline option, integration with 2023 LG TVs, and even a new Windows 365 experience for Android devices. Windows 365 Frontline It’s a new offering designed for frontline workers and part-time workers in an effort to give companies more flexibility over how they purchase cloud computing licenses.
Microsoft originally put PCs in the cloud with Windows 365 nearly two years ago, allowing businesses to access Windows in a web browser. Windows 365 Frontline enters public preview today and features similar virtual machines running Windows 10 or Windows 11, but the critical difference now is that up to three people are able to access a device based on a single license. This is ideal for companies with frontline employees who work shift patterns such as call centers, Medicare, and support workers.
Wangui McKelvey, general manager of modern business applications at Microsoft, explains in an interview with Microsoft the edge. Windows 365 Frontline licenses can be shared across countries, making it useful for companies where not all employees work at the same time.
IT administrators will have the ability to control who has access to these cloud computers and set priorities when logging out of sessions. Scott Manchester, Windows 365 designer and principal, says in an interview with Microsoft the edge.
If a worker forgets to log out of a session at the end of a shift, administrators can turn it on or set policies so that devices are automatically logged out. Similarly, employees will see a queue if they are waiting for a cloud computer to become available. “They can see that they’re in a queue, and then once the queue is open, they can restore the connection,” Manchester explains. Administrators will also be able to set an auto-lock screen, auto-reset, and wipe cloud computers at the end of a shift. These cloud computers can be configured to install Windows updates outside of work shifts to ensure that no one is restarted while they are working.
Microsoft is also still working on integrating these cloud computers into Windows 11 in a future update. The integration includes Windows 365 Boot, which will enable Windows 11 devices to log directly into a Cloud PC instance upon boot rather than a local Windows installation. The second feature is Windows 365 Switch, which integrates cloud computers into the Task View (virtual desktops) feature in Windows 11.
These features are now being tested in special editions of Windows 11 and will reach “general availability later this year,” according to Manchester. Microsoft is also working on a Windows 365 offline feature that allows you to work locally when there are issues connecting to a cloud PC. “There’s absolutely no new updates on that yet, but we’re continuing to make progress,” Manchester says.
Microsoft is also expanding the number of devices that can access Windows 365 Cloud PCs. While anyone can access them through a web browser, LG’s new 2023 Smart TVs now have access to these cloud computing workstations. All you have to do is pair a Bluetooth keyboard and mouse with your TV to turn it into a cloud PC. It’s only available on 2023 LG models for now, but there are plans for older LG models to “just be able to install the native Windows 365 app on your TV,” according to Manchester.
So when will you be able to convert other TVs from the likes of Samsung and others into Windows 365 clients? “You’re going to see a lot of partners who are interested in this…you can probably imagine there is a long line of partners who are interested in a very similar experience,” says Manchester.
Microsoft also offers what it calls an “enhanced Windows 365 experience” for Android devices like Motorola’s Lenovo ThinkPhone. “This new combined experience will allow people with a ThinkPhone plug-and-play Windows 365 connection that finds and automatically configures their cloud PC for use on an external monitor,” says McKelvey.
It looks similar to Microsoft’s Windows Phone Continuum feature that turned the phone into a PC but this time you connect to a cloud PC on the external screen. With the number of companies now offering hot desks with just monitors, keyboard, and mouse, this kind of integration will allow you to use your phone instead of hauling out a laptop to work.
Finally, the Windows 365 app is now available in the Microsoft Store. The application provides direct connection to cloud computers and the ability to restart them and perform troubleshooting.
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