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- Dylan_Snodgrass
Community Manager
Thanks for joining us today for an AMA on Windows 365. We appreciate your questions and feedback—and look forward to continuing the discussion on the Windows community!
- The number 1 reason customers require a cloud desktop is to able Tuess non-SaaS, client-server apps. How will they be to accomplish this with W365 Business edition? Will there be a way to connect it to any Azure networks or anything? Could we use VPN? Otherwise what's the point? It's just a desktop where we can use MS Office apps instead of using on the local computer? Also: in order to take advantage of Microsoft Endpoint Manager for cloud-based management of W365 we need W365 Enterprise edition. However, we are then required to use on-prem hybrid connection. My question is would you consider bringing Microsoft Endpoint Manager to W365 Business for those organizations that are in the "business" category with "business" budgets that are not interested in on-prem infrastructure and have made investments in M365 Business that has Microsoft Endpoint Manager capabilities.
- *is to enable access to non-SaaS, client-server apps... (autocorrect sorry☹️)
- Christian_Montoya
Microsoft
Hi Dan, great questions, let me see if I can address them all.
Actually, one thing I want to clarify is that you can still use Microsoft Endpoint Manager (or any other UEM service) to manage the "Business" Cloud PCs, as long as you have an active subscription and you have configured auto-enrollment into MDM. This is because these are just like any other Windows device in your organization. You are correct that for the "Enterprise" Cloud PCs, Endpoint Admins have richer features across Endpoint Manager and M365, but for "Business" Cloud PCs you can still push device configuration policies, app configuration policies, etc.
Separately, you are correct in that the "Enterprise" Cloud PC offering currently requires you to bring an Azure subscription and an Active Directory infrastructure that's configured for Hybrid Azure AD Join, whereas the "Business" Cloud PC offering doesn't. We are investigating and working towards a solution for "Enterprise" such that there are no Azure or on-prem AD pre-requisites.
Hope I answered your questions, happy to chat more.
- For AVD you could issue users on demand and the remove them the month after sand only spend on that ONE month. If Windows 365 is a licensing model and most M365 licensing for enterprises are yearly or even longer with EAs is it still possible to only spend on a licenses for shorter than your EA period?
- JeffreyShomperSupporting elastic workforces, by making W365 licenses available for short durations is a key part of the W365 value prop. You're right that this is difficult through EA agreements which have a 1 - 2 year duration. For those customers licensed through an EA, licenses can be considered as a pool, such that they can be re-assigned from user to user based on needs and projects. For customers that truly need a Windows 365 solution for a short time frame and can't abide a full year subscription, there are other licensing options such as web direct. Additionally, W365 will soon be supported on a month to month basis through a Modern Commerce Platform agreement.
- How are updates all handled via this cloud based solution? Are we still doing them? Are they not applied until we say to? Are they forced?
Saud Al-MishariHi Jim, For Windows 365 Enterprise - updates for running (provisioned) are handled via Microsoft Endpoint Manager (MEM) like you would for physical PCs. Windows 365 handles the updates for images itself (prior to provisioning). For Windows 365 Business - we configure Windows Update as part of provisioning the Cloud PCs there, but end user can override that. You can also layer your own small business PC management solution. Regards, Saud
- I wish the other AMA's you guys had today showed a video like this. It helps explain a lot!
- Heather_PoulsenThanks for that feedback, Jim! We'll make a note for future AMAs and editions of Tech Community Live.
- Can you talk about what Feature Updates look like in Enterprise Cloud PCs. Is there any story beyond "whatever MEM does"? (Which is a perfectly fine answer). Same question for Win 11 upgrades too.
- Saud Al-MishariHi again Bryan 😊 - we actually aimed to allow folks to manage Cloud PCs like they manage physical PCs. That's where the 'whatever MEM does' response comes from. We want to keep it simple so there isn't specific Cloud PC knowledge required and any person familiar with PC management through MEM can just pick up Windows 365. Feature Updates specifically would occur just like they would for a physical device. Install, restart, and logon into an updated Cloud PC.
- So, with the announcement of Windows 365, one of the benefits is to have the same profile no matter where the user login. This is true regarding the profile of the Virtual environment (Windows 365). How is going to be the transition between the local profile (on-premises or actual user's devices) of the user they already have in their devices, and the one in Azure (Windows 365)? Is there going to be like a migration/synchronization tool between the actual profile (on-premises if you want to name it) and the one in Windows 365, or is it going to be a different profile?
- Christiaan_BrinkhoffWe are syncing the users data across both their physical and cloud PC devices via the following technologies. When you switch between devices, data and profile settings will actively synchronize. - OneDrive Known Folder Move - Windows Sync Your Settings - Enterprise State Roaming - Office roaming settings - Edge synced settings
- So data and profile will be synchronize. What about the applications running in the session?
- Won't this be a roaming profile set in Azure to accomplish this along with utilizing group policies? I wonder if this is similar to Citrix where they build in their own group policies and profiles for logging into the cloud..
- What would be upgrade look like from win 10 enterprise through Autopilot, all in Azure (no on-premises)
- Scott ManchesterAutopilot is a service that enables a seamless deployment of physical devices while Windows 365 uses a "Provisioning Policy" model for deploying Cloud PCs. Today Windows 365 Enterprise requires hybrid join (e.g. AAD and AD) and therefore a VNET with a DC is required. Windows 365 Business supports AADJ today. Support for native AADJ for Windows 365 is a top priority for the engineering team.
- Is Windows 365 licensed under Microsoft 365 or is this a separate SKU?
- Dows Windows 365 include other SKU such as Windows Defender or ATP?
- BhavyaChopraWindows 365 is a separate SKU. The pricelists will be available in the different channels on August 1st.
- ben_martin_baurWill there be GPU powered SKU options for Windows 365?
- Christiaan_BrinkhoffYes, we are adding GPU-powered SKUs very soon!
