As we have overcome most of the restrictions imposed by the pandemic, we see the emergence of a new work model in which organizations are shifting towards a hybrid work environment , with employees returning to the office and others continuing to work from home changing location as needed, adding the advantages of remote work and face-to-face activity.
In a study conducted internally at Microsoft on the job trend, it was found that 73 percent of workers want flexible remote work options, but at the same time, 67 percent say they also want more in-person collaboration after the job. pandemic. These figures can be applied to any organization in the world and highlight the need to establish hybrid work in all companies as a reconciliation opportunity to provide greater added value to the people who form it. However, this new scenario poses new challenges for companies.
The hybrid work challenge for companies
Providing workers access to organizational resources at home, office and everywhere in between, as well as giving them the flexibility to be able to stay home for a day, sometimes unexpectedly or unplanned, poses a new challenge. for IT departments and company security. Many users tend to connect from personal computers, which are neither protected nor managed by IT, which means that if a cybercriminal managed to enter any of these computers, it would have consequences for the entire organization.
But in this new work environment, it is not just about allowing and securing remote access. Now the user experience is more important than ever to attract and retain talent, improve productivity and ensure safety.
The solution
Microsoft offers a cloud solution that adapts to the new hybrid work environments that are needed in the current context, while solving the challenges that companies face, its name is: Windows 365 .
Windows 365 is first and foremost a PC in the cloud. A service that offers a new way to experience Windows 10 or Windows 11, transmitting your personalized applications, settings and content from the Microsoft cloud to any device so you can work with it from anywhere. This approach creates a completely new and unique category in the world: the cloud PC .
One of the main benefits of Windows 365 is simplicity. Businesses can create a cloud PC in minutes and assign it to their employees quickly and easily, choosing the size of the cloud PC that best meets the performance needs of the user, with a fixed price per user /month.
“Windows 365 combines the power and security of the Microsoft cloud with the versatility and simplicity of the PC.”
Windows 365 was announced in early July this year at Microsoft’s Worldwide Partner Conference. Satya Nadella, CEO of Microsoft defined it this way: – “In the same way that applications were brought to the cloud with SaaS, we now upload the operating system to the cloud, providing organizations with greater flexibility and a secure way to empower your workers to be more productive and connected, regardless of their location. “-
Such has been the success of Windows 365 since its launch that Microsoft had to suspend free trials due to high demand.
A solution adapted to the new hybrid work environments.
The evolution of Windows to an operating system that can also be in the cloud offers new possibilities to organizations of all sizes, helping them choose the best option for a particular user or role and facilitating a variety of scenarios for the new world of work.
Windows 365 is designed for organizations that need agile solutions, easy to maintain and above all secure so that any worker can always have the same corporate computer with everything they need, without having to take it anywhere.
Here are some of the scenarios in which Windows 365 is the ideal choice:
- Staff with flexibility to work in the office or at home.
- Staff working remotely using their personal (non-corporate) device.
- Personnel in mobility.
- Companies with temporary workers or a lot of staff turnover.
- Need to work with powerful PCs that do not allow easy transport (for example, CAD equipment).
- Contingency plan to have a PC (or hundreds) in minutes, in case of any event that may have been triggered.
Security and control for IT
Windows 365 is safe by design by protecting and storing information in the cloud, without the user being able to download it to their personal device as they did before. In addition, in its Enterprise version, all the policies and security measures that the company has deployed for the rest of the physical corporate teams are automatically applied to it. Finally, by having the team in the cloud, IT does not have to worry about users requiring and using a VPN from their personal computers or for their security.
The administration for IT is similar to that of the physical devices of the organization since a Windows 365 Enterprise computer not only applies corporate security policies but also IT manages them from the Microsoft EndPoint Manager console (Intune).
Windows 365 or Azure Virtual Desktop?
Windows 365 is based on Azure Virtual Desktop. However, while Azure Virtual Desktop is designed for business environments where full control, flexibility and optimization capacity is required to adjust computing and storage, Windows 365 simplifies IT’s work by eliminating the need to manage any infrastructure behind, in exchange for a fixed price per user according to the desired power.
Although from a user experience point of view, they are practically the same, there are aspects that differentiate the two Microsoft solutions:
Windows 365
- PC dedicated per user, with persistent data.
- Optimized to simplify IT management.
- Desktop with Windows 10 or Windows 11.
- It is managed from Microsoft Endpoint Manager, like the rest of the PCs.
- Does not require advanced knowledge
- Predictable price, pay per user / month (SaaS)
Azure Virtual Desktop
- Persistent, dedicated non-persistent, or shared desktop for n users.
- Optimized for flexibility (requires advanced technical knowledge).
- Windows 10/11 desktop, multisession option and Remote App
- Full control over the configuration and environment of VMs (management from Azure)
- Requires advanced knowledge
- Pay per use of the platform in Azure (consumption) + user license
It should be noted that both Windows 365 and Azure Virtual Desktop are solutions that adapt to the hybrid workplace and in case more customization and flexibility are required, especially if your company has experience in virtualization, Azure Virtual Desktop may be the best option.
conclusion
By leveraging the power of the Windows operating system and the potential of the cloud, Windows 365 offers any organization greater peace of mind in three key ways: Power, simplicity, and security.
Do you want to see a demo and learn more about the advantages and the scenarios in which Windows 365 can help you?
Next Thursday, October 28, we will tell you about it in a digital event in which you will be able to learn about all the possibilities of the solution and how it facilitates productivity and safety in the new era of hybrid work.