A PC for mixed work

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A new type of PC could gain popularity with the arrival of mixed-mode working in the fall: the cloud PC, where your documents and software are accessible from anywhere and on any device.

Shut down your computer at the office, resume your work on a tablet on the commuter train, and finish it the next day at home on your personal computer. This is the kind of scenario enabled by Windows 365, a cloud-based IT service that will launch on August 2 by Microsoft.

Folder location, settings, programs, wallpaper: everything will be the same whether you access it using a Windows PC, Mac or iPad. Scott Manchester, director of engineering for Windows 365, sums it up in an interview with new. Windows 365 really takes cloud computing a step further: It’s not just some data stored in the cloud, it’s all of the content on your computer that resides in a Microsoft data center.

For Microsoft, it’s a whole new kind of computer.

Old concept, new business model

The idea is not new, however. Companies like Citrix have for several years offered “virtual” computers, accessible remotely from any computer, even at a reasonable price. Microsoft itself actually allows Windows sessions to be started online through the Azure Virtual Desktop service. “These solutions are often complex, and require a certain expertise to be deployed”, defines Melissa Grant, Product Marketing Director for Windows 365. Here, everything has been designed for simplicity above all, both for the company and just for the user. . The latter only needs internet access and a web browser.

Until now, remote computers were often designed to run heavy applications, software that had to be active at all times, or to simplify the management of a computer park for a very large company with employees all over the world. Other services, such as Shadow PC, are intended for specific uses, such as video games.

Instead, Windows 365 wants to replace employee work computers, whether it’s browsing the web, writing reports, or playing games. minesweeper during rest periods. Any business, even small and medium-sized businesses with only one worker, will be able to benefit. However, consumers won’t be able to subscribe directly to Windows 365 at launch.

Credit: Microsoft

There is also another difference between Windows 365 and current virtualization services. While it will often have to be paid based on usage, Windows 365 will be offered at a flat rate, per month and per user (different plans will be announced on 1he is August).

Concept adapted to hybrid work

“We believe this new class of computers will be particularly useful for working in mixed mode,” explains Melissa Grant.

Cloud-based computers already offer many benefits for those who will be working from their desks and from home. Company data will be protected even in the event of theft or breakage, for example, and the computer will reside on a secure network, in Microsoft data centers.

“We also keep different versions of the computer over time,” notes Scott Manchester. Thus, the person targeted by the ransomware can recover a working version of their computer with just a few clicks.

A cloud PC should also facilitate the management of a company’s IT equipment. It can be easily updated, and its performance can be re-evaluated if necessary, in order to offer more RAM or a more powerful processor to the employee who has to perform new tasks.

Credit: Microsoft

It is clear that the business owner will still have to provide computers for his employees, but these can be inefficient and only require access to the Internet. If this concept is adopted, we can also imagine that eventually some computer manufacturers will release devices optimized specifically for cloud computing and operating in mixed mode, for example with low consumption processors and reduced storage space, but a excellent battery life and a good webcam.

Remember that in Quebec, the gradual return to the offices will be from September 7. The government intends to establish a mixed mode For civil servants, but the private sector will be free to return face-to-face, to continue working remotely or to adopt the hybrid mode.

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