MOVING-TO-THE-NEW-WINDOWS-365-CLOUD-PC

4 REASONS YOU MAY WANT TO CONSIDER MOVING TO THE NEW WINDOWS 365 CLOUD PC

The business world has been completely reimagined due to the pandemic. Pre-pandemic, most companies in the U.S. had their employees working from the office and only 17% of employees worked remotely full-time.

But after more than a year of COVID shutdowns, teams are now used to working remotely from home and the office looks like it’s not going back to its pre-pandemic state in most cases.

It’s expected that this year, the number of permanent remote employees will double globally.

With this shift in how we work, companies have had to adopt new business solutions that accommodate remote and hybrid teams. This includes moving to mainly cloud infrastructures and adapting IT security for a fragmented network of endpoints.

Microsoft is getting out ahead of this major shift in the workforce and has just introduced its new Windows 365 cloud PC, designed to make hybrid working easier for employees and employers.

WHAT IS WINDOWS 365?

Virtual computers have been around for several years, but until now they haven’t really gained much traction. Until now there hasn’t been a major shift that’s caused so many companies to use a remote working model.

Cloud PCs, like Windows 365, move your computer environment to the cloud. Instead of having your operating system, programs, files, and settings stored on your physical computer’s hard drive, it’s stored in the cloud.

Users can use any device (desktop, laptop, tablet) to log in to their Windows 365 computer, boot up the operating system and have the same desktop experience no matter where they are.

How interested are companies in moving their teams to a cloud PC environment? If the banner on Microsoft’s website is any indicator, they’re very interested. The banner currently states that due to popular demand Microsoft has suspended Windows 365 trials temporarily.

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Let’s look at some of the benefits of switching to Windows 365 for your business computers.

EMPLOYEES CAN USE THE SAME PC AT OFFICE & HOME

In a hybrid work model, employees work from both home and office. This can be a great compromise that captures the benefits of each, but it can also be frustrating to the individual. For example, they may have to switch between devices, both having different performance capabilities or applications.

Using a Windows 365 PC allows a person to use the same computer no matter where they are, without having to carry the computer around. The device they use to log in with is simply the access point, their “computer” is in the cloud and is the same no matter where they work.

ENDPOINTS REMAIN IN COMPANY CONTROL

20% of surveyed businesses have experienced a security breach due to a remote worker during the pandemic. Endpoint protection gets difficult when computers are being used from home networks and you have to trust that users are installing updates and keeping an antivirus up to date.

Using Windows 365 puts endpoint security back in the hands of the company. You have access to all your virtual computers and can ensure they’re using automated updates and proper protections.

If an employee quits unexpectedly, you aren’t left scrambling to figure out how to get a company-issued PC back or worried about company files on a personal computer. Because all computers are cloud-based, all you have to do is change a login when someone leaves the company.

YOU PAY ONLY FOR WHAT YOU USE

During the pandemic, many companies, unfortunately, had to downsize their workforce, which meant expensive hardware sitting around and being unused. Companies couldn’t simply take those used computers back for a refund.

When you’re subscribing to a cloud PC environment, you’re only paying for the computers that you need. If you downsize, you can remove those subscriptions, just like you do for cloud software.

You can also upsize or downsize performance attributes, such as CPU power and RAM. You’re not locked into a decision where you may have purchased more computing power than the user needed.

USE ON ANY DEVICE

One big decision that companies with remote teams must make is do they allow them to use their personal computer to work at home or does the company issue a device for them to use remotely?

With Windows 365, PCs are in the cloud and can be accessed by any device. So, you won’t have to deal with deciding how to provision expensive hardware or whether each hybrid worker now needs two computers.

Employees can easily use a workstation at the office and a laptop or tablet from home and access the same computer environment no matter which device they use.

GET HELP DECIDING HOW TO IMPLEMENT WINDOWS 365 

Unbound Digital can help your Johnson City, Tennessee business review Windows 365 pricing and compare that to your current hardware costs.

Contact us today to schedule a consultation. Call 423-335-2461 or reach us online.