You no longer need fancy new hardware to run Windows 11 - here’s why
Run a Windows 11 desktop in the cloud with Windows 365
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Microsofthas announced that cloud-based PCs runningWindows 11are now available to all users ofWindows 365, its newvirtualization service.
In October at its annual Ignite conference, the companyopened up virtual Windows 11 PCsto Windows 365 Enterprise customers (with more than 300 deployments). In a newblog post, however, Microsoft confirmed that Windows 365 Business customers can now spin upWindows 11desktops too.
Microsoft explained that devices hosting cloud PCs will not be required to adhere to the strictWindows 11 system requirements, which will be fulfilled instead by a virtualTPM(vTPM) chip built into Windows 365 itself.
Windows 11 is now supported across allvirtual desktopconfigurations with at least 2 vCPUs and 4GB of RAM, of which there are eleven in total. The cheapest - with 2 vCPUs, 4GB RAM and 64GBcloud storage- is available for $28.00/£23.90 per month and could be a viable option for a small business (or even an individual) reluctant to splash out on new hardware immediately.
Windows 11 cloud PCs
Microsoftfirst unveiled Windows 365in the summer, promising customers “a new way to experienceWindows 10or Windows 11”.
The virtualization service allows users to stream a Windows desktop to any of their devices and from any location, effectively turning the host device into athin client. Instead of hosting theoperating systemand applications locally, using up both storage and compute, Windows 365 lets users stream their apps, data and settings to any of their devices - including those ru8nning macOS, Linux and Android.
According to Microsoft, the service opens up a host of new opportunities for businesses, from a cost, administration andproductivityperspective. And while no consumer-focused use cases have been announced, we wouldn’t be surprised if something is in the pipeline.
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Although Windows 365 didn’t support Windows 11 cloud PCs at launch, customers will now be able to take advantage of the upgrades on offer with the new Microsoft OS, as well as the flexibility afforded by the PC-as-a-service model.
In addition to provisioning brand new Windows 11 cloud PCs, administrators can also upgrade existingWindows 10-based deployments by changing the gallery image in Microsoft Endpoint Manager and triggering a reprovision.
To check whether existing cloud PC deployments are compatible with Windows 11, administrators can consult the Work from anywhere dashboard in Endpoint Analytics.
For companies confused by Microsoft’s messaging around Windows 11 system requirements, or without the budget for an overhaul of employee hardware, Windows 365 could prove the ideal option.
Joel Khalili is the News and Features Editor at TechRadar Pro, covering cybersecurity, data privacy, cloud, AI, blockchain, internet infrastructure, 5G, data storage and computing. He’s responsible for curating our news content, as well as commissioning and producing features on the technologies that are transforming the way the world does business.
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