Microsoft touted a series of upcoming features that will more tightly integrate its Cloud PC and local desktop capabilities and is incorporating AI into Windows 11 to enhance videoconferencing.
Microsoft today made a flurry of announcements about new features in Windows 11 and other apps and services, saying the tweaks are designed to better support hybrid work environments. The announcements, most of which appear to be incremental upgrades, came as part of the company’s ” Windows Powers the Future of Hybrid Work ” virtual event. The most noteworthy change will deliver tighter integration between Windows 11 and Windows 365, Microsoft’s cloud-based PC virtualization service. Referred to by some as “desktop as a service” (DaaS), Microsoft calls Windows 365 its “Cloud PC” — as in, users get a full Windows experience that can replace the Windows desktop on a PC. Last August, Microsoft announced the general availability of its Windows 365/Cloud PC service, which securely streams the full Windows experience — including all apps, data, and settings — to a users’ personal or corporate devices. Through Windows 365, businesses can stream the entire Windows experience from the Microsoft cloud to any device, which the company sees as taking a big step toward bringing Windows to the cloud, according to Panos Panay, Microsoft’s chief product officer for Windows & Devices. Integrations also include Windows 365 Switch, a feature that allows users to move between a Cloud PC instance and an actual desktop PC with a single click. Windows 365 Boot allows users to boot straight to a Windows 365 Cloud PC in just one step. And Windows 365 Offline will eventually allow users to work offline and then automatically resync without losing data with once they’re back online. “These scenarios are powerful for businesses, and they are just the beginning of our Windows and Microsoft cloud integration,” Panay said.
