When Windows 10 was announced back in 2014, Microsoft caused alarm bells to ring when it said the new operating system would be free<\/b>
\nWhen Windows 10 was announced back in 2014, Microsoft caused alarm bells to ring when it said the new operating system would be free „for the first year“, and referring to it „as a service“. That led to speculation that the software giant would start charging a monthly fee for Windows 10, much as it does for Office with Microsoft 365. That never came to pass, but today at its Inspire 2021 conference Microsoft takes the wraps off Windows 365, a cloud-based Windows subscription service. The name shouldn\u2019t come as a surprise to anyone, as it\u2019s the obvious choice, and the one that\u2019s been bandied around for many years. However, this isn\u2019t the sort of service you might have been expecting — rather it\u2019s a way to access Windows 10 (and Windows 11 when it arrives) from anywhere, via Microsoft Cloud. SEE ALSO: Windows 11 will be a free upgrade for Windows 10 users For many people, and the companies that employ them, the COVID-19 pandemic changed where and how they work, with huge numbers shifting from working in the office to working from home. This change has inspired Windows 365, providing a solution that helps employees „collaborate, share, and create“ from anywhere. Wangui McKelvey, General Manager, Microsoft 365 explains: „Windows 365 takes the operating system to the Microsoft Cloud, securely streaming the full Windows experience — including all your apps, data, and settings — to your personal or corporate devices. This approach creates a fully new personal computing category, specifically for the hybrid world: the Cloud PC.“ Windows 365 will let users access Windows and all of the personalized applications, tools, data, and settings from the cloud and it can be accessed on any device — through a native application or web browser on any device with an internet connection. This includes Mac, iPad, Android and Linux devices. You can switch between your various devices and pick up exactly where you left off. Microsoft lists the following benefits: SEE ALSO: These are the Windows 10 features Microsoft will be deprecating and removing from Windows 11 Windows 365 will be generally available on August 2, 2021 to organizations of all sizes. Exact pricing has yet to be revealed but Microsoft says there will be two edition options — Windows 365 Business, and Windows 365 Enterprise. In the meantime, you can learn more here.<\/p>\n