Evolution has a date! Rumors are that Microsoft is working on Cloud PC, a virtualized OS service built into Windows Virtual Desktop for a while. And the company may be ready for action now.
This new offering is enables businesses to run Windows and Microsoft 365 services on PCs and thin clients that can be delivered from Azure and managed by Microsoft. Cloud PC can be acquired at a flat per-user price, unlike AVD that is billed by consumption.
AVD, of course, is Azure Virtual Desktop, the new name for Windows Virtual Desktop.
While the service was on track to be announced in the spring of this year, that did not actually happen.
Now, though, according to a report from Mary Jo Foley, the firm might be ready to launch the offering at its upcoming Inspire virtual conference. A session titled “What’s Next in End-User Computing” is scheduled for July 15, hints at such a possibility.
On the agenda is the “newest Microsoft cloud solution for enabling hybrid work”, which very likely hints at the software titan unveiling its Cloud PC service.
Additionally, according to people close to the matter, the speaker listed for the session is Scott Manchester, who has been working on the Cloud PC project that is internally codenamed Deschutes over at Redmond.
Alongside this confirmation, screenshots and hints of the impending launch have also floated up.
In case you're wondering, yes… this is Cloud PC. I thought it was going to be announced at the Windows event 😅 https://t.co/B90wgxUUVT
— Aggiornamenti Lumia (@ALumia_Italia) July 3, 2021
Above is a possible screenshot of the sizzle real for this service, with an announcement expected during the Windows 11 event last month. That too, did not happen, as Redmond decided to focus solely on the new operating system that time.
But this simply means that we are very close to the official unveiling of the Cloud PC service.
Apparently, a select few organizations already have Cloud PC in private testing, so things seem to be going well. It will be interesting to see how the subscription shapes up and what specifics Microsoft has in store.
There is talk that the offering might be sold in different options.
