Microsoft wants to move Windows entirely to the cloud

Microsoft is increasingly moving Windows to the cloud at the business level with Windows 365, but the software giant wants to do the same for consumers. In an internal “state of the business” Microsoft presentation from June 2022, Microsoft discusses “building on Windows 365 to enable the full Windows operating system streamed from the cloud to any device.”

The presentation is revealed as an ongoing part FTC vs Microsoft hearing, as it covers Microsoft’s overall gaming strategy and how it relates to other parts of the company’s businesses. “Moving Windows 11 faster to the cloud” is identified as a long-term opportunity in Microsoft’s “modern living” consumer sector, with a view to enabling better AI-powered services and full roaming of people’s digital experience. Covers “Using the power of the cloud and the client”. ,

Windows 365 is a service that streams the full version of Windows to devices. Until now, it was limited to commercial customers only, but Microsoft is already deeply integrating it into Windows 11. A future update will include Windows 365 Boot, which will enable Windows 11 devices to log in directly to the cloud PC instance on boot, instead of the local version of Windows. Windows 11 also has a built in Windows 365 switch to integrate Cloud PC into the Task View (virtual desktop) feature.

The idea of ​​moving Windows entirely to the cloud for consumers has also been presented with the need for investment in Microsoft’s custom silicon partnership. Microsoft is doing something similar for its ARM-powered Surface Pro X devices. Bloomberg It was also reported in late 2020 that Microsoft was considering designing its own ARM-based processors for servers and perhaps Surface devices. More recently, we’ve heard that Microsoft may be working on its own AI chips as well.

In another slide in the presentation, Microsoft cited the need to “enhance Windows commercial value and respond to the Chromebook threat” as among its “modern work” priorities in its 2022 fiscal year. Long-term opportunities on the business side include increasing cloud PC usage with Windows 365.

Microsoft recently announced Windows Copilot, an AI-powered assistant for Windows 11. Windows CoPilot sits on the side of Windows 11, and can summarize, redraw, or even annotate the content you’re viewing in apps. Microsoft is currently testing it internally and has promised to release it to testers in June before rolling it out more widely to Windows 11 users.

Windows CoPilot is part of a wider AI push for Windows. Microsoft is also working with AMD and Intel to enable more Windows features on the next generation of CPUs. Intel and Microsoft have also hinted at Windows 12 in recent months, and Windows chief Panos Panay claimed at CES earlier this year that “AI is going to reinvent the way you do everything on Windows.” Is.” It’s all part of Microsoft’s broader Windows ambition, detailed in its internal presentation, to “enable better AI-powered services” in Windows.