Microsoft wants to move Windows fully to the cloud, news that could have significant implications for the future of hybrid working and collaboration.
The revelations were revealed via an internal Microsoft “state of business” presentation made public as part of the current FTC vs Microsoft hearing about the tech giant’s acquisition of Activision Blizzard. The presentation outlined Microsoft’s ambition to move consumer Windows users to the cloud, a process the vendor is currently undergoing with commercial users through Windows 365.
Under a section titled “Move Windows 11 Increasingly to the Cloud,” the presentation wrote:
Build on Windows 365 to enable a full Windows operating system streamed from the cloud to any device. Use the power of the cloud and client to enable improved AI-powered services and full roaming of people’s digital experiences.”
The presentation, dated June 2022, was deemed pertinent to the hearing because it outlined Microsoft’s strategic plan concerning its gaming business.
What Windows 365 and Cloud Computing Focus Suggests Microsoft’s Plans for Hybrid Working
Windows 365 allows users to stream Windows on any applicable device via the cloud. While the solution has so far been limited to commercial users, it has been heavily integrated into Windows 11 and Microsoft soon plans on releasing 365 Boot, which will enable Windows 11 devices to immediately log into their personal and secure Cloud PC without having to start up the local version of Windows first.
Another slide of the presentation, predicated on long-term commercial opportunities, suggested Microsoft wants to grow the use of cloud PCs in tandem with Windows 365’s growth.
This possibly highlights Microsoft’s ambition to address the rise of hybrid working via individual solutions and reassert its market dominance of on-premises environments in the new era of flexibly remote workplaces.
Windows’ ‘Improved AI-Powered Services’
The presentation’s reference to “improved AI-powered services” could allude to Windows Copilot, Microsoft’s AI-powered assistant for Windows 11.
Microsoft outlined Copilot’s productivity-boosting features for PowerPoint and Excel in its initial announcement in March. It has since presented the AI-powered solution’s integration with SharePoint and Microsoft Viva. Copilot capabilities were also announced for OneNote, Outlook and Whiteboard a few weeks ago, meaning Microsoft has implemented its Copilot AI across its full 365 suite.
Satya Nadella, chairman and CEO at Microsoft, has spoken enthusiastically about Copilot’s potential and commented earlier this year: “This new generation of AI will remove the drudgery of work and unleash creativity. There’s an enormous opportunity for AI-powered tools to help alleviate digital debt, build AI aptitude and empower employees.”
Microsoft also recently expanded its Copilot Early Access Programme to 600 businesses. Microsoft tested Copilot via invitation-only previews between March and May with 20 business customers. It has now grown to an initial wave of 600 after “overwhelming feedback” (said Jared Spataro, CVP of Modern Work and Business Applications at Microsoft) from those businesses with preview access.
Last month, Microsoft extended its Copilot 365 AI with ChatGPT plugins and Teams messages extensions. Plugins for Microsoft 365 Copilot will also include Bing plugins and Power Platform connectors. Developers can build new 365 plugins with the Microsoft Teams Toolkit for Visual Studio Code and Visual Studio.
Microsoft’s Embracing of Remote and Hybrid Working
Meanwhile, Microsoft has been embracing the rise of remote working through both individual collaboration-based solutions and through inferring its overarching direction through the grouping of these solutions.
For example, Microsoft launched Microsoft Edge Workspaces, a collaborative browsing solution for organisations where users can share and manage the same browser tabs.
Microsoft also announced Microsoft Edge for Business, a browser model for businesses integrated with Copilot. The solution’s ambition is to become the standard browser experience for enterprises and to address the changing needs of companies and the security landscape with the growth of hybrid and remote working.
A Microsoft executive also urged workers to “actively fight back” against efforts by companies to force them back into the office last month.
Lucy Cooper, Head of Customer Innovation for Europe at Microsoft, said that returning to daily commuting would negatively affect women and young people. Cooper added that rather than using the stick of forcing people back to the office, businesses should instead focus on the carrot of “encourag(ing)” employees to return.
“We have to actively fight back against the rhetoric we are hearing and try and find a new model to help the remote, flexible, hybrid work environment,” Cooper said. “We want to encourage these people to be able to turn up and be as valuable as they possibly can.”
