- Windows 365 Link is easy to set up for IT admins and secure
- It’ll cost $349 / £349 / AUD639 and is available to buy now
- We also got a Windows 365 Frontline Shared Mode
Windows 365 Link, Microsoft’s first purpose-built Cloud PC device for connecting to Windows 365, is now generally available.
The device is available from Microsoft account teams or a number of resellers in all of the countries it’s for sale in. It’s priced at: AUD639 in Australia, CAD519.99 in Canada, €419 in Germany, JPY56,800 in Japan, NZD739 in New Zealand, £349 in the United Kingdom and $349.99 in the United States.
Key to its upcoming success will be its simple setup and minimal configuration requirements, making it an IT-friendly tool to deploy via Microsoft Intune.
Windows 365 Link on sale
An announcement by Stefan Kinnestrand, VP for Modern Work at Microsoft, claims in the several months after it was previewed at Microsoft Ignite 2024, more than 100 organizations got in on the preview program to offer feedback ahead of general availability.
Kinnestrand noted that Windows 365 Link could be especially useful for desk-based or frontline workers in shared workspaces, because the device leaves no local data when users sign out.
In the same breath, Kinnestrand also uncovered a handy new update – Windows 365 Frontline Shared Mode. It allows multiple users to share a single Cloud PC license and automatically clears user data after each session ends for privacy, making it an ideal system for temporary or occasional access use cases.
Highlighting the benefits of Windows 365 and Azure Virtual Desktop, a Microsoft-commissioned Forrester Consulting study details how users can save six to 12 minutes per day from avoided outages and improved latency, implement cost-effective bring-your-own-PC (BYOPC) programs, reduce their IT infrastructure costs and make substantial five- or six-figure savings (for companies with 2,000 employees).
Other announcements shared include a Windows app for Android devices and a reminder of the Windows 11 hotpatching update.
