Windows 365 (Cloud PC)

Windows 365 and Azure Virtual Desktop (AVD) are both Microsoft cloud desktop products but serve different use cases:

• Windows 365 provides each user with their own dedicated Cloud PC — a fixed allocation of CPU, RAM, and storage that is always running and always theirs. Pricing is predictable per user per month with no variable compute costs. It behaves exactly like a personal Windows PC, just hosted in the cloud. Best suited to knowledge workers with consistent, predictable usage.
• Azure Virtual Desktop is a pooled, flexible VDI platform where users share compute resources from a pool. More complex to design and manage, but more cost-efficient for variable usage patterns — shift workers, seasonal staff, or users with intermittent needs who don't each require a dedicated machine running 24/7.

Advantage helps you choose the right solution — or a hybrid of both — based on your user personas, usage patterns, and cost objectives. In many organisations, knowledge workers use Windows 365 while contractors or occasional users are served by AVD.

No — this is one of Windows 365's most valuable characteristics. A Cloud PC is accessed via the Windows 365 client app or a web browser, which means almost any modern device can be used to access a full Windows desktop: Windows PCs, Macs, iPads, iPhones, and Android devices are all supported.

This has two important implications for SMEs. First, you can extend the useful life of existing hardware that may be too underpowered to run modern Windows applications locally — thin clients, older laptops, and even personal devices become viable access points for a high-spec Cloud PC. Second, new starters can use whatever device they have available on day one while the organisation provisions the right long-term hardware without any urgency. Advantage validates your existing device estate during the design phase to confirm compatibility.

Advantage builds a standard Windows image for each user persona as part of the deployment — pre-installing the applications your users need (Microsoft 365, line-of-business applications, specialist software) so users arrive in a fully configured desktop environment on first sign-in rather than an empty Windows install.

Application packaging ensures apps are deployed consistently and can be updated or replaced centrally through Microsoft Intune without touching each Cloud PC individually. Data access is configured with appropriate access controls connecting the Cloud PC to your SharePoint, OneDrive, network drives, or other data sources — with security policies controlling what can be copied or downloaded to the local device. The result is a familiar, productive Windows environment that works the same way regardless of which physical device the user is accessing it from.

Yes — Windows 365 is specifically optimised for variable network connections, including typical UK home broadband. Microsoft runs Windows 365 from Azure datacentres with multiple regions across the UK and Europe, and the streaming protocol adapts dynamically to available bandwidth — maintaining a usable desktop experience even on slower connections by prioritising interactive responsiveness over visual fidelity.

Advantage validates your network environment during the design phase — reviewing connectivity from key working locations, identifying any sites or connection types that may need optimisation, and recommending network configurations that ensure good performance for your user base. For most UK SMEs with standard broadband connections, performance is comparable to working on a local PC.

Yes — and Advantage actively recommends it. A pilot with a representative group of users is the most reliable way to validate performance, application compatibility, and user experience before committing to a full deployment. Advantage structures every Windows 365 engagement with a formal pilot phase: selecting a cross-section of user personas, deploying Cloud PCs to that group, gathering structured feedback on performance and usability, and making any adjustments to the image, application set, or configuration before the broader rollout.

Windows 365 licences can be added and removed on a monthly basis, so there is no commercial penalty for starting small. The per-user monthly pricing means you pay only for the Cloud PCs you have provisioned — scaling up as confidence grows and scaling back if requirements change.

Windows 365 is Microsoft's Cloud PC service — a full Windows 10 or 11 desktop environment hosted in Microsoft Azure and streamed securely to any device via the Windows 365 app or a web browser. Each user gets their own dedicated Cloud PC with a fixed allocation of CPU, RAM, and storage — it is always running, always theirs, and accessible from anywhere with an internet connection.

Unlike traditional VDI (Virtual Desktop Infrastructure), Windows 365 requires no on-premise infrastructure, no complex VDI management layer, and no variable compute billing. Each Cloud PC is a simple, predictable per-user monthly subscription — making it straightforward to budget, provision, and manage at SME scale.

Windows 365 shifts the security model in several important ways that benefit SMEs:

• Data stays in the cloud — company files, applications, and data live in the Azure-hosted Cloud PC rather than on the physical device. If a laptop is lost or stolen, there is no company data on it to compromise.
• Identity-first access — access to the Cloud PC requires Microsoft Entra ID authentication with MFA and Conditional Access, meaning a stolen device alone is not sufficient to gain access.
• Consistent security posture — every Cloud PC has the same security configuration, patch status, and Defender protection regardless of which physical device the user is working from. There are no unmanaged personal devices with inconsistent security.
• Device posture checks — Conditional Access can verify that the device being used to access the Cloud PC meets your compliance requirements before granting the connection.
• Rapid response — if a user account is compromised or an employee leaves, access can be revoked instantly without needing to physically retrieve or wipe a device.

Windows 365 transforms the new starter experience — the page states 50–70% faster onboarding, and the mechanism is straightforward. Traditional onboarding requires procuring hardware (weeks of lead time), imaging it, shipping it, and waiting for IT to configure it. With Windows 365, a new Cloud PC can be provisioned in minutes from Advantage's pre-built image, the user receives login credentials, and they are working in a fully configured Windows environment on day one — from whatever device they have available.

For remote or distributed teams, this is particularly valuable: new starters in different locations can be productive immediately without waiting for hardware to arrive. For seasonal businesses or organisations with fluctuating headcount, Cloud PCs can be provisioned and deprovisioned as quickly as headcount changes — eliminating both the procurement lead time and the device refresh cost.

Windows 365 uses a simple per-user per-month subscription model — each user is assigned a Cloud PC with a specific configuration (CPU cores, RAM, storage) and pays a fixed monthly fee for that allocation. Microsoft offers several tiers from entry-level (2 CPU / 4GB RAM / 64GB storage) through to high-performance configurations for power users and developers.

This predictable pricing model is one of Windows 365's key advantages over Azure Virtual Desktop, where costs vary with actual compute usage. For budgeting purposes, Windows 365 is straightforward: number of users × monthly per-user price = total monthly cost. Advantage's right-sizing workshop maps each user persona to the most cost-effective Cloud PC configuration — ensuring users have sufficient performance without paying for compute they don't need.

Advantage provides ongoing managed support for Windows 365 environments as part of its Aftercare service — covering:

• UK helpdesk — first and second-line support for Cloud PC issues including connectivity, application problems, and performance queries
• Proactive monitoring — monitoring Cloud PC health, performance metrics, and security alerts so issues are identified and resolved before users are affected
• Patch management — keeping Cloud PC images current with Windows updates, application updates, and security patches applied centrally
• Policy reviews — periodic review of Intune configuration profiles, Conditional Access policies, and security baselines as Microsoft releases updates
• Quarterly optimisation — reviewing Cloud PC sizing and licence allocation to ensure costs remain right-sized as usage patterns evolve — scaling configurations up where users need more performance and down where allocations are oversized

Contact the team, call 020 3004 4600, or email hello@advantage.co.uk.