Windows 365 Roadmap

As managing vice president, Rob Helm covers Microsoft collaboration services and client software. His 25-plus years of experience analyzing Microsoft’s... more

Windows 365 offers Microsoft-hosted Windows virtual desktops, which Microsoft calls Cloud PCs, that customers use and manage with the same methods as hardware PCs. The offering was initially intended for users who needed dedicated PCs with persistent local file storage. Now it includes the Windows 365 Flex service (formerly Frontline) for other scenarios, such as kiosks and nonpersistent PCs shared by multiple shifts of workers.

Product: Windows 365

Licensing: Windows 365

Recent Updates

In late 2025 Windows 365 made several features generally available that expand the range of remote desktop scenarios the service can handle:

Cloud Apps enables customers to publish a Windows desktop app to a group of Windows 365 users, without giving access to a full Cloud PC

Windows 365 Reserve maintains pools of persistent Cloud PCs to loan temporarily to users whose own PCs have been lost or have failed

External IDs permit contractors to work on a customer’s Cloud PCs

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