Microsoft to Offer Cloud-Based Version of Windows Operating System

A Microsoft logo is seen in Los Angeles, California, US June 14, 2016. (Reuters)
A Microsoft logo is seen in Los Angeles, California, US June 14, 2016. (Reuters)
TT
20

Microsoft to Offer Cloud-Based Version of Windows Operating System

A Microsoft logo is seen in Los Angeles, California, US June 14, 2016. (Reuters)
A Microsoft logo is seen in Los Angeles, California, US June 14, 2016. (Reuters)

Microsoft Corp on Wednesday said it will offer its Windows operating system as a cloud-based service, aiming to make it easier to access business apps that need Windows from a broader range of devices.

Windows 365, as the service will be called, will roll out on Aug. 2 and will work somewhat like buying a new Windows PC: A business or school will pick how much computing power, memory and storage they would like for the new machine.

But instead of waiting for a physical machine to arrive in the mail, the employee or student will access the operating system in the cloud via an existing PC, a Mac, iPhone, Android phone or Chromebook, as long as it has a web browser compatible with HTML 5, a widely used internet standard.

The cloud-based version was created in response to feedback from clients who wanted employees and students to have quicker and easier PC access regardless of physical location.

“We define that shift to hybrid work as really being flexibility in how, when and where you work. That’s really the pattern that we’re seeing develop all across the world as people are starting to experiment,” said Jared Spataro, corporate vice president for Microsoft 365 software.

The service is akin to so-called “virtual” and “remote” desktops that have been around for decades but which require a sophisticated IT department to set up and manage. Those costs can also be unpredictable because they are based on how much the desktops are used.

Microsoft hopes the Windows 365 technology will be easy enough for small-business owners or smaller schools to introduce without a large IT department, with a predictable monthly bill based on the size of each virtual computer.

Andrew Hewitt, an analyst at Forrester Research, said the move would help Microsoft defend its dominant market share in the face of strong competition from operating systems from Apple Inc and Alphabet’s Google that are easier for schools and businesses to manage.



Apple Names Insider Sabih Khan as COO

The Apple logo is seen on the Apple store at The Marche Saint Germain in Paris, France July 15, 2020. (Reuters)
The Apple logo is seen on the Apple store at The Marche Saint Germain in Paris, France July 15, 2020. (Reuters)
TT
20

Apple Names Insider Sabih Khan as COO

The Apple logo is seen on the Apple store at The Marche Saint Germain in Paris, France July 15, 2020. (Reuters)
The Apple logo is seen on the Apple store at The Marche Saint Germain in Paris, France July 15, 2020. (Reuters)

Apple on Tuesday named insider Sabih Khan as its chief operating officer, taking over from Jeff Williams, as part of a long-planned succession.

Khan, who has been with Apple for 30 years and is currently the senior vice president of operations, will take on the new role later this month, the iPhone maker said in a statement.

Before joining Apple's procurement group in 1995, he worked as an applications development engineer and key account technical leader at GE Plastics.

Williams will continue to report to CEO Tim Cook and oversee the company's design team and Apple Watch.

The design team will report directly to Cook after Williams retires late in the year.