Credit: Microsoft
Microsoft is making a recommended set of configuration settings available to IT professionals who want to configure Windows 10 devices first in the cloud. Called Windows 10 “in the cloud” configuration, these settings apply to Windows 10, Microsoft Endpoint Manager and a subset of Windows applications. Microsoft released details on cloud configuration through a new website and documentation on February 2.
The cloud configuration is not a new version, edition or mode of Windows, the officials emphasized. It is a set of configurations that can be applied to existing PCs running Windows 10 Pro, Windows 10 Enterprise or Windows 10 Education and is deployed using Microsoft Endpoint Manager.
Microsoft is targeting the Windows 10 cloud configuration for businesses and educational institutions. The Microsoft Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) area on its website describes the cloud configuration as “a device configuration recommended by Microsoft for Windows 10, optimized for the cloud for users with specific workflow needs”.
The cloud configuration is for groups of users with simplified needs, such as productivity and navigation, officials said. The ideal candidates for this would not be dependent on local infrastructure; use Windows 10 devices that don’t require a lot of complex configurations, custom agents and the like; and use a specific set of applications, including some internal line-of-business applications, in addition to Microsoft Office-related applications themselves. The devices will be configured with the standard Windows 10 security baseline and will receive automatic updates through Windows Update for Business.
Through cloud configuration, users are enrolled in ‘Azure Active Directory; configure using Intune in EndPoint Manager; and receive a suite of “IT-curated” applications, including the new Microsoft Edge, Teams, OneDrive and, optionally, Microsoft 365 applications. (Some Microsoft 365 subscriptions include all of these parts, or each can be licensed separately.)
Microsoft is calling frontline employees, remote employees and education users as good potential candidates for the Windows 10 cloud configuration. As many of us Microsoft observers have noted, Microsoft needs a simpler, more streamlined way to manage PCs, especially in education, if you plan to tackle Chrome OS and Chromebooks. Given that the first Windows 10X PCs are expected to hit the market in the coming months – and the launch of Microsoft’s cloud PC virtualization service is believed to be imminent – it is a good time for Microsoft to try (again) to control improving and simplifying the management of Windows 10 PCs.
The overview and configuration guide for the Windows 10 cloud configuration are here.