Windows 11 users who have spotty internet may be in for some real trouble in the future, as Microsoft has revealed that one of its current, albeit “long-time” goals is to move its operating system “increasingly” to the cloud. “Build on Windows 365 to enable a full Windows operating system streamed from the cloud to any device,” reads an internal presentation from Microsoft that was originally drafted in June 2022 but released to the public this week as part of the company’s ongoing legal battle with the FTC surrounding its proposed acquisition of Activision Blizzard.
- Microsoft wants to move Windows to the cloud for consumers, building on Windows 365 to enable a full Windows operating system streamed from the cloud to any device.
- Windows 365 is a cloud-based service introduced by Microsoft in July 2021 that aims to bring the Windows operating system to the cloud.
- Microsoft plans to use “the power of the cloud and client to enable improved AI-powered services and full roaming of people’s digital experience.”
- Microsoft has already begun introducing AI-powered services to Windows 11, such as Windows Copilot, an AI-powered assistant that can summarize content and more.
From The Verge:
The presentation has been revealed as part of the ongoing FTC v. Microsoft hearing, as it includes Microsoft’s overall gaming strategy and how that relates to other parts of the company’s businesses. Moving “Windows 11 increasingly to the cloud” is identified as a long-term opportunity in Microsoft’s “Modern Life” consumer space, including using “the power of the cloud and client to enable improved AI-powered services and full roaming of people’s digital experience.”
Windows 365 is a service that streams a full version of Windows to devices. So far, it’s been limited to just commercial customers, but Microsoft has been deeply integrating it into Windows 11 already. A future update will include Windows 365 Boot, which will enable Windows 11 devices to log directly in to a Cloud PC instance at boot instead of the local version of Windows. Windows 365 Switch is also built into Windows 11 to integrate Cloud PCs into the Task View (virtual desktops) feature.
