Credit: Microsoft
Microsoft makes a recommended set of configuration settings available to IT professionals who want to set up Windows 10 devices in the cloud. These settings are called Windows 10 “in the cloud” configuration and apply to Windows 10, Microsoft Endpoint Manager, and a subset of Windows apps. Microsoft made details about cloud configuration available via a new website and documentation on Feb. 2.
Cloud configuration is not a new version, edition, or mode of Windows, officials stressed. It is a set of settings that can be applied to existing PCs running Windows 10 Pro, Windows 10 Enterprise or Windows 10 Education and is deployed with Microsoft Endpoint Manager.
Microsoft focuses on Windows 10 cloud configuration in businesses and educational institutions. Microsoft’s Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) section on its site describes cloud configuration as “a Microsoft recommended device configuration for Windows 10, optimized for users with specific workflow needs.”
Cloud configuration is for groups of users with simplified needs, such as productivity and browsing, officials said. The ideal candidates for this would not depend on on-premise infrastructure; use Windows 10 devices that don’t require many complex settings, custom agents, and the like; and use a targeted set of apps, including some internal line-of-business apps, in addition to Microsoft’s own Office-related apps. Devices are configured with the standard Windows 10 security baseline and receive automatic updates through Windows Update for Business.
Through cloud configuration, users are enrolled in ‘Azure Active Directory; set up with Intune in EndPoint Manager; and receive an IT-managed set of apps, including the new Microsoft Edge, Teams, OneDrive and optional Microsoft 365 apps. (Some Microsoft 365 plans include all of these components, or each can be licensed separately.)
Microsoft is calling out frontline workers, remote workers, and education users as good potential candidates for Windows 10 cloud configuration. As a number of us Microsoft viewers have noted, Microsoft needs a simpler, streamlined way to manage PCs, especially in education, if it plans to compete with Chrome OS and Chromebooks. Given that the first Windows 10X PCs should hit the market in the coming months – and the rollout of Microsoft’s Cloud PC virtualization service is imminent – now is a good time for Microsoft to try (again) to gain traction on improving and streamlining Windows 10 PC management.
The overview and installation guide for Windows 10 cloud configuration is here.