At its Ignite 2023 event, Microsoft made multiple new announcements related to Windows 365 Cloud PC and Azure Virtual Desktops.
First up, the company revealed the new "Windows App." While this may sound exciting at first to the general Windows enthusiasts who are always looking forward to the next feature in the Windows OS, the Windows App has nothing to do with consumer Windows and everything to do with the enterprise.
Microsoft says that the Windows App is essentially a one-stop place for managing all connected devices and applications including Windows 365, Azure Virtual Desktop, Remote Desktop, Remote Desktop Services, and Microsoft Dev Box, among others. The app, in preview, is now available for download on the Microsoft Store as well as on Apple's TestFlight program.
Here is how the Windows App user interface (UI) looks like:
As you can see, the app tries to streamline device and application management by having a list of pinned devices up top, which in this case is a Windows 365 Cloud PC, a Microsoft Dev Box, and an Azure Virtual Desktop (AVD), followed by a list of pinned applications right below it.
This appears on the home screen and there is an option to navigate through the menu for the other devices and applications as well as an option to add more. There is a Settings option too and also an option for providing feedback. The layout looks fairly simple and easy to navigate.
Aside from the Windows App, Microsoft also announced Windows 365 GPU support in preview, which should be welcomed by those in the rendering and visualization field. Other features that are in public preview starting today are:
- Windows 365 Customer Lockbox
- Windows 365 Customer Managed Keys
- Modern app support via MSIX app attach in Azure Virtual Desktop
Meanwhile, Single-sign-on (SSO) and passwordless authentication, Watermarking, screen capture protection, and tamper protection are now generally available (GA) for Windows 365 as well as for Azure Virtual Desktop.
