Windows 365 Frontline has a kind of rolling license scenario linked to the number of active users per period. Under this scheme, an organization would purchase enough licenses for the “maximum number of concurrently active users”. With every license, you can have up to three cloud PCs, which can be utilized by any employee within your organization. The requirement is that only one employee can be logged in at a time per license. This flexibility allows for efficient utilization of resources while maintaining cost-effectiveness.
A cloud PC refers to a virtual machine that is linked to Microsoft's Windows 365 Desktop-as-a-Service offering, typically operating directly on the user's device desktop.
Windows 365 Frontline licenses
According to a Microsoft spokesperson's email explanation, Windows 365 Frontline licenses are not tied to specific devices. Additionally, there is a mechanism in place to address situations where an organization surpasses the maximum number of concurrent active users.
IT Tools
We've covered some of the guidelines and tools available to IT professionals at the commercial release of Windows 365 Frontline.
According to a Tech Community announcement by Microsoft, Windows 365 Frontline operates on the basis of users logging out (by clicking “disconnect”) to release a license for the next worker. However, for workers who may forget to sign out, administrators have the option to set up a Session Time Limit policy, which automatically logs them out after a period of inactivity.
Additionally, IT professionals have various other options available to them. They can apply critical updates to the Cloud PC as needed, even when it's powered off. This includes the ability to power on a Cloud PC that was previously turned off and apply necessary patches. It's important to note that some of these actions will only be accessible once the product reaches the “general availability” commercial-release stage.
Microsoft has committed to providing IT professionals with the ability to perform bulk remote actions for Windows 365 Frontline using “the Graph API for automation purposes.”
For convenient monitoring, IT professionals will have access to a dashboard view of Windows 365 Frontline Cloud PC usage through the Microsoft Intune Admin Center portal. The dashboard will display up to 28 days of data, offering essential details such as the total number of connected Cloud PCs, the maximum concurrency limit, and timely warnings if the limit is close to being reached or has been reached.
