Windows 365 was added to the CSP pricelist at the beginning of August with a choice of two editions, Business and Enterprise, each with various sizing options i.e. 1 vCPU, 2 GB, 64 GB through to 8 vCPU, 32 GB, 512 GB.
Windows 365 will securely stream Windows 10 (and soon 11), including apps and data, to any device. As it is purchased via the monthly CSP model you can use it temporarily (i.e. whilst waiting for new PCs) or as a long-term solution.
Read the official announcement here.
Power Apps licensing and pricing changes
From 1 October 2021 there are a number of changes coming to the way Power Apps is priced and licensed.
Both the Power Apps Per User plan and the Per App plan will decrease in price by 50% although the Per App plan will change from licensing a user to access 2 apps and 1 portal in a single environment to licensing a single app or portal.
There are also promotional offers and additional tiers available for customers buying large numbers of Power Apps and portal logins.
For more details on these changes please see here or contact Lexel’s Power Platform team if you have an app you’d like to create.
Windows Server 2022 coming features and editions
Windows Server 2022 has now moved to the release-to-manufacturing (RTM) stage (where the final release is provided to hardware manufacturers), which is the stage prior to it becoming generally available (GA).
Details were presented in the “Windows Server 2022, Best on Azure” session that you can register for here which includes demos, news about the new server’s security, patching and management features and product editions.
It is expected that the price will increase by 10% for both servers and CALs with the release of Windows Server 2022 so if you are looking to purchase Windows Server it is recommended you buy it now (with Software Assurance to grant you rights to 2022) to avoid this increase.
Microsoft has announced that Windows 11 will become available later in 2021 and will be a free upgrade for eligible Windows 10 PCs and new PCs. To check if your current Windows 10 PC is eligible for the free upgrade download the PC Health Check app, which will be available shortly.
Windows 11 provides a Zero Trust-ready operating system to protect data and access across devices and includes new features such as Chat from Microsoft Teams integrated in the taskbar and Snap Layouts, Snap Groups and Desktops to provide an powerful way to multitask.
See the full announcement here
Visio web app
Visio has always been available as a standalone app for people who require a specialised diagramming tool but with increasing needs for all users the core Visio capabilities will soon be available in a lightweight version of the Visio web app. This web app will soon be introduced to most M365 plans – from M365 Business Basic and O365 E1 to the more advanced plans.
To find out more on this go to Bringing Visio to Microsoft 365: Diagramming for everyone | Microsoft 365 Blog