Streamline Autonomous Workflows with Windows 365 for Agents: Managed Cloud PCs for Enhanced Productivity
Microsoft Unveils Windows 365 for Agents
Microsoft has unveiled Windows 365 for Agents, a cloud-based platform designed to provide artificial intelligence (AI) agents with secure access to cloud PCs. This platform enables developers to run autonomous workflows, copilots, and agents in Windows environments without the need for infrastructure management.
Key Features
Windows 365 for Agents is built on enterprise-grade capabilities, utilizing a hosted on behalf architecture that leverages single-instance Azure virtual machines. These virtual machines are managed through Microsoft Intune, secured with Microsoft Entra ID, and connected via reverse connect transport. Microsoft Entra ID handles authentication and Conditional Access policies based on factors such as location, risk, and device compliance.
The platform allows cloud PCs to be provisioned and scaled automatically when a license is assigned and a provisioning policy is defined. Administrators can enroll cloud PCs in Intune to configure policies, deploy applications, and manage settings. Client devices and cloud PCs establish outbound connections to the Microsoft Cloud, eliminating the need for inbound ports. Connectivity is maintained across network environments using technologies such as STUN and TURN.
Security and Compliance
Windows 365 for Agents enables agents to operate in dedicated cloud PC environments, allowing them to execute tasks and interact with enterprise systems and applications within defined security boundaries. The platform runs on Azure virtual machine infrastructure and utilizes Microsoft Intune for device management and Microsoft Entra ID for identity.
According to Microsoft, Windows 365 for Agents introduces a set of capabilities designed to make agent workloads secure, scalable, and cost-efficient. These enhancements optimize how agents are provisioned, managed, and controlled, while maintaining enterprise-grade security and compliance. Agents can draw from shared cloud PC pools grouped by team or workload, and capacity can be pre-provisioned or scheduled based on demand.
Development and Management
The platform provides programmatic interfaces that allow developers to create, access, manage, and monitor cloud PCs through Agent 365 tooling. Computer-using agents rely on AI vision to interpret screen content, plan actions, and execute steps, adapting to user interface changes within the same cloud PC environment. Human-in-the-loop controls enable users to take control during execution to make decisions or enter credentials, then return control to the agent.
Each agent operates with a unique Microsoft Entra Agent ID authenticated with cryptographic credentials, and audit logs distinguish agent activity from human activity. As Elaine You, Agentic AI PM at Microsoft, noted, “Windows 365 is designed to support a broad spectrum of agent solutions, operating systems, and data access controls, empowering agent makers to innovate freely.”
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