Here's Why Microsoft Is Already Blocking New Windows 365 Trial Signups
If you were thinking about signing up for Microsoft's Windows 365 trial and did not already pounce, you are going to have to wait a little bit longer. Early demand has been so high that just one day after launching the cloud service, Microsoft had to stop accepting new signups. The free trial offer will resume at some point, but it's clear exactly when.
Microsoft announced Windows 365 three weeks ago, pitching it as a cloud service that offers users a "new way to experience Windows 10 or Windows 11 (when it becomes available) to businesses of all sizes." It essentially puts Windows 10 (and later Windows 11) in the cloud, so users can stream the "full Windows experience" from anywhere, including apps, data, and settings.
"With Windows 365, we’re creating a new category: the Cloud PC," Satya Nadella, chairman and CEO of Microsoft, said at the time. "Just like applications were brought to the cloud with SaaS, we are now bringing the operating system to the cloud, providing organizations with greater flexibility and a secure way to empower their workforce to be more productive and connected, regardless of location."
Specific Windows 365 plans and pricing were not revealed at the time, but were made known with the launch earlier this week. Monthly subscription prices range from $24 to $162 per user for businesses, depending on the number of virtual CPUs and the amount of RAM and storage. Microsoft is also offering discounted rates for Enterprise and those with Windows Hybrid Benefit licensing, with each tier being $4 cheaper.
Microsoft kicked off the launch this week by offering a one-month free trial. Demand may have been higher than Microsoft anticipated, though, and it apparently ran out of however much server space it earmarked for its free trials.
"Following significant demand, we have reached capacity for Windows 365 trials. Sign up to receive a notification when trials resume or buy today," Microsoft stated on Twitter.
Scott Manchester, director of program management for Windows 365, said the response to Windows 365 in the early going has been "unbelievable," forcing the company to pause the trials "while we provision additional capacity." So this is very much a temporary situation.
In the meantime, Microsoft is welcoming users who want to dive right in with money in hand. For those who are not ready to commit without taking a month-long tour, however, they can sign up to be notified when the free trials resume.
