Microsoft has unveiled its latest innovation, Windows 365 for Agents, a cloud platform designed to provide AI agents with secure access to cloud PCs. This new offering allows developers to implement copilots, agents, and automated workflows within the Windows environment without the burden of managing infrastructure. The platform incorporates robust security measures, policy controls, scalability, and visibility, enabling agents to perform tasks such as browsing websites and processing data efficiently.
According to Elaine You, Agentic AI Program Manager at Microsoft, “Windows 365 is designed to support a broad spectrum of agent solutions, operating systems, and data access controls, empowering agent makers to innovate freely.” This forward-thinking approach guarantees that as the demands for agent-based computing evolve, Windows 365 will remain equipped to meet those needs.
Infrastructure and Security Features
Windows 365 is built on a foundation of enterprise-grade capabilities. It employs a hosted on behalf architecture that utilizes single-instance Azure virtual machines within Microsoft’s subscription framework. These virtual machines are managed through Microsoft Intune and secured with Microsoft Entra ID, which oversees authentication and Conditional Access policies based on factors like location, risk, and device compliance.
Cloud PCs within this framework can be either Entra joined or hybrid joined to on-premises Active Directory Domain Services. They are provisioned and scaled automatically when a license is assigned and a provisioning policy is established. Administrators can enroll these PCs in Intune to configure policies, deploy applications, and manage settings efficiently. This setup eliminates the need for inbound ports, as client devices and cloud PCs establish outbound connections to the Microsoft Cloud. Connectivity employs protocols like STUN and TURN to ensure reliable access across various network environments.
Windows 365 for Agents facilitates the operation of agents in dedicated cloud PC environments, allowing them to execute tasks and interact with enterprise systems while adhering to defined security boundaries.
Operational Efficiency and Scalability
The platform introduces a unique operational model where agents draw from shared pools of cloud PCs categorized by team or workload, rather than fixed one-to-one assignments. This flexibility allows for pre-provisioning or scheduling of resources based on demand. Through a check-in and check-out model, agents can complete tasks and return the cloud PC when finished, promoting resource efficiency and usage-based billing.
Microsoft emphasizes that beyond providing a cloud PC platform for AI workloads, Windows 365 for Agents enhances security, scalability, and cost-effectiveness. The company stated in a recent blog post, “These enhancements go beyond simply running AI agents on cloud PCs—they optimize how agents are provisioned, managed, and controlled, while maintaining enterprise-grade security and compliance.”
The platform also offers programmatic interfaces that enable developers to create, access, manage, and monitor cloud PCs through Agent 365 tooling. AI-driven agents utilize vision technology to interpret screen content, plan actions, and execute tasks, adapting to changes in the user interface while operating within the same cloud PC environment.
Human-in-the-loop controls enable users to take command during execution, allowing them to make decisions or enter credentials before returning control to the agent. Each agent operates under a unique Microsoft Entra Agent ID, authenticated through cryptographic credentials, ensuring a clear distinction between agent activity and human activity through comprehensive audit logs.
With the launch of Windows 365 for Agents, Microsoft aims to enhance the capabilities of AI agents, providing a sophisticated framework for the future of automated workflows in cloud computing.