What’s New in Windows 11 for Hybrid Work
- Paul Thurrott
- Jun 24, 2021
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Not surprisingly, one of the big pushes with Windows 11 is the hybrid work reality that was first forced on us by the COVID-19 pandemic.
“If the past year has taught us anything, it’s that organizations must be resilient, and technology has been more critical to that resilience than ever before,” Microsoft general manager Wangui McKelvey writes. “Hybrid work and learning are here to stay, and that means your organization needs an operating system that enables your people to work or learn at home, in the office or at school, and everywhere in between. It also needs to be easy for IT teams to manage, and it must provide advanced security to address the increasingly complex cybersecurity environment.”
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Here are the new hybrid work features in Windows 11 that Microsoft is highlighting.
Modernized user interface. The new UI in Windows 10 is “a more streamlined, more personal computing experience that doesn’t compromise performance, security, and manageability,” Microsoft says, but it also maintains a familiar feel.
Microsoft Office integration. Microsoft Office will match the Windows 11 theme you choose so that you can “experience the visual refresh in whichever Office theme you prefer, including Dark mode, white, colorful, or dark grey.”
Microsoft Teams integration. New integration with Microsoft Teams will make it easier to mute or unmute your mic or share your desktop or even a single application during a meeting directly from the Windows 11 taskbar.
New remote learning features. Expanded gestures, voice controls, and pen interactivity will let students write with their voices and digital pens in almost any app. And background movement can be blurred in video interactions to minimize visual clutter.
Simple IT deployment. Windows 11 will arrive just like a Windows 10 feature update and it uses the same management and deployment tools.
Support. Windows 11 will be updated annually with 24 months of support for Home or Pro editions, and 36 months of support for Enterprise and Education editions. No more Windows as a Service nonsense!!
Application compatibility. If it works in Windows 10, it works in Windows 11.
When? Windows 11 will be available for testing via the Windows Insider Program “in the coming weeks.”