Microsoft news: Windows 11 launch day and Windows 365

Today marks the launch of Windows 11, so Microsoft has rounded up some of the new features that they are rolling out as well as what to expect from Windows 365.

It’s been a bumper year of announcements for Microsoft. You may remember back in June 2021, they unveiled Windows 11, Microsoft’s “next-generation” operating system, by Panos Panayat a live-streamed virtual event. It was also confirmed that from 14 October 2025, there will be no new updates or security fixes for either the Home or Pro versions for Windows 10.

In July, to support this year’s Inspire event, Microsoft also launched the Inspire Book of News. It is a guide to all the announcements that were made during Inspire, as well as news from across the commercial marketplaces, Teams, Dynamics 365, and Azure. It was at Inspire that they also released details of Windows 365 – a complete software-as-a-service (SaaS) solution that streams a personalised, secure, and scalable Windows experience to any device.

Here are 11 highlights of the Windows 11 release

Over on Microsoft’s blog earlier this summer, Aaron Woodman highlighted the following new features:

1. The new design and sounds are modern, fresh, clean and beautiful, bringing you a sense of calm and ease.

2. With Start, we’ve put you and your content at the centre. Start utilises the power of the cloud and Microsoft 365 to show you your recent files no matter what device you were viewing them on.

3. Snap Layouts, Snap Groups and Desktops provide an even more powerful way to multitask and optimise your screen real estate.

4. Chat from Microsoft Teams integrated into the taskbar provides a faster way to connect to the people you care about.

5. Widgets, a new personalized feed powered by AI, provides a faster way to access the information you care about, and with Microsoft Edge’s world-class performance, speed and productivity features you can get more done on the web.

6. Windows 11 delivers the best Windows ever for gaming and unlocks the full potential of your system’s hardware with technology like DirectX12 Ultimate, DirectStorage and Auto HDR. With Xbox Game Pass for PC or Ultimate you get access to over 100 high-quality PC games to play on Windows 11 for one low monthly price.

7. Windows 11 comes with a new Microsoft Store rebuilt with an all-new design making it easier to search and discover your favourite apps, games, shows, and movies in one trusted location.

8. Windows 11 is the most inclusively designed version of Windows with new accessibility improvements that were built for and by people with disabilities.

“As the PC continues to play a more central role in our lives than ever before — Windows 11 is ready to empower your productivity and inspire your creativity.”

Aaron Woodman, Marketing at Microsoft

9. Windows 11 unlocks new opportunities for developers and creators. We are opening the Store to allow more developers and independent software vendors (ISVs) to bring their apps to the Store, improving native and web app development with new developer tools, and making it easier for you to refresh the look and feel across all our app designs and experiences.

10. Windows 11 is optimised for speed, efficiency and improved experiences with touch, digital pen and voice input.

11. Windows 11 is the operating system for hybrid work, delivering new experiences that work how you work, are secure by design, and easy and familiar for IT to deploy and manage. Businesses can also test Windows 11 in preview today in Azure Virtual Desktop, or at general availability by experiencing Windows 11 in the new Windows 365.

According to Microsoft, the Windows 11 upgrade will start to be delivered to qualifying devices beginning on 5th October 2021 into 2022. Timing varies by device.

Windows 365

For small and medium businesses

For enterprise customers

Written by Julia Bluckert, Content and Communications Manager at Trustmarque