A cloud PC pays off for consultants, seasonal staff, teams without an office and mixed Mac and Windows estates. For video, CAD or weak internet, it remains a poor choice.
More than 10 workstations · support contract · remote, on-site and phone support
For decision-makers short on time.
With Windows 365, each employee gets a complete workstation without the company having to buy and hand over a machine. For consultants, seasonal contractors, teams without an office, multinationals and environments where Mac and Windows coexist, it cuts hardware purchases, speeds up joiners and leavers and keeps data under control. For video, CAD or weak internet connections, it remains a poor choice. The right decision is made person by person, not for the whole company.
Their work Windows, programs, documents and settings included, running on Microsoft's infrastructure. They simply open the Windows App, which is available for the main operating systems and also runs in the browser, and the environment appears the same on any device: the home laptop, the Mac used at a client's site, the tablet taken on a trip. When the session ends, nothing is stored on the local device.
For decision-makers: it works like a streaming service applied to the work computer. The operating system and programs run at Microsoft; the user's device merely displays the image and sends keyboard and mouse input. If that device is stolen, the work remains safe.
Microsoft sells three Windows 365 Business plans, designed for organisations of up to 300 users. List prices for Portugal, excluding VAT, per user per month, checked in October 2026:
| Plan | vCPU | RAM | Disk | Monthly fee |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Basic | 2 | 4 GB | 128 GB | €26.20 |
| Standard | 2 | 8 GB | 128 GB | €33.70 |
| Premium | 4 | 16 GB | 128 GB | €52.40 |
Two costs are often left out of the sums:
Example: 5 × €33.70 × 12 months comes to €2,022 a year, excluding VAT, for five consultants on Standard (list price, no discount, assuming each already has Microsoft 365). Compare that figure with everything a laptop involves: purchase, set-up, repairs and collection when the person leaves.
| Profile | Windows 365 | Laptop alternative |
|---|---|---|
| Consultants working at client premises | Worth it | Data outside the company perimeter |
| Contractors for 3 to 6 months | Worth it | Purchase and set-up for little use |
| Teams without an office | Worth it | Logistics of deliveries and repairs |
| Design, architecture, video editing | Not worth it | Better choice |
| Full-time office administrators | Rarely worth it | Better choice |
| Locations with weak internet | Not worth it | Better choice |
They work on machines that do not belong to the company, or change project every quarter. Data never leaves the controlled environment, and granting or revoking access takes minutes.
Campaigns, year-end close, internships: instead of buying laptops for three months, a licence is activated and then deactivated at the end. For shift work, Windows 365 Flex lets one licence serve up to three Cloud PCs, used in turn.
With no server room and nowhere to return a faulty laptop, the Cloud PC fits naturally with remote support for companies without a physical office.
Employees who move between countries get the same workstation, identical wherever they are and centrally managed.
A Mac team that needs a Windows-only program, accounting, ERP, sector-specific software, uses it through Windows 365, without a second computer on the desk.
The Lisbon office of Reltio by SAP: a data technology company headquartered in Redwood City, California, is managed by DataRoad under IT Unlimited: maintenance, technical consultancy and network. The estate comprises 40 MacBook Pros and 35 Dell devices, on 125 structured cabling points and Cisco Meraki infrastructure.
It is the profile of many multinationals in Portugal: two operating systems, teams that come and go, and security rules set by the parent company. In an estate like this, the sums are done profile by profile, and DataRoad's experience as an Apple Technical Partner helps balance the two environments.
In the profiles where it pays off, security improves: data stays in the cloud and access relies on identity and MFA, rather than a VPN open to the internal network, a topic covered in secure remote access beyond the VPN.
DataRoad designs and operates remote working and mobility solutions, Cloud PCs included: the right licences for each role, security policies enforced and direct support for users. When the team works almost entirely away from the office, IT Unlimited Essential provides remote and telephone support, from €395/month + VAT. Annual contract with automatic renewal and no lock-in.
Between €26.20 and €52.40 per person per month, excluding VAT; the mid-tier plan costs €33.70. Microsoft 365, Office, email and Teams, is added on top.
Yes. The Windows App is available for macOS, as well as for Windows, iPhone and iPad, Android and the browser.
Work stops until the connection returns, but nothing is lost: data is stored at Microsoft. Anyone who depends on Windows 365 should have a second internet connection.
No. It replaces each person's computer. Shared files and business applications still need a server, the cloud or a combination of both.
DataRoad - IT Services and Consulting analyses your team person by person and delivers a written recommendation, who moves to Windows 365 and who keeps a laptop, with the annual cost of each option.
Request a no-obligation proposal: +351 211 459 950 * · sales@dataroad.pt. More than 10 workstations · support contract · remote, on-site and telephone support.
*Call to a Portuguese landline.
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