In July, I wrote what I was hearing about Microsoft's new plan for managing corporate Windows 10 devices for a monthly fee[1]. Today, September 17, Microsoft officially took the wraps off this service, which is branded "Microsoft Managed Desktop" (MMD)[2].
Via MMD, Microsoft will provide business users with the option of having Microsoft manage their Windows 10 PCs. This means Microsoft will provide users with pre-configured Windows 10 PC hardware; ongoing Windows 10 feature updates, as well as security updates and other fixes; and overall management of those devices for a single, per-user monthly subscription fee. (The cost of this service will vary by user, based on size of the customer, type of device, etc.)
Also: Windows 10 how-to: Ed Bott's free tech support guide [3]
Those who buy MMD will get Microsoft 365 Enterprise[4] -- the combination of Windows 10 Enterprise, Office 365 and Enterprise Mobility + Security -- that is ready to run on Windows 10 devices which meet Microsoft's MMD specification and runtime quality bar. At first, qualifying devices will be Surface PCs only, but in the coming months, devices from HP, Dell and other PC makers will be offered as options, too, as long as they meet Microsoft's criteria.
As of today, Microsoft already is live with MMD with a small number of U.S. and U.K. customers who've been helping Redmond develop and test the service, officials said. Now availability is expanding, starting with the U.S. and U.K. In early 2019, the service will be available to customers in Canada, Australia and New Zealand. After that, Microsoft will expand to "several other geographies" in the second half of calendar 2019. Microsoft is telling customers interested in MMD to contact