Microsoft launches preview of cloud workstation Dev Box

By admin On Aug 16, 2022

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Microsoft lets businesses and developers try out Dev Box. Dev Boxes are virtual cloud workstations that allow developers to program and run code remotely without needing a powerful computer.

During the Preview, developers can launch a Dev Box within the Azure Portal, writes Microsoft. Then they can try out a Dev Box with 8 virtual CPU cores and 32GB memory for 15 hours a month. Developers also get 365 hours of free access to Dev Box Storage, a virtual 512GB SSD.

After those 15 and 365 hours, companies have to pay for the Dev Box. How much is not clear. The company does say that customers only pay for the number of hours they actually use a Dev Box. In addition to the Dev Box with 8 virtual cores and 32GB memory, it should ultimately be possible to opt for 4 virtual cores and 16GB memory, or 32 virtual cores and 128GB memory. When this will be possible and how much it will cost is not clear.

Dev Boxes are virtual workstations running on Microsoft Azure servers. Microsoft says there’s been an increase in demand for this in recent years. The increased hybrid working means that programmers have to use their own hardware more often, or have to be able to take company hardware home. On the other hand, the chip shortages make it more difficult to get hold of that hardware. Developers are again becoming the target of hackers because they often deal with sensitive data.

Businesses can manage and pre-configure Dev Boxes with the tools and settings developers need. Developers can also create their own Dev Boxes, for example if they want to work on a new project and want to run the first Dev Box in the background.

Dev Boxes support all IDEs, SDKs and tools that Windows supports, says Microsoft. The virtual workstations can be used via Windows, MacOS, Android, iOS and the browser. With Azure Active Directory, administrators can provide access to the necessary code and customer data. The Dev Boxes can be managed together with physical devices and Cloud PCs with Microsoft Intune and Endpoint Manager.

The Dev Boxes were announced in May and are an extension of Microsoft’s cloud PC offering. A year ago, the company made Windows 365 Cloud PC available, subscriptions that provide companies with cloud PCs that always run the latest Windows version. This subscription costs 18 euros to 148 euros per month. Unlike the Dev Boxes, Cloud PC is not specifically aimed at developers.