Windows 365 Frontline is a special type of Windows 365 license that allows you to provision up to three Cloud PCs with a single license, but with the important limitation that only one of these Cloud PCs can be used at a time. There are some exceptions to keep in mind, which we will detail below.

What is Windows 365 Frontline?

The Windows 365 Frontline license is specially designed for users who do not usually overlap in their work shifts, either because they are in different geographic locations or because they work at different hours. To use Windows 365 Frontline, it is essential to connect using the Windows app, as these virtual desktops are not available when connecting through the Remote Desktop app or any other version.

Concurrency Buffer

An important limitation is that there cannot be more concurrent users connected to their Windows 365 desktops than the number of licenses purchased. In this regard, Microsoft allows a brief overlap known as a concurrency buffer. This buffer makes it possible to exceed the user limit for up to one hour, as long as this excess does not occur more than four times a day. It is designed for cases where a worker starts their shift earlier than expected or finishes later than planned. With the concurrency buffer, the employee starting their shift does not have to wait for the outgoing colleague to sign out of Windows 365, provided the colleague does not take more than an hour to complete their tasks.

Limits of the Concurrency Buffer

If Microsoft detects that the concurrency buffer limit is exceeded at least a couple of times per day, it may block its use, preventing it from being available to the rest of the users. This would force users in the new shift to wait for their colleagues to sign out of their virtual desktops. If this limit is exceeded again within a seven‑day period, Microsoft may permanently block the use of the concurrency buffer, meaning that the number of users connected to Windows 365 cannot exceed the number of Windows 365 Frontline licenses purchased. It is possible to unlock the environment and restore the concurrency buffer functionality, but to do so you must open a support ticket in the Intune portal.

Extra Benefits of Windows 365 Frontline

Windows 365 Frontline also benefits from other features such as Windows 365 Boot. If we combine both features on the same device, we can have a workstation where users connect directly to their Cloud PC, and that can also be used by different people in different work shifts. This way, with a single Windows 365 Frontline license and a single device, we would have a workstation that is prepared and personalized for each user and available for use 24 hours a day.