ThinkGrid offers Windows 7 cloud PC service

IT-as-a-service firm ThinkGrid is offering Windows 7 desktops delivered as a cloud service, which it is promoting as a more cost-effective alternative to investing in new hardware when migrating from Windows XP.

The service allows customers to access Windows 7 desktops on a pay-monthly basis starting at just £1 per day for each user, including anti-virus protection and snapshot backups of each desktop.

ThinkGrid said that its updated hosted desktop service, available from today, is a cut above rival offerings because each user gets a dedicated virtual machine that they can personalise, and can load any application they like, providing an experience as close as possible to a physical PC.

Users can also access their desktop from a variety of endpoint devices, including Windows PCs, Macs, Linux, thin clients and tablets such as Apple's iPad and Android-based devices.

"So now businesses can accommodate those users who've got an iPad and want to use it for work, plus you can access your desktop from anywhere just as easily as when you're in the office," said ThinkGrid chief executive Rob Lovell.

Lovell explained that there has been growing interest in hosted desktops. Windows XP is reaching the end of its life, and businesses are daunted by the prospect of a potentially complex and costly migration to Windows 7.

However, he said that Microsoft's own licensing policy has stifled the growth of cloud desktop services, as it does not allow Windows 7 to be offered as part of a multi-tenanted environment.

This is fine for large enterprises, but "SMBs can't afford their own dedicated cloud", he said.