Windows 11 is the most recent operating system from Microsoft that comes in 2 main versions suitable for businesses: Professional and Enterprise. Windows 11 Professional has several additional security features and general speed improvements. See below for more of the features that come with Windows 11 Professional.
Windows 11 Professional
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Windows 11 was released in October 2021 in the usual editions of Windows - Home, Pro, Pro for Workstations, Pro for Education and Enterprise. Windows 11 Pro and Windows 11 Enterprise are the two editions suitable for businesses. Windows 11 Pro is best suited for small to medium sized businesses. One of the most useful features of Windows 11 Pro is Hyper-V with which you can create virtual machines. Additionally, Windows 11 Pro includes security features like BitLocker that enables you to encrypt everything on the drive and thus keeping your data safe from unauthorized access. Windows 11 Pro is especially beneficial for remote workers as the operating system offers full device encryption together with a device locator and a firewall network protection. Read below how you can install Windows 11 Pro.
You can install Windows 11 Pro through an ISO file. After downloading the ISO file, you should run it. Then you need to follow the steps of the activation process. Have your product key at hand and fill it in when needed. A product key is a 25 character long string containing numbers and letters (e.g XXXXX-XXXXX-XXXXX-XXXXX-XXXXX).
If you currently have Windows 10 Pro (retail license) you can upgrade for free to Windows 11 Pro (retail license), as long as your device meets the system requirements. You can do so by going to the Settings and then to Windows Update. The free upgrade is valid for some time now and no end date has been announced, however keep in mind that Microsoft has reserved the rights to terminate the free offer at any time. If you decide to upgrade, we advise you to back up your files and important data, although they should be transferred automatically. If you do not like the upgrade, you have 10 days to move back to Windows 10.
Windows 11 Pro provides the basic and most necessary features needed by small and medium companies. For example, Windows 11 Pro offers device encryption, internet protection, firewall and Microsoft Remote Desktop. The table below outlines the main differences between Windows 11 Home and Windows 11 Pro in terms of features.
Windows 11 Pro will be supported until 10th of October 2023. This is the end of the mainstream support. If you want to pay for the extended support, you can keep it running for up to 5 years. You can also purchase Windows 11 LTSC which is the Long Term Service Channel. This Windows version is set to be released in the second half of 2024 and will be supported for a longer period than Windows 11.