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Google Cloud Platform gains expanded Windows support

Google announced on Monday that it has expanded Windows support for Google Cloud Platform by releasing three enhancements to Google Compute Engine for running Windows-based workloads. The additions will make it easier for Windows users to leverage the performance and scale of Google data centers.

The first enhancement is the availability of Microsoft License Mobility for Google Cloud Platform, enabling users to move their existing Microsoft server application software licenses, such as SQL Server, SharePoint and Exchange Server, to Google Cloud Platform without paying any additional Microsoft licensing fees.

“Not only does license mobility make the transition easier for existing customers, it provides customers who prefer to purchase perpetual licenses the ability to continue doing so while still taking advantage of the efficiencies of the cloud,” writes Google Cloud App Hosting Product Manager Martin Buhr on the Google Cloud Platform blog.

Additionally, Windows Server 2008 R2 Datacenter Edition is now available to all Google Cloud Platform users in beta on Google Compute Engine. “We know our customers run some of their key workloads on Windows and want rapid deployment, high performance and the ability to stretch their datacenters to the cloud,” adds Buhr.

Rounding off the trio of additions is the availability of a version of the popular Chrome RDP app from Fusion Labs that is optimized for Google Cloud Platform. The app is free for Windows customers to use in Google Compute Engine, allowing for users to create remote desktop sessions to their Windows instances using Chrome.

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