Numecent adds Windows on Arm support for Cloudpaging apps
Numecent has announced that its Cloudpaging Player now provides support for Windows on Arm, enabling containerised applications to run on Windows devices powered by Arm-based processors.
This development comes as Windows on Arm (WoA) devices, such as those utilising Qualcomm's Snapdragon platform, are gaining traction in the enterprise sector. Numecent states that it is the first application virtualisation and container management provider to offer native support for WoA, ensuring both legacy and modern Windows applications can be delivered to the new device architecture.
Market potential
According to industry analysts, the market share for Windows on Arm devices is expected to grow considerably over the next few years. Arthur Hitomi, Co-Founder and Chief Executive Officer of Numecent, commented on this trend, referencing research by Gartner:
"Gartner predicts Windows on Arm devices will have 20% PC OS market share by 2028.[1] Addressing this trend, Microsoft has made a significant move with Windows on Arm to support non-Intel devices, providing enterprise IT teams with drastic improvements in battery life, performance, and AI-ready capabilities," said Arthur Hitomi, Co-Founder and CEO of Numecent.
"Today's release is about our mission to containerise every application so enterprises can easily and reliably deploy them to any Windows device anywhere in the world, including architectures that software vendors have yet to support. It is our responsibility to ensure our customers can adopt Windows on Arm as soon as possible."
With the new release, organisations can provision and manage complex legacy, in-house, and compatibility-challenged applications on Arm-based Windows devices. The extension of support is also integrated with Cloudpager's AI packaging features and fits with Microsoft's Intune and App Attach functionality on Microsoft Azure Virtual Desktop.
Industry response
The move has been welcomed by Microsoft, which sees support for Arm-based devices as vital for its ongoing transformation towards modern computing and AI-led enhancements. Klaus Diaconu, Partner Director of Product Management, Windows at Microsoft, said:
"As Windows continues its transformation to meet the needs of modern, AI-powered computing, support for Arm-based devices is critical for delivering performance, efficiency, and flexibility to our customers," said Klaus Diaconu, Partner Director of Product Management, Windows at Microsoft.
"We're thrilled to see partners like Numecent move quickly to enable application compatibility across all Windows device architectures, from Windows on Arm to Windows 365 and Microsoft Azure Virtual Desktop. Their support for Windows on Arm helps accelerate enterprise adoption by removing barriers for legacy and modern applications alike, allowing organisations to fully embrace the next generation of Windows experiences."
Numecent also highlights that, with its Cloudpager platform, it retains its position as the first cloud-native application container management platform for Windows desktops. Cloudpager offers secure and automated management workflows, thus allowing administrators to provision, update, roll back, recall, and meter applications across both physical and virtual Windows environments - including x86, x64, and Arm-based systems.
Implications for enterprise IT
The company reports that with the addition of Arm support, IT teams in enterprises can migrate applications to any Windows-based system without risk to functionality or performance. This includes deployments where software vendors have not yet provided native Arm-compatible versions of their applications, enabling organisations to respond quickly to hardware developments.
Integration with cloud-based management tools is expected to streamline the administration of varied desktop environments, especially as organisations increasingly adopt cloud hosting and virtual desktop infrastructure. The interoperability also ensures that applications can be delivered to end users securely and with minimal manual intervention.
Numecent cited the importance of supporting the Windows on Arm shift as essential for organisations preparing for future changes in device architecture preferences, as well as ongoing improvements in performance and efficiency offered by Arm processors.
The company further notes that Gartner analysis forecasts a growing role for Arm in the worldwide PC market, suggesting an increasing focus from the software ecosystem towards cross-architecture compatibility for enterprise IT deployments.
