Why Windows 365 Link Delivers Real Value: Lessons from the Forrester TEI Study

I recently had the opportunity to participate in a Forrester Total Economic Impact (TEI) study, contributing real world insight into the value organizations can gain from Windows 365 Link. While the study is anonymized, the role of "Cloud Endpoint Solutions Lead" reflects my perspective throughout.

Phoenix summarizes it well in their blog:
👉 Proven Financial and Economic Benefits of Windows 365 Link

And you can access the full TEI study here:
📄 Read the Forrester Report

Key Findings from the TEI Study

• Strong ROI and NPV
  Over six years, the composite organization modeled saw a net present value (NPV) of between $2.6 million and $4.6 million, with an ROI between 109% and 195%.
• Productivity Gains
  Shared devices and aging PCs were slowing people down. With Windows 365 Link, organizations reduced unproductive time by 22% to 30% through faster logins, fewer failures, and better reliability.
• Security and Compliance
  Devices using Windows 365 Link store no local data, have no local admin rights, and support passwordless authentication. This significantly reduces risk and simplifies compliance.
• Hardware Cost Reduction
  Link-ready devices are typically lower cost than traditional laptops and desktops. The study found significant savings across hardware lifecycle, maintenance, and support.
• Operational Efficiency
  IT teams reported big time savings in provisioning, configuration, and device management. What used to take hours now takes minutes.

How to Approach a Windows 365 Link Rollout

If you’re planning or evaluating Windows 365 Link, consider these steps:

1. Identify the Right Use Cases
   Focus on scenarios involving shared devices, dynamic user environments, or users who frequently move between locations or sites.
2. Build a Total Cost Model
   Factor in not just device cost but shipping, imaging, licensing, support effort, and lost productivity. Use the Forrester TEI framework as a starting point.
3. Integrate with Existing Tools
   Link devices are managed through Intune, making onboarding simple. Just be sure to meet key requirements like Conditional Access, Windows 365 SSO configuration, and suppressing single sign-on consent prompts.
4. Run a Pilot or Proof of Value
   Start with a small group. Validate the onboarding process, performance, and feedback from users and support staff.
5. Measure Impact
   Measure login times, support tickets, hardware issues, and security posture against previous or alternative setups to support wider adoption.

Final Thoughts

The TEI study validates what we’re seeing in real deployments. Windows 365 Link isn’t here to replace traditional endpoints across the board. It’s designed to solve real world challenges in environments that demand speed, simplicity, and strong security.

If you’re considering Windows 365 Link, I’m happy to help you interpret the report, estimate your own ROI, or design a pilot that fits your needs.