Microsoft announced Dev Box back in May as a way for developers to get access to preconfigured environments to write code without worrying about architecture.
Back then, this new service was only available with a waitlist in private preview.
It is now in public preview.
Announcing its availability, Redmond discusses how this solution not only gives developers the flexibility they need to be productive but also reduces headaches for IT admins regarding resource onboarding, hardware procurement, compliancy, and security.
These workstations integrate with Azure Development Environments, Intune, and Endpoint Manager, allowing you to get up and running in no time with existing project templates.
The company explains this new service best:
“With Microsoft Dev Box, developers can focus on writing the code only they can write instead of trying to get a working environment that can build and run the code. Dev boxes are ready-to-code and preconfigured by the team with all the tools and settings developers need for their projects and tasks. Developers can create their own dev boxes whenever they need to quickly switch between projects, experiment on a proof-of-concept, or kick off a full build in the background while they move on to the next task.
Microsoft Dev Box supports any developer IDE, SDK, or tool that runs on Windows. Developers can target any development workload that can be built from Windows including desktop, mobile, IoT, and web applications. Microsoft Dev Box even supports building cross-platform apps thanks to Windows Subsystem for Linux and Windows Subsystem for Android. Remote access gives developers the flexibility to securely access dev boxes from any device, whether it’s Windows, MacOS, Android, iOS, or a web browser.”
Developers can work with virtual machines ranging from a 4 vCPU / 16GB SKU up to a 32 vCPU / 128GB SKU.
Security is also at the heart of the product since developers will be dealing with sensitive code. Dev boxes are kept up to date using expedite quality updates to deploy 0-day patches across the organization and isolate compromised devices.
Pricing for the service is based on hourly usage and is highly dependent on your resource consumption. Organizations can get the first 15 hours for free every month during the preview period.
You can learn more about Microsoft Dev Box here on this dedicated page.
