With the proliferation of different device types, managing applications in the cloud promises to simplify the management of those apps. Microsoft offers various cloud options for doing so, including System Center Configuration Manager 2012, Windows Intune and Windows Azure. Ron Barrett, a technical architect at Gotham Technology Group LLC and an upcoming sessions speaker at this year's Live!360, knows how to use each of these offerings to support the Bring Your Own Device (BYOD) movement that's reshaping IT and takes some time to share some of his wisdom.
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Posted by Doug Barney on 10/17/20120 comments
Readers chime in on whether or not Microsoft's hardware push is an attempt to imitate Apple:
I think Microsoft is absolutely green with Apple envy and it is blinding them. Apple has always been a consumer products company while Microsoft has been focused on enterprise software. Trying to do better in the consumer market and compete with Apple is all well and good, but a lot of people are starting to feel with Windows 8 that this is a tablet OS that is being forced onto desktops and servers -- and it doesn't really fit. Apple products are nifty and look nice, but if they don't do what you want them to, you're out of luck. Microsoft's strength has always been the developer community and partners building an ecosystem around its enterprise offerings -- and it's been so successful in this market that it has become the only game in town for serious businesses. I would love to see Microsoft STOP TRYING TO BE APPLE.
-Dan
I disagree here. Apple is closed software, closed hardware and we'll sue you out of existence if you mimic us. No, this is similar to what Google is doing with the Nexus line to give consumers a pure Android experience in a world of fragmented OEM UIs. Windows tablets made by OEMs are boring so Microsoft is offering consumers a more progressive vision. Microsoft is rumored to be considering this in phones but Nokia, Samsung and HTC finally appear to be pumping out flagship models so this may not be needed.
-Anonymous
It's about time Microsoft started making PCs! Doug, you hit this right on the head about Apples successes. Controlling both the hardware and software is more of an advantage than most people realize. I hope Microsoft will take another leaf from Apple's book and spend tons of time tweaking firmware and drivers to make its devices snappy and responsive.
-Chris
I am not sure how Microsoft is flattering Apple. Microsoft has made hardware for years but just not PCs. Actually, Microsoft and Apple don't really manufacture anything, they both are outsourcing the actual fabrication to Foxconn in China. I agree with your Xbox observation, it has and remains an excellent source of entertainment that continues to improve with age.
-Robert
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Posted by Doug Barney on 10/17/20121 comments
Are you testing Exchange 2013? If so I want to talk to you for a future article. E-mail me at [email protected] and I'll hit you back with a bunch of questions.
Posted by Doug Barney on 10/16/20120 comments
When Microsoft decided to name products after years, and then to keep pre-announcing products, it gave itself a challenge -- ship in the year the product is named after or suffer minor embarrassment.
It looks like 2013 versions of Lync, SharePoint, Office and Exchange will all arrive this year. All have been released to manufacturing, which means they are essentially done. And while most won't be able to buy these 'til early next year, insiders such as volume licensees, MSDN subscribers and TechNet subscribers should be able to get them all next month. Oddly, the products are available for volume licensees in mid-November, but pricing won't be announced for another two weeks. Hmmm.
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Posted by Doug Barney on 10/15/20120 comments
Don Jones, author of Redmond's Decision Maker column, went through an Office 365 migration with his company, Concentrated Technology LLC. Ahead of his similarly themed session at this year's Live! 360, Don shares some of the highs and lows of the Office 365 move.
Q: How was the initial set up?
A: Mostly easy. We kind of screwed up and started a trial in the beta period, which we couldn't carry over to production, so have a weird account name now, but nobody sees that. We needed to learn a bit of Windows PowerShell to bulk-import our external address list, but it's a well-documented procedure -- and pretty neat once you've got it figured out.
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Posted by Doug Barney on 10/15/20120 comments
I am generally pleased with PC pricing. Windows netbooks start around $200 and functioning laptops come in at about a hundred bucks more.
But the first wave of Windows 8 devices breaks that pattern. The price leader so far is a $500 unit from Acer which doesn't have a keyboard. And it is the keyboard that turns the tablet into an actual computer (and, in my view, gives them an edge over the iPad).
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Posted by Doug Barney on 10/15/20121 comments
If you are a Windows 7 consumer you can now pre-order and pay for Windows 8, available Oct 26. If you want the DVD version (handy when it comes time to rebuild -- which you know will be necessary at some time) it'll cost about $70. A downloadable upgrade is about $40 for Windows 7 users.
If these upgrades sound enticing, don't dilly dally. These prices are only good 'til the end of the year. After that the prices shoot up to a jaw-dropping $200. With Win 8 tablets expected to start at around $300 you may be better off buying a new machine.
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Posted by Doug Barney on 10/15/20122 comments
Microsoft unveiled the new Microsoft without a lot of fanfare. In fact, it was played out in a letter to shareholders -- rather than the company's typical blow out, big city events.
What used to be a packaged software company (remember when software came in boxes?) is now a devices and services company, says the letter from Steve Ballmer.
Two issues are worth noting: First, Microsoft truly sees the cloud taking over. If Microsoft can make as much or more as on-premises gives way to service providers, that will be an amazing feat.
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Posted by Doug Barney on 10/12/201211 comments
Usually a product is commercially available before it gets its first cumulative update. Not so with Windows 8. It just received such an update, available through MSDN (or more simply through Windows Update).
The already shipping Windows Server 2012 was also graced with an update.
In the case of Windows 8, there aren't just fixes, but improvements. The device drivers are more backwards compatible, battery life is beefed, apps will run faster, and video and audio should be higher quality.
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Posted by Doug Barney on 10/12/20121 comments
This month's Patch Tuesday is almost shockingly small with just one "critical" flaw. The flaw is yet another remote code execution (RCE) hole. This time the lure is a Rich Text file that, if opened or just viewed, can give the hacker your user privileges. The good news is it hasn't been exploited yet -- so if you haven't installed the patch you still have time. Experts, however, believe there are those that are working on attacks as we speak, so don't dilly dally too long.
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Posted by Doug Barney on 10/10/20122 comments
Windows Phone 8 will apparently be launched Oct 29, two days before Halloween. But this launch doesn't mean what you may think it does -- Â the phones won't be ready for sale. That won't happen till after sometime later this year.
Scheduling must have been tricky, as Windows 8 and Surface devices are supposed to actually ship on Oct 26.
Posted by Doug Barney on 10/10/20121 comments
Trailing its big brother by two months, Windows Server 2012 Essentials is finished and was sent to hardware makers this week (Release to Manufacturing).
It's odd there is this lag behind Windows Server 2012, but with hardware makers expected to have it in the market next month, it surely qualifies for the 2012 handle.
Essentials is what was formerly known as Small Business Server 2011. As is now customary, Microsoft changes appellations for no apparent reason.
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Posted by Doug Barney on 10/10/20123 comments