As the initial 90-day free trial of Windows 10 Enterprise edition wraps up, IT organizations of all sizes are going through the decision process around whether or not to upgrade to the new operating system.
At first glance, the Windows 10 release appears to be nothing more than an update to what was a less-than-successful previous operating system release in Windows 8. But below the surface (pun intended) there are moves by Microsoft that warrant further consideration for anyone looking at implementing the operating system in a corporate IT environment. The upgrade comes with what look to be substantial improvements in security and cross-device functionality (among others) but also could be seen as signaling a shift in business strategy by Microsoft that has non-trivial implications.
To date, overall adoption rates of Windows 10 are impressive. Following its July 29 release, the new operating system exited its first month on the market with installations on nearly 6% of all Windows systems... a share representing about 85 million devices. As a point of comparison, the comparative adoption of Windows 8 post two months of availability was below 2% of systems. Of course, the major let down that Windows 8 represented to users acts in many ways as the catalyst for adoption of Windows 10.
Perhaps the most notable aspect of the Windows 10 release is the fact that the operating system comes free of charge as an upgrade from Windows 7 or Windows 8. There are several benefits that both individuals and enterprise IT organizations should consider when looking at the possible upgrade. One such improvement is deeper integration and improved user experience for search through the porting over from Windows Phone of Cortana, extending voice command capabilities. Very significant to corporate IT users is the flexibility Windows 10 Enterprise offers over and above the consumer version around making updates to the operating system. With the Windows 10 release, Microsoft has fully implemented an Operating System-as a-Service (OSaaS) approach, but is allowing enterprise users to control if and when they implement certain new features, helping to avoid the need to have mission critical functions put at risk by less-than-critical OS updates.
Without a doubt, Microsoft has put significant investment into improved security features within Windows 10. Primary among these is the device guard feature, through which Microsoft seeks to block unauthorized application use. This move to essentially pre-authenticate applications could, to a more cynical eye, look like an attempt to compete more aggressively with Apple's App Store. None the less, putting boundaries around the ability of users to install any old application and run it on a Windows machine should serve to reduce both unknown vulnerabilities within unauthorized applications, and the installation of malware.
Another new capability boosting security within Windows 10 is the use of biometrics to replace common password use. This is far from the first time we're seeing biometrics integrated into widely distributed (both consumer and enterprise) IT. The Apple iPhone has featured integrated hardware-based biometrics capabilities since the release of the iPhone 5. However, integration by an OS manufacturer across all hardware platforms is a significant step. Before getting too excited about the biometrics capabilities, adopters will want to consider the myriad of ways Microsoft is now capturing and putting to use data about user behaviors before jumping in with both feet. I would argue that associating activities and behaviors to a password-based online persona is something entirely different than creating that association with an actual fingerprint or retinal scan.
Interestingly, this becomes an overall theme around Windows 10... as security becomes both a motivation and a deterrent for adoption of the new operating system.
Source: On Security, Windows 10 Giveth and Taketh Away
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