Greetings from Hannover, Germany! Last week, we announced the availability of the Windows 8 Consumer Preview and this morning, I joined Kevin Turner during his CeBIT keynote to demonstrate what I’m most excited about *– how Windows 8 will help your business.
You might have heard that Windows 8 is Windows reimagined, and this is definitely true for our business customers. As you know and experience, the way people work has changed and now more than ever, people need their devices to be flexible and mobile, while businesses need reliability, productivity and security. We thought about those needs as we reimagined Windows and the new and enhanced features in Windows 8 make everyday tasks easier and more enjoyable, while also improving on the fundamentals. If you haven’t already, I encourage you to download the Windows 8 Consumer Preview to experience first-hand the beautiful, fast and fluid experience that includes the mobility, performance and security features your business needs.
Imagine if you didn’t have to choose between convenience and productivity on your tablet.
I hear a lot of people say they feel they have to choose between the productivity of a PC and the convenience of a tablet. Our goal is to offer a “no compromise” solution so you don’t have to choose between productivity and convenience. With the new Metro style interface in Windows 8, users get an experience built for touch that also works beautifully with a mouse and keyboard. It’s deeply personalized, fast and fluid. You can use all of your existing Windows 7 productivity and line of business applications, and you can leverage your existing infrastructure to manage, secure and support Windows 8 tablets.
Imagine if you could put your secure corporate PC in your pocket.
As we talked about last week with the availability of Windows 8 Consumer Preview, IT departments can provision Windows To Go, a fully managed corporate Windows 8 desktop on an external USB Drive that a user can boot from any PC available at work, at home, or just about any location, with or without connectivity. It’s like having your secure corporate PC in your pocket. And this means employees will be able to do things like travel light without sacrificing productivity, IT organizations can support the “Bring Your Own PC” trend, and businesses can give contingent staff access to the corporate environment without compromising security.
Every time I talk with customers about Windows To Go, a new scenario comes up, like how it will be helpful in situations like working from home or vacation and disaster recovery, and we expect it will be highly valuable for certain industries like military or education. I’m excited to hear how Windows To Go will be used within your organization because I truly believe it will give businesses an array of new possibilities in mobile productivity.
Imagine security from the moment you boot.
From power-on to power-off, Windows 8 provides a more secure foundation no matter where you choose to work. With features like Trusted Boot, Measured Boot Process, BitLocker Drive Encryption, AppLocker, and claim-based access control, Windows 8 delivers end-to-end security like never before.
One of my favorite new security features in Windows 8 is Trusted Boot. The Windows 8 boot process is signed and measured, helping to protect the PC from malware or viruses. Trusted Boot validates the integrity of the entire boot process, including the hardware, boot loader, kernel, boot-related system files, and drivers. Antimalware is loaded in advance of all non-critical Windows components. This means that malware, such as rootkits, are less able to hijack the boot process or hide from antimalware software.
Imagine a virtualized environment that feels like a rich client experience.
We’ve seen many enterprise organizations consider Virtual Desktop Infrastructures (VDI) to help centrally manage thin client machines – giving end users the anywhere access they need and a familiar desktop experience, while simultaneously heightening data security throughout their organization. However, there have been some barriers to VDI adoption – either concern that the user experience will not meet expectations, that it’s difficult to implement or that the storage is too costly. With Windows 8, VDI is reimagined to offer more and address those concerns. Users will be able to get a virtualized experience that feels like a rich client experience, with things like high-definition graphics fully responsive to touch, along with high performance and support for local USB devices. Additionally, IT will be able to implement VDI infrastructures that are more cost effective and easier to manage.
What does this mean for businesses today and for your Windows 7 deployment plans?
With the end of support coming for Windows XP and the immediate value you can get from Windows 7 today, I would recommend accelerating your Windows 7 deployment if you haven’t already. Our Windows Enterprise Resources and Tools site and the Springboard Series on TechNet have some good information on Windows 7 deployment planning. The application compatibility investments you make moving from Windows XP to Windows 7 will carry forward and prepare you well for Windows 8.
I’ve shared in this blog just a few of the Windows 8 features that I’m excited about. There are so many Windows 8 features that will add significant value to businesses and will work well in an existing Windows 7 environment. For more details I’d also recommend you take a look at Windows 8 Consumer Preview for yourself, available at http://preview.windows.com. We think you’ll enjoy experiencing Windows reimagined and look forward to hearing what enhancements and new features you are looking forward to for your business.
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