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Posts Tagged ‘STEP’

New Windows version: “Windows Blue” to be called Windows 8.1

May 15, 2013 2 comments

“Windows Blue” will be called Windows 8.1 and will be a free update to Windows 8 for consumers through the Windows Store

Blue advances the Windows 8 vision. It will deliver the latest new innovations across an increasingly broad array of form factors of all sizes,  display, battery life and performance.

Blue, will be available for both Intel and ARM-based PCs and tablets, will be tailored to work on smaller form-factor tablets and devices.

Microsoft surpassed 250 million Store apps downloaded in the first six months, and almost 90% of  app catalog has been downloaded every month.

Check out at the JP Morgan Technology, Media & Telecom Conference in Boston, with Tami Reller .

More info and source: http://blogs.windows.com/windows/b/bloggingwindows/archive/2013/05/14/windows-keeps-getting-better.aspx

Categories: Microsoft, Virtualization, Windows 8 Tags: , , ,

Countdown for XP End Of Support started. Where do I start?

April 10, 2013 Leave a comment

Microsoft will end Extended Support on April 8, 2014: no new updates will be released after this date.

If your organization has not started the migration to a modern desktop, you are late. Based on historical customer deployment data, the average enterprise deployment can take 18 to 32 months from business case through full deployment. To ensure you remain on supported versions of Windows and Office, you should begin your planning and application testing immediately to ensure you deploy before end of support.

After April 8, 2014, there will be no new security updates, non-security hotfixes, free or paid assisted support options or online technical content updates. Running Windows XP/SP1/SP2 or even SP3 and Office 2003 in your environment after their end of support date may expose your company to potential risks, such as:

  • Security & Compliance Risks: Unsupported and unpatched environments are vulnerable to security risks. This may result in an officially recognized control failure by an internal or external audit body, leading to suspension of certifications, and/or public notification of the organization’s inability to maintain its systems and customer information.
  • Lack of Independent Software Vendor (ISV) & Hardware Manufacturers support: Back in 2011, many independent software vendors (ISVs) were already unlikely to support new versions of applications on Windows XP.

Where do I start?

There is no upgrade path. You will need to do a clean install. This means you will need to migrate the users’ data and reinstall or repackage all their applications for the new OS. This will take some time to test all of the hardware, peripherals and applications to ensure they will work with Windows 7 or Windows 8.

Visit The Springboard Series on TechNet to learn how to Explore, Plan, Deliver, Operate and Support Windows 7 and 8 in your environment.

Here are some other tools to help make your move from easier:

 Source and more info: http://blogs.windows.com/windows/b/springboard/archive/2013/04/08/365-days-remaining-until-xp-end-of-support-the-countdown-begins.aspx

Categories: Microsoft, Windows 7, Windows 8 Tags: , , , , ,

Windows Server 8 Beta builds are now available for download

March 1, 2012 Leave a comment

The Windows Server 8 Beta builds are now available for download.  Upgrades from previous builds are not supported or recommended.

http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/evalcenter/hh708764.aspx

To use Windows Server “8” Beta, you need to be aware of the following system requirements*: Component System Requirement
Processor • Minimum: 1.4 GHz 64bit processor
Memory • Minimum: 512 MB RAM
Available Disk Space • Minimum: 32 GB

Note: 32 GB should be considered an absolute minimum value for successful installation. Computers with more than 16 GB of RAM will require more disk space for paging, hibernation, and dump files. Drive DVD-ROM drive Display and Peripherals • Super VGA (800 x 600) or higher-resolution monitor • Keyboard • Microsoft Mouse or other compatible pointing device

*Actual requirements will vary based on your system configuration and the applications and features you choose to install. Processor performance is dependent upon not only the clock frequency of the processor, but the number of cores and the size of the processor cache. Disk space requirements for the system partition are approximate. Additional available hard-disk space may be required if you are installing over a network.

Categories: Microsoft, Virtualization Tags: , , ,

Windows 8 Consumer Preview are now live

March 1, 2012 Leave a comment

The Windows 8 Consumer Preview bits are now live. Everything you need to know, including links and information about the download is on the Springboard Series for Windows 8 on TechNet. Also, the Windows 8 TechNet forums are now live.

http://technet.microsoft.com/windows/windows-8

 

Categories: Microsoft, Virtualization Tags: , , , ,

Next Release of Windows Intune

October 5, 2011 Leave a comment

Next Release of Windows Intune Available October 17th
Windows Intune brings together Windows Intune cloud services and upgrade rights to Windows 7 Enterprise to help businesses simplify PC management and security while getting the benefits of a modern operating system. At Microsoft’s Worldwide Partner Conference in July, we announced the beta for the next release of Windows Intune. Our next release of Windows Intune, which includes new features and updates to the July 2011 Beta, will be available on October 17, 2011.

Here is a quick reminder of just a few of the features that will be included in the next version:

  • Software Distribution: Deploy most Microsoft and third-party updates or applications to PCs nearly anywhere over the Internet.
  • Remote Tasks: Remotely perform the tasks such as full scans, quick scans, updating malware definitions, and restarts on Windows Intune managed PCs from the administration console.
  • Read-Only Access: Provide select administrators with read-only access to the administration console so they can view PC information as needed, but not perform any configuration tasks.
  • Enhanced Reporting: Create hardware reports based on new hardware filters for common hardware characteristics; create and save report parameters to make it easy and efficient to run a report again in the future.

For a full list of features—plus step-by-step guidance and video demonstrations to help you explore, deploy, and utilize Windows Intune in your organization—visit the Windows Intune Resource Zone on Springboard and check the Springboard Series Blog on October 17. You can also try the Windows Intune cloud service free for 30 days.

Categories: Microsoft, Windows 7 Tags: ,

Microsoft is back for another Springboard Series Tour!

April 8, 2011 Leave a comment

Microsoft is back in the US for another Springboard Series Tour!

www.springboardseriestour.com

 

May 2 – Toronto | May 4 – Detroit | May 6 – Chicago | May 9 – Indianapolis | May 11 – Dallas | May 13 – Columbus

 

The Springboard Series Tour is back! This 6 city tour brings the top product teams from Microsoft to you. We understand the questions and issues that IT pros deal with every day. How do I manage end users bringing consumer devices into the office? Should we look to the cloud for key solutions? Should I virtualize? What are the best tools to manage application compatibility and deployment? The Springboard Series Tour brings the experts and the answers.

Join us for a full day’s deep dive into the tools, solutions and options to help you do more with less. We will cover managing the flexible workspace, a first look at Windows Intune and Office 365. We’ll also show you some of the new Windows Slates and give you details around Microsoft’s strategy for Slate devices. We will preview  the new tools in the MDOP 2011 suite, a deep dive into managing and deploying Office 2010 and great tips and tricks to help you deploy Windows 7 and move your users from Windows XP with speed and ease.

REGISTER NOW and save your seat for this free day of technical demos, Q&A sessions, and real-world guidance from Microsoft experts. We’ll see you on the road!

Categories: Microsoft, Windows 7 Tags: , , , , , , ,

SPRINGBOARD SERIES TOUR NEAR TO YOU!

September 21, 2010 Leave a comment
 

Microsoft Windows, Office and MDOP Deployment Workshops

www.springboardseriestour.com

 

Amsterdam – 25 Oct | Stockholm – 27 Oct | Helsinki – 29 Oct | Reading – 1 Nov | Rome – 3 Nov | Vienna – 4 Nov

 

The Microsoft Get On the Bus Tour is taking a winter hiatus to bring you a new tour – the Springboard Series Tour: Microsoft Windows, Office and MDOP Deployment Workshops!  Amsterdam marks our first stop on a 6-city European tour, en route to TechEd Europe, in Berlin, Germany. Are you looking to plan, pilot or deploy Windows and Office? Our workshops will cover the Office 2010, key deployment strategies for Windows 7, the Microsoft Desktop Optimization Pack, as well as show you the value of getting trained and certified in these key products.

Learn why Windows 7 has received rave reviews from IT organizations and is setting records as the fastest selling operating system in history, and find out why so many IT Pros are ready to deploy Office 2010. Give us five hours, and you will have a clear understanding of the tools, tips and tricks you need now to jumpstart the successful deployment and management of your Windows desktop environment today. Come join members of the Windows and Office US Product Teams, as well as local Microsoft Technology Evangelists for technical training, professional networking, and real world guidance. Don’t miss your chance to attend a workshop in the 2010 Springboard Series Tour, register today at www.springboardseriestour.com.

 

Get your Tour updates first! Follow us on Twitter, @MSSpringboard

Categories: Microsoft Tags: , , , , , ,