The only real question is: are the extra features worth the subscription to Software Assurance? With many of the features – like the BitLocker disk encryption tools – Microsoft reserved for Windows 7 Enterprise now part of Windows 8.1 Pro (and in the case of Bitlocker automatically applied on newer hardware), it’s a question that needs to be asked. Time to bite the Windows 8 Enterprise bullet? It's becoming much harder to separate the pieces of Microsoft’s enterprise offering, and it’s sometimes easier to think of Windows 8.1 Enterprise as the managed endpoint in what Microsoft calls its CloudOS. Many of the features that Microsoft highlights in its blog posts are already part of Windows 8 Enterprise, and the real benefit to businesses with the new release is the tight integration between Windows 8.1, Windows Server 2012 R2 and the System Center 2012 R2 management tools (as well as the cloud management tools in Windows Intune for BYOD device fleets). That reliance on Microsoft's servers and management tools is one of the most important features in Windows 8.1. If you're developing in-house tools and software, improved APIs mean it’s easier to write Windows Store apps, including support for external devices like Point of Sale systems. They're not the only improvements to the OS, and Microsoft has also addressed key developer issues in Windows 8.1. While many of those features, like Workplace Join, are focused on BYOD scenarios, others, like Work Folders, are as useful in fully managed devices. While the Software Assurance-specific features haven't changed that much, Microsoft's added enough to the core Windows platform to make it a compelling upgrade. Windows 8.1 adds support for common VPN implementations Different users and groups can have different Start screen layouts, to go with different suites of tools, and you can also give some users customisation rights, while others are given a fixed layout that can’t be changed. With a common Start screen layout users will find tiles in consistent places, allowing them to quickly pick a new device or start a new VDI session. ![]() Windows Store apps can be built into an image using standard deployment tools, or sideloaded via PowerShell and a sideloading key. Start Screen Control may seem relatively trivial, but it's actually key to effective delivery of Windows 8.1 Enterprise images - especially when you’re using those images to deliver a suite of approved desktop and Windows Store applications. The resulting Start Screen Layout can be locked down, and tied to any sideloaded apps. This can then be delivered via a group policy to user PCs, ensuring a consistent tile layout. With Start Screen Control, a PowerShell cmdlet exports the start screen layout on a pre-configured PC as an XML file. Where things get interesting is when you start using the improved management tools, like Start Screen Control, to manage your desktop and mobile device fleet. That shouldn't be surprising, as after all, it’s all the same Windows 8.1 under the hood. You get the new Start Screen, and it’s button, as well as Internet Explorer 11 and support for small screen devices. If you've started working with the consumer Windows 8.1 preview, then you'll find Windows 8.1 Enterprise very familiar. It’s an approach that also means that some updated features won’t be back-ported to Windows 8 as a result we don’t expect IE11 or PowerShell 4 to be supported on Windows 8 - even though they will be available on Windows 7.Ĭreate bootable Windows To Go USB sticks from a Windows installation image with Windows 8.1 Enterprise ![]() With Microsoft moving to a yearly cadence for operating system releases, it's hoping to encourage rapid roll out of updates by focusing on improving what’s already in place, rather than adding extra features. In the past Microsoft has added new features with each release that required additional testing before businesses could deploy the new OS to their device fleets. If you've deployed Windows 8 Enterprise you’ll find many of the same features in 8.1, with performance and user interface tweaks. These include the USB-bootable Windows To Go, secure remote access to corporate networks with DirectAccess, and support for VDI installations. So it wasn't surprising that Microsoft recently rolled out a second Windows 8.1 preview, this time of its Enterprise SKU.Īvailable only to businesses with Windows Software Assurance, Windows 8.1 Enterprise builds on the consumer Windows 8.1 with a selection of additional enterprise tools. Like the initial preview releases of Windows 8, the consumer 8.1 doesn't have all the business features of its Enterprise counterpart features that IT professionals will want to evaluate before deploying the update in their networks. The initial preview release of Windows 8.1 was for home and small office users using Windows 8 Pro.
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