Microsoft Defender for Endpoint
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Microsoft Defender for Endpoint

After rebranding Windows Defender as Microsoft Defender in early 2019, Microsoft has been consolidating most of their security-related products into their Microsoft Defender brand. In September 2020 they further announced the Microsoft 365 Defender cross-platform line to include: Microsoft 365 Defender (previously Microsoft Threat Protection) Microsoft Defender for Endpoint (previously Microsoft Defender Advanced Threat Protection) Microsoft Defender for…

Explained: Dell Client Managed Services
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Explained: Dell Client Managed Services

This is part of a number of short videos I call Explained Series They are intentionally brief and focused so they can be quickly consumed while providing maximum informational value. This video provides an overview of: Dell Client Managed Services Duration: 9 minutes Video Content includes: – Overview Challenges Market landscape Dell Services/Solutions

WSUS or WUfB
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WSUS or WUfB

Windows Server Update Services (WSUS) and its predecesor (Server Update Servcices (SUS) has been around for 20+ years and has been the go to tool for many administrators to manage Windows updates. Windows Update for Business (WUfB) is a free “cloud service” hosted by Microsoft to keep Windows 10 devices up to date. WUfB is available…

Enabling Remote Work with Microsoft 365 – Webcast
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Enabling Remote Work with Microsoft 365 – Webcast

Back in April, Microsoft launched a new podcast – they call it Webcast — focusing on how the Microsoft 365 platform helps remote work. The webcast is hosted by Steve Rose Senior Product Manager on Modern Workplace. To-date, there has been six episode featuring interviews with Microsoft staff talking about their individual products . It…

Azure Active Directory Connect
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Azure Active Directory Connect

Azure AD Connect, commonly known a simply: Connect Sync, is a Microsoft service that addresses operations related to synchronize identity data between your on-premises environment and Azure AD. Released late 2014, Azure AD Connect sync is the successor of DirSync, Azure AD Sync, and Forefront Identity Manager. By default, Azure AD Connect syncs all objects…

SCCM Co-Management No More
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SCCM Co-Management No More

As you are probably aware, the SCCM 1902 update rollup made a change in their co-management and coexistence compatibility capability: If an SCCM-managed device is enrolled into an MDM server other than Intune (i.e., Workspace ONE or any other third-parties), the SCCM agent reverts to a read-only mode which essentially  killed a  number of third-party co-management…

Microsoft Platform Numbers
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Microsoft Platform Numbers

Some interesting data bits from Microsoft Source: Collected listening to different sessions From Microsoft Ignite (November 2019) 600 billion authentications serviced each month by Azure Active Directory (AAD) 900+million deployed Windows 10 PCs, 200 million commercial PCs, Macs, iOS and Android devices managed by ConfigMgr and Intune, 200 million Office 365 users, 13+ 20 million…

Microsoft Endpoint Manager
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Microsoft Endpoint Manager

Microsoft Endpoint Manager was announced last week at Microsoft Ignite 2019. Microsoft is working on bringing together System Center Configuration Manager (SCCM) and the Microsoft Intune mobile management service into a new brand called “Microsoft Endpoint Manager,” Microsoft is consolidating most (all) of their client management tools (SCCM, Intune,  Desktop Analytics, etc. )   into one  now…

Windows Autopilot Deployment Workflows
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Windows Autopilot Deployment Workflows

Two posters that clearly describe the Windows Autopilot process based on New Device and Existing Device scenarios. Full versions can be found at: Window Autopilot Process (New Devices) Windows Autopilot Process ( Exsiting devices with SCCM) I am very happy to see these published by Microsoft! .,]]Thank you Autopilot team! They were much needed.

2019 Gartner Magic Quadrant: UEM
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2019 Gartner Magic Quadrant: UEM

The 2019 Gartner Magic Quadrant for Unified Endpoint Management has been published. Leaders listed included VMware, Microsoft, IBM, BlackBerry, Citrix and MobileIron. According to the report, unified endpoint management tool is defined as a “set of offerings that comprise mobile device management (MDM) and modern management of traditional endpoints (PCs and Mac).” including the integration…

Transitioning GPO to MDM Policies
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Transitioning GPO to MDM Policies

Transitioning from traditional Group Policy Objects (GPO) to Modern Device Management (MDM) Policies can be challenging.  Some organizations have Group Policies that have been in place for over a decade and which may not be fully inventoried, or often understood.  MDM do not have a 1-1 mapping for all legacy Group Policies.  Microsoft created the…

Workspace One White Papers from Principled
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Workspace One White Papers from Principled

Three new white papers from from Principled Technologies on Workspace One and Dell Provisioning benefits follows: Full Report: Hands On Report: Workspace One vs InTune Compared to Microsoft Intune, VMware Workspace ONE offered a broader set of use cases with support for Android Enterprise, Chromebooks, Apple macOS and iOS, and Microsoft Windows 10 Exec Summary:…

Microsoft Skype for Business Online to be retired
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Microsoft Skype for Business Online to be retired

Microsoft Skype for Business Online to be retired on July 31, 2021 As per Microsoft’s James Skay blog post on 7/30/2019: Today we’re announcing that Skype for Business Online will be retired on July 31, 2021. This post provides details on the retirement plan, a brief explanation of why we’re making this announcement now, and…

Windows Activation Evolution
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Windows Activation Evolution

As organizations deploy Windows 10 Pro and Windows 10 Enterprise with Modern Device Management the processes for activating Windows 10 are changing, and new options are available. Most of us are familiar with the traditional product key registration for Windows devices.   For businesses (large and small) the common activation scenarios for activation have included: OEM…

Gathering Existing Devices Windows Autopilot Device IDs
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Gathering Existing Devices Windows Autopilot Device IDs

Update 8/1/2020: Microsoft has updated their official blog post a number of times since this post to include automated ways from Intune and ConfigManager. We have published a number of posts about what Windows Autopilot is and how to setup and test. Now that so many organizations have taken note of Modern Device Management advantages…

Making the Case to Embrace Modern Device Management
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Making the Case to Embrace Modern Device Management

This morning, a new blog post of mine was published on DellEMC Infocus. Drive productivity by ensuring your organization leverages modern tools to achieve results..  Read the full article here This is a follow-up to the previously posted blog Empower Your Organization by Moving to Modern Device Management While you are at it, check out…

5G – A game Changer for Device Management
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5G – A game Changer for Device Management

5G is fast coming to market with roll outs expected across the world in 2019 and 2020.      This technology is not only an core enabler for IoT, Robotics, Artificial Intelligence, but also has significant implications as an enabled for Workforce Transformation and Modern Device Management.    As many of you know there is an immense amount of work going on behind the scenes to enable 5G,…

Updating Windows 10 Edition with Autopilot / Intune
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Updating Windows 10 Edition with Autopilot / Intune

As opposed to previous versions of the Microsoft Operating System, where each edition came as a separate ISO, there is only one package for the latest Windows 10 OS that can be “unlocked” when activated to have the edition you need.      (there are some restrictions/requirements based on licensing) One of the most common…

Azure Active Directory
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Azure Active Directory

Microsoft released Active Directory in Windows 2000 server, and it became a standard for enterprise identity management. Active Directory lives on-premises in servers called Domain Controllers (DC). Active Directory lives on-premise in servers called Domain Controllers (DC). Windows Active Directory or commonly referenced as Active Directory (AD) is Microsoft’s predecessor to Azure Active Directory, Azure Active Directory…

Windows Autopilot White Glove Details Announced..
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Windows Autopilot White Glove Details Announced..

What is Windows Autopilot white glove? The new Windows Autopilot white glove process, which lets IT technicians, partners, and even OEMs pre-provision devices before they are delivered to the user. Using this process, all device configuration tasks, including apps (machine-targeted or user-targeted), certificates, and policies, can be completed in advance, making it so that when…

Modern Device Management: More than Just Technology
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Modern Device Management: More than Just Technology

Today, many companies are moving or seriously considering the move to Modern Device Management (or Modern Management) as their next step of their Digital Transformation Journey.  Most considering the move, have already completed their Windows 10 migrations and are looking for efficiencies to their deployment workflows.     Having said this,   I get asked on a daily…

Understanding OneNote Versions
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Understanding OneNote Versions

Microsoft OneNote was released to the public in 2003 so it has been around for a very long time… As of late a very common questions which there is a lot of confusion Why does Microsoft have multiple versions of OneNote and what are the differences? Microsoft OneNote is a note-taking program for free-form information gathering and multi-user collaboration. It gathers…

Microsoft Office Support Lifecycle Explained
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Microsoft Office Support Lifecycle Explained

Microsoft Office is a widely used product suite which includes tools like Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook, Project, Publisher, Access, and OneNote. It has been around since 1988 and has gone through many versions, each of which has a specific support cycle with defined dates.    All versions of Microsoft Office products before Microsoft Office 2019…

Semi-Annual Channel(SAC) Targeted release will be retired
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Semi-Annual Channel(SAC) Targeted release will be retired

Yep – you heard correctly! No more Semi-Annual Channel Targeted (aka CB) or  Semi-Annual Channel Broad (aka CBB) releases! Although this is not a new topic (John Wilcox gave us a heads up back in May 2018)    the Semi-Annual Channel(SAC) Targeted release (formerly known as CB or Current Branch) will be fully retired after…

Microsoft Modern Desktop Deployment Guidance
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Microsoft Modern Desktop Deployment Guidance

Microsoft published a guidance document (and associated video series) to help customers migrate to the Modern Desktop. The Modern Desktop refers to Microsoft’s bundled product suite called Microsoft 365 which includes: Windows 10, Office 365 and Enterprise Mobility & Security (See my Microsoft 365 Explained blog post ) Microsoft’s guidance includes 8 steps:

Webinar: 2018-11-29 Modern Provisioning
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Webinar: 2018-11-29 Modern Provisioning

Title:   Understanding Modern Provisioning Date Presented:  November 29, 2018 — 8:00a Abstract Content Today’s End User Computing environment has changed considerably in the past few years.   Modern OS, cloud-based management systems, end-user expectations, security, the blurring of work/personal lines have all radically changed the way corporate data and devices need to be managed. In this…

Windows 10 Migration: It’s All About the Apps
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Windows 10 Migration: It’s All About the Apps

Great article by my colleague at Dell EMC,  Colin Sainsbury     on   Application Testing and Management  in a Windows 10 world.   Preparing applications for migration is a multi-faceted challenge and with the introduction of Windows as a Service, it needs to be revisited for each Windows 10 version upgrade. The stages required to complete one…

Windows Autopilot Collecting Hash and More
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Windows Autopilot Collecting Hash and More

PowerShell script that uses WMI to retrieve properties needed by the Microsoft Store for Business to support Windows AutoPilot deployment. https://www.powershellgallery.com/packages/Get-WindowsAutoPilotInfo/  Thank you  Michael Niehaus! For more  information see: Technet Blog Post Gathering Windows Autopilot hardware details from existing Devices Overview of Windows Autopilot | Microsoft Docs Deploy Windows 10 Enterprise for new devices with…

Microsoft Ignite 2018 EUC Related Announcements
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Microsoft Ignite 2018 EUC Related Announcements

From an end-user computing point of view, Microsoft Ignite 2018 did not disappoint this year.      Although Windows 10 was not the primary focus , deploying, managing and maintaining Windows devices using the entire Microsoft platform was definitely top of the billboard, and in particular  Microsoft 365. Many announcements were made around the Modern Workspace. …

Microsoft Managed Desktop Service
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Microsoft Managed Desktop Service

Today Microsoft officially announced a new service:    Microsoft Managed Desktop or MMD. Although it was known Microsoft was working on this,  no official word or announcement has been published until now. We believe that MMD will be an option that allows organizations to fundamentally shift how they think about and manage their IT. Through MMD,…

Windows 7 Extended Support Update Packages Pricing
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Windows 7 Extended Support Update Packages Pricing

Just a few of days ago (Sep 6, 2018)  Microsoft announced Windows 7 Extended Support Upgrade (ESU) where businesses can now pay to extend Windows 7 Security Updates Beyond January 14, 2020.  (See summary of announcement here ) Although pricing was not revealed,    the blog post announcement,  authored by Jared Spataro, Corporate Vice President for…

Microsoft 365 Versions Comparison
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Microsoft 365 Versions Comparison

I wanted to write something  about a question I get often asked: What is the pricing and the differences between the different versions of Microsoft 365.   Microsoft has a variety of productivity and security management offerings that small to medium-sized and large enterprise customers may consider when upgrading their desktop and device infrastructure, each bringing…