A lot of changes to the Microsoft Security products line up . Looks like they are finally consolidating all of the products into some sort of logic sense… This is very good news, but it has created some confusion in the field — I am sure there will be more, so I will attempt to…
In today’s interconnected world, safeguarding your online accounts is paramount. Two-factor authentication (2FA) stands as a crucial defense against unauthorized access, adding an extra layer of security beyond just a password. While any form of 2FA is a significant improvement over relying solely on passwords, understanding the strengths and weaknesses of each method is essential….
As more and more customers move to modern device management and modern provisioning the question becomes how to can organizations support their remote workers. Also many organizations are paying 3rd party companies to provide tools to enable this across the board when you are able to do it with Microsoft native tools! Remote help is…
We are just getting to know the amazing amount of work Microsoft focused on better securing their latest Windows 11 operating system.
If you are like me, you are super tired of paying hefty cable bills for channels you don’t even watch? What is Over-the-Air (OTA) TV? Over-the-air (OTA) TV refers to high-definition television broadcasts transmitted from local television stations using radio waves. All you need to enjoy OTA TV is a digital antenna and a TV….
Azure Active Directory (Azure AD or AAD) is Microsoft’s enterprise cloud-based identity and access management (IAM) solution. Azure AD (AAD) is the backbone of Microsoft 365 and Office 365 platforms. AAD is a core service of the Microsoft cloud platform. A quick refresher: Microsoft released Active Directory in Windows 2000 server, and it became a…
The last couple of years (2020 & 2021) were particularly hard years for many organizations as it relate to cybersecurity. So many attacks in so many forms ranging from internal ones focused on getting specific data / information to highly organized ones focused on disrupting operations all the way to state sponsored ones focus on…
ModernEUC InfoBits newsletter. contains a few items of interest that have caught my eye in the Modern EUC, Modern Device Management and Workforce Transformation space.
A good question popped this week in my email. How do I prevent users from saving files to local drives, while still allow them to save to OneDrive folders? I think a lot of organizations would like ( or are doing it already) to do this, but the answer may have some complexity to it…
Multiple Desktops feature in Windows 11 I is super helpful and it is becoming one of those essential pieces in my workflows.
Let’s face it, for many customers, the road to modern device management is a journey. Moving from 30+ years of legacy / traditional device management is not only a technical challenge but a cultural one. I have been talking to customers since the introduction to Windows 10 back in August 2012 (10 years ago as…
Microsoft Ignite Fall 2021 is coming next week (Nov 2 – 4) and this year is a virtual and free again ! It is loaded with Windows 11 (35 sessions) and Endpoint Management ( 86 sessions) topics this time around! Should a feast of information for most of us in the Modern EUC Management space…
The value of the platform is not really fully realized until a certain level of feature adoption is obtained, and that is always a moving target BECAUSE new and improved features are always being introduced. I’ve said it many times before, and it is hard for users to keep up with the constant changes in…
ModernEUC InfoBits newsletter. contains a few items of interest that have caught my eye in the Modern EUC, Modern Device Management and Workforce Transformation space.
Yes! Windows 11 is out and about! Microsoft released released on Oct 5, 2021 and it has been interesting to read / listen to all of the reviews and comments out there. Introducing Windows 11 – A new Windows experience bringing you closer to the people and things you love. Explore Windows 11 OS, Computers, Apps,…
Aside from the many spelling errors ( English UK !! ) I just read this GREAT new article on ZDNet that talks about the significant change that Digital Transformation has undergone in the past couple of years. I ** LOVE ** this quote from the Bob Parket Senior VP at IDC: “… digital transformation is…
In the last few months Microsoft has released a number of updates to its entire suite, and in this blog post I will cover just *some* of the ones in Microsoft Teams, based on his videos.
ted and surprising blog post in the Microsoft Skype Blog yesterday, the Microsoft Skype Team said that “Skype is getting new features”
I have done this a couple of times in the past, but I always forget what I did, and end up researching it again…. The funny part is that I end up in the same place (I think) So about a year or so ago, I bought a new laptop, with a small SSD drive…
On June 24, 2021 Microsoft announced WIndows 11. Last week during their Partner conference, Ignite, Microsoft announced Windows 365. It will be launched on August 2, 2021. Securely stream your Windows experience—including your personalized apps, content, and settings—from the Microsoft cloud to any device with your Windows 365 Cloud PC. Windows 365 is a cloud…
ModernEUC InfoBits newsletter. contains a few items of interest that have caught my eye in the Modern EUC, Modern Device Management and Workforce Transformation space.
Had sometime and decided to check out Windows 11. I used a virtual machine using Microsoft’s Hyper-V manager on my Windows 10 device.
Ransomware is rampant these days. The latest in the long list of of attacks is the one on Kaseya, an PC management service provider, and it is notable because the incident not only affects Kaseya’s IT management customers, but also those companies’ corporate clients that have outsourced IT management to them. The attack is reminiscent…
Update 7/10/2021 Minimum hardware requirements further explained – A challenge for many! To run Windows 11, devices must have an Intel Core processor from at least 2017, or AMD Zen 2 processors from 2019 onward. Video of installation on a Hyper-V virtual Machine (my own test) Microsoft releases second public review – with ONLY minor…
With all of the ransomware news as of late, companies are asking what kind of protection and what to do in case the protection fails and the need presents to recover from a cyber attack. Many of the organizations I interface are using Microsoft 365 and / or Office 365 already. So the natural question…
I think it is fair to say that this is very – VERY – different than any other Windows OS launch than in the past. Microsoft has kept a very tight lip on what the announcements contain, and details (or leaks) have not surfaced yet.
Today, cybercriminals have released over 8.4 billion passwords on the dark web. The largest collection of stolen passwords of all time. The 100GB text file includes usernames, email addresses and passwords. #cybersecurity #passwords #leaks #securitynews More info at: https://cybernews.com/security/rockyou2021-alltime-largest-password-compilation-leaked/
The uptick of recent cybersecurity incidents reported in the news as of late is up. The list is long and it has affected business of all sizes and in all industries. The sophistication of the attacks, and vulnerabilities they uncovered are only one side of the coin. Many of them are now truly affecting many lives, and livelihoods.
Session with a great introduction, of what industry verticalcization of SaaS apps means and why this matters to all of us was Build differentiated SaaS apps with the Microsoft Cloud with Charles Lamanna.
ModernEUC InfoBits newsletter. contains a few items of interest that have caught my eye in the Modern EUC, Modern Device Management and Workforce Transformation space.
ModernEUC InfoBits newsletter. contains a few items of interest that have caught my eye in the Modern EUC, Modern Device Management and Workforce Transformation space.
I wrote about this product shortly after it changed names back in November 2020, but it is worth writing about it again. First let me say that I think Microsoft 365 is an incredible value to organizations. It not only contains not the Operating System, Productivity Tools and endpoint management tools but also, embedded by…
Microsoft 365 is the current name for the suite of productivity services and applications (Microsoft rebranded Office 365 to Microsoft 365 in April 2020). Please see Microsoft 365 Plans Microsoft 365 Office 365 Both services include the core Office applications, now called Microsoft 365 Apps (See Updates here), but Microsoft 365 represents Microsoft’s broader vision…
I am so very happy I work at Dell Technologies! — Not only is a great company to work for, but the talent and focus within it keeps surprising me! This is specially true for my team in the services line of business. We hear from customers challenges a lot, and lately we have been…
BIOS and driver updates are a very big challenge facing many organizations today. In fact, so many of them do not patch anything after initial deployment, and only if the device fails, they think of applying patches. This has never been a best practice, but with the introduction of Windows 10 and Windows as a…
With the much needed renewed emphasis on security, and in combination with the always present topic of modern device management, I have been having lots of conversations about how to best secure customer’s environment. This is where the concepts and architecture of Zero Trust security fits so well. Zero Trust security is not a new…
Enabling Windows Autopilot allows devices to be pre-registered to your organization in Microsoft servers. As of this writing, there is very little risk in enabling Windows Autopilot within an organization. The most recommended security concept to fight against malware for years has been to remove admin rights from end users. When Microsoft introduced Windows 10…
A couple of questions I often get are: How to get the Windows 10 image on to the device after a hard disk failure Will Windows Autopilot work after replacing the motherboard The those new to modern device management this is a concept that requires a mind-shift as with traditional methodology you reimage the device…
Microsoft Ignite happened as a virtual conference in early March this year. A few things were said (or not said) that resonated with me that I wanted to mention. First and foremost – it was interesting to note that in the Microsoft published Event Book of News there was only a few a few times…
I have been doing whiteboard sessions with customers for many years. With all of us working from home (remote work) for a year, one of the things I’ve missed the most is doing whiteboards at customer sites.. It is a hard experience to replicate virtually. A couple of years back I saw how impressive the…
ModernEUC InfoBits newsletter. contains a few items of interest that have caught my eye in the Modern EUC, Modern Device Management and Workforce Transformation space.
Although the future is to move to Azure Active Directory (Azure AD) for lots of organizations still have the need to Domain Join (Local AD domain join) devices still because of legacy issues. 6/10/2023: Update: Azure Active Directory is now called Entra ID You can Azure Domain Join, enroll and provision devices enroll with Microsoft…
With so much hype on using Non-fungible tokens (NFTs) for selling digital art – $65M for the ownership of a digital art and the famous: Elon Musk Tweet sells for $1.1M – I had to look into it, so I can understand it. Fungible means that the “contracted good” can be replaced or exchanged with…
Today I wanted to just highlight a great session I found on YouTube on Windows Virtual Desktop. The session is part of the IT Ops Talks: All Things Hybrid Event held early February 2021 Sarah Lean and Tom Hickling explore and explain Windows Virtual Desktop (WVD), how organizations have been using it during the pandemic,…
ModernEUC InfoBits newsletter. contains a few items of interest that have caught my eye in the Modern EUC, Modern Device Management and Workforce Transformation space.
Launched in 2016, Microsoft Stream is a web app for creating, editing, managing, and discovering videos and playback videos. It was loosely connected to other Microsoft 365 apps and service, and videos were stored separately from it. Back in September 22, 2020, Microsoft published a blog post titled New Vision for Microsoft Stream. In it…
On February 10, 2021, Microsoft reminded everyone that Microsoft Edge Legacy web browser (UWP-based) present on Windows 10 will end on March 9, 2021 (as expected) but it added that it will be automatically removed from your system with the April 13, 2021 Update Tuesday patch. The new standard, released back in January 2020, is Microsoft Edge…
Organizations that have already moved their Windows devices management to into MDM tools are now looking to bring other OS platforms like into existing tools and take advantage of a holistic, single pane view of the end-user computing environment. Microsoft Intune provides this capabilities
A quick update on how Window 10X, originally a very targeted OS, is now a new streamlined version of Windows designed for security and performance and plans to launch in Spring 2021 on a new range of devices
Device as a Service (DaaS), PC as a Service (PCaaS), virtual desktop as a service and cloud-based desktops are not new to the industry. Now a potential service in this realm to be provided by Microsoft as part of their Microsoft 365 service offerings.
I just read an excellent series of 9 blog posts by Hans Brender (aka: Mr.OneDrive | MVP on Twitter) on OneDrive Basics. (I was planning on doing a simple series, but Hans had already done it – Kudos to him!) In the first post of his series he begins with the statement: OneDrive is more…
Security threads are real and constant to every organization no matter how small or big they are. This weekend I just came across on of the best “easy-to-read” reports I have seen regarding securing data on the the cloud.
Windows Autopilot group tag refer to an optional field ( groupTag ) in the Microsoft device manager console (actually maps to the Azure AD device property ) that can be use to help automate deployment and configuration of Windows 10 devices when used with Windows Autopilot process. Currently only one group tag is supported by Microsoft….
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…
ModernEUC InfoBits newsletter. contains a few items of interest that have caught my eye in the Modern EUC, Modern Device Management and Workforce Transformation space.
In a post on LinkedIn yesterday, Brad posted that after 17+ years at Microsoft he is leaving to to join Qualtrics as President of Product and Services. Brad Anderson was the Corporate Vice President of the Commercial Management Experiences team and in his 17 years at Microsoft he has been responsible for shaping the direction of…
A couple of data points before I begin: Broadband or high-speed internet — defined by the Federal Communications Commission as defined as 25 megabits per second download speed and 3 megabits to upload. Nationwide, 18 million Americans lack broadband access, according to February data from FCC. The other day I read about Comcast data cap…
Short 9-minute Explanation of Workforce Transformation
This past Monday (November 30) Microsoft made available Microsoft Endpoint Configuration Manager (MEMCM) update 2010 as the current branch.
Danny Guillory created a series of blog posts and a video which resonated with me in a number of ways. Every person engage in device management within an organization should read this document. It is an excellent blueprint for devices management strategy.
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
This blog post, inspired by a video featuring Jorge Pereira from Dell Technologies, explores how Windows Autopilot and Microsoft Intune are revolutionizing device management, enabling greater flexibility, enhanced security, and improved user experiences.
it is imperative that device manufacturer’s system software, firmware and BIOS up-to-date. In this article we point to how to videos to install Dell Command Update with Microsoft Intune and Workspace One.
Many of you know Michael. He has been the Microsoft face of Windows Autopilot for many years and before that he was the Windows as a Service chief communicator. He announced that he leaving Microsoft.
A short 26 minute video overview of why modern device management with Microsoft Platform including Microsoft Intune, Windows Autopilot and Dell Technologies Services offering.
In this short 10 minute video I provide a high level low-technical overview of Windows Autopilot, Microsoft Intune and how as well as associated Dell Technologies service offerings.
Ivanti and MobileIron are very common device management tools out there. In an interesting industry consolidation move Ivanti moves to acquires MobileIron and Pulse Secure. Ivanti was founded in 2017 ( just three/four years ago ) from the merger of LANDesk and Heat Software which focuses on service management, enterprise endpoint security and patch management…
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…
A great series of short videos that clearly explain Microsoft Intune from concept to configuration.
Modern Devices Management and Unified Endpoint Management has been on the fast lane given the remote work / work from home initiatives forced by the pandemic worldwide.
A great series of short videos that clearly explain Microsoft Intune from concept to configuration.
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 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…
In a world where our smartphones are overflowing with apps, there’s a growing need to extend the functionality of our beloved mobile apps to the larger screens of our PCs. This is where BlueStacks, an Android emulator and cloud gaming platform, comes into play. With over 500 million users worldwide, BlueStacks has revolutionized the way…
Microsoft is transitioning Windows Insider Program from the existing frequency-based RING model to a channel model aligning to the Office release model to focus on quality .
Windows Autopilot does not imply customer must use Microsoft Intune.
Window Autopilot is independent of the Modern Device Management tool used by the organization.
Windows 10 version 2004 was released to the public on May 27, 2020.
h the current events relating to the worldwide Corona virus outbreak many companies are gravitating towards virtual meetings , revisiting travel guidelines and their ability to provide their staff ways to work from home.
There is a new version of Windows 10 brewing in the distance. But are we really talking about a new version of Windows 10?
Following up from my previous post Windows 10 Generic Image / No Bloatware I would like to share a great open source script it was pointed to me which removes all “unnecessary” programs out of Windows 10 fresh install provided by Sycnex called Windows 10 Debloater The script gets updated by the gitHub community, but…
This week Microsoft’s CEO Satya Nadella provided a rare glimpse at what they are focusing on as it relates to device management: A Strategy to manage and service 46 billion endpoints (devices including IoT sensors): The way I look at it is Windows is the billion user install base of ours. We continue to add…
By configuring a network drive to a shared document folder in Office 365, you can set up better access to a drive and its content for you and any other authorized users. This allows for increased ease of use and access to files for those working remotely. Please note that Microsoft recommends to Sync a…
Modern EUC Infobits: January 2020 – News you can Use! There is so much change in the End User Computing space at the moment that many of us need help and guidance navigate the Workforce Transformation Journey. The change is not only about Windows 10 or Modern Provisioning but about the entire End User…
Microsoft ended mainstream support for Windows 7 back in January 13, 2015, which meant new features stopped being added and at the time, entered its extended support phase, where only necessary patches and fixes were released. As expected, today, January 14, 2020, marks the official end of support for Windows 7. It has been 10…
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…
As I have written many times before, 5G will be transforming the world we live in. This is especially true for Device Management. In a recent episode of the Glen Beck Podcast, Jeff Brown talks about how trans-formative 5G technology is across the many industry. The Glenn Beck Podcast, Episode 60: 5G and AI Everywhere:…
A great brand new (November 2019) report from Frontline on how Artificial Intelligence is changing our lives – (no longer the future, it is affecting us all now!) Not only explores what will the future looks like, but also what is happening today in China, USA and other places around the world. I have written…
Organizations need to stay up-to-date in their Windows 10 OS patching otherwise they introduce a lot of security risk and likely compliance governance issues.
I am surprised by the number of organizations still managing their many devices without a system management tool. It may not be the most efficient way, but over the years they have developed processes and procedures to manually (or semi-manually) keep up the environment running. With the introduction of Windows 10 these manual processes have…
With less than 35 working days to the end of support for Windows 7, which means that no more updates or fixes, including security fixes after that date. Many organizations are realizing they will not be able to fully migrate to Windows 10 before January 14, 2020. Perhaps you are one of them, so now…
To be fair it never left! It was just available as a Universal Window Platform (UWP) App. This was a BIG deal back in 2018 when Microsoft announced OneNote will no longer be a part of Office 365 and will instead be only available as in the Windows Store as a UWP app. Many of…
Modern EUC Infobits: November 2019 – News you can Use! There is so much change in the End User Computing space at the moment that many of us need help and guidance navigate the Workforce Transformation Journey. The change is not only about Windows 10 or Modern Provisioning but about the entire End User…
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…
Windows 10 v1909 was released November 12, 2019. This released carries an 18 month lifecycle for Home, Pro, Pro Education, and Pro for Workstations editions and a 30 month support lifecycle for for Enterprise and Education editions. Accordingly, Microsoft has update their Windows lifecycle fact sheet page to show the new version end-of service dates…
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…
As of this writing, there has been 9 versions of Windows 10 since its release in 2015 and many of them are no longer supported and therefore not receiving patches and updates. It is extremely important to keep Windows 10 up to date. It is a matter of security, risk management and compliance. Background &…
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.
As of today, there are 87 calendar days to the end of extended support for Windows 7 on January 14, 2020. Having said this, effectively, customers have about 55 working days (not counting holidays) left to migrate their Windows 7 devices. Early this week, Microsoft updated their March 12, 2019 Blog post Making the transition…
Modern EUC Infobits: October 2019 – News You Can Use! About this Newsletter There is so much change in the End User Computing space at the moment that many of us need help and guidance navigate the Workforce Transformation Journey. The change is not only about Windows 10 or Modern Provisioning but about the entire…
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…
