So much has happened in the last six months! We have been incredibly busy behind the scenes building and improving extremely useful features, but we haven't publicly talked about them. For example, we have built the ability to:
In the past few product-oriented blog posts, we have talked a lot about getting your estate ready for the Modern Desktop using Access Capture for application packaging and testing. For example, we've discussed ways to help you migrate onto Windows 10 and Office 365 or manage your environment using Evergreen IT in order to keep up with the pace of updates for those products. But it is equally important to have the ability to check if your applications work in a variety of different Windows environments. Thanks to some new features, this is now easier than ever.
Today, I am pleased to announce a new Access Capture capability that will be such a value-add to many of our clients: support for Windows 10 Enterprise Multi-Session. We are constantly adding to and improving our IT automation tool stack, updating it with the latest from Microsoft so that not only can our clients take advantage of the latest Microsoft technology, but they can also have options for their Windows 10 deployment.
The real problem of Evergreen IT Management isn't figuring out how to efficiently (and, let's face it — fast enough) migrate your entire estate from one version of Windows 10 to a newer version. It also isn't the volume of change if you are managing your Windows 10 OS lifecycle in conjunction with Microsoft 365 Apps for Enterprise in addition to a continuous hardware refresh. That all can be managed very well with the right tooling and automation. The real dilemma goes much deeper.
In my opinion, the dilemma that most enterprises and large organizations struggle with emanates from the very intricate dependencies you simply cannot get around when managing Evergreen IT. In other words, you have to upgrade a whole other slew of infrastructure dependencies — each managed by a different, siloed-off IT department.
If you have been following our blog for the last couple of years, you have seen that we have posted about MSIX and, in particular, MSIX app attach several times — from showing how to enable app attach for your organization to a video demo of creating an app attach using our tool, Access Capture.
We have been blogging about MSIX app attach for good reason. It is a key component in enabling enterprises to move their organization onto a modern desktop using Windows Virtual Desktop while keeping their functionality intact and keeping or improving user experience as well.
So now we are happy to say that Microsoft has announced that MSIX app attach is now generally available. Congratulations are in order for Stefan Georgiev and his team for getting to this stage in the app attach journey. Being an MSIX partner and a Windows Virtual Desktop partner, we are excited to help Microsoft customers on their journey into adopting this modern technology and creating a true Evergreen IT environment.
There is a new worrisome (even if short-term) problem enterprises are currently struggling with. I call it COVID-19-induced Windows 10 Complacency. Today, I want to explain what this made-up term means and what you can do immediately to minimize or eliminate the problem. Let's have a look.
The technology industry is notorious for its love of acronyms, particularly when it comes to cloud computing. With cloud-based solutions becoming increasingly essential for every company and industry worldwide, three key cloud service models have emerged as the backbone of the cloud revolution: Infrastructure-as-a-Service (IaaS), Platform-as-a-Service (PaaS), and Software-as-a-Service (SaaS). The phrase "as-a-Service" refers to a wide variety of technology services delivered to companies or individuals via the internet by a third-party service provider.
When it comes to modern app management, a lot has changed in the last few years with the release of Windows 10 and the proliferation of cloud services. With the rapid pace of updates from Microsoft, app testing and deployment has never been more important to keep an enterprise running smoothly. Without keeping your apps up to date, you risk running an insecure IT environment, leaving the door wide open to cyber attacks. On the flip side, if you rush updates to mitigate security issues, you risk having line of business apps suddenly stop working properly, causing major delays and inefficiencies in your organization.
Over the past few years, Access IT Automation has continuously invested in the enablement of Microsoft technologies: Azure, MSIX, and Windows Virtual Desktop. A great example of this is our ongoing MSIX and Windows Virtual Desktop TAP (Technology Adoption Program) partnership with Microsoft. To further cement this partnership, Access is thrilled to announce that its application suitability tool, AppScan, is now hosted on the Microsoft Azure Marketplace.
Today, I want to walk you through the benefits of Access AppScan on the Microsoft Azure Marketplace, and highlight what this means for you, an Access client or an enterprise evaluating suitability testing and automated application packaging and testing tooling, as you move to modern application management.
Last week, we highlighted all the advantages you are bound to benefit from as you start your modern application management journey. And while there are many reasons why you should pursue this path as soon as possible, it isn't all "puppies and rainbows". We have to be realistic about our expectations and be aware of any potential speed bumps and pitfalls along the road. Today, I want to walk you through five very common, but often ignored challenges, namely:
When an enterprise does any kind of IT migration, such as an OS upgrade, it has to touch hundreds and sometimes even thousands of apps. Each app needs to be tested, repackaged, and tested again. Each application and version can take anywhere from a few hours to days to be tested. Then the entire process gets repeated every 6-12 months with each new Windows version release, depending on your chosen branch, it becomes quickly and painfully obvious that the time and manpower needed is a huge strain on IT.
One major benefit to a modern app management environment is that this part of the process is significantly trimmed down. But there are multiple other benefits to modern app management, and we will discuss nine (9) of them in this article.