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Microsoft Developing Desktop Analytics Tool for App Compatibility

Microsoft this week described an upcoming Desktop Analytics service for ensuring application compatibility, particularly when upgrading Windows 10 and Office 365 ProPlus.

According to a Thursday announcement by Jared Spataro, Microsoft's corporate vice president for Office and Windows marketing, the Microsoft-hosted Desktop Analytics service lets organizations "create an inventory of apps running in the organization, assess app compatibility with the latest feature updates of Windows 10 and Office 365 ProPlus, and create pilot groups" for testing.

Desktop Analytics also works with System Center Configuration Manager (SCCM), Microsoft's client management and deployment tool. SCCM is used with the Desktop Analytics service to create the pilot groups for application testing.

In essence, Desktop Analytics is an expansion of Windows Analytics, Spataro explained. Windows Analytics, part of the Operations Management Suite, is yet another Microsoft-hosted service that was originally designed for cloud services management tasks. Later, Microsoft added PC client-monitoring capabilities to it.

Spataro didn't provide any details about when Desktop Analytics will be available or its possible costs. He said that more would be said at the Microsoft Ignite event happening later this month.

In addition to Desktop Analytics, Spataro announced Desktop App Assure, which will be available as a preview on Oct. 1. This service will be offered through the Microsoft FastTrack program, a conglomeration of partners that offer advice to organizations. Desktop App Assure also is designed to address application compatibility issues that could emerge when migrating to Office 365 and Windows 10.

In addition to these two new services, Spataro described enhancements to Windows and Office servicing. The servicing enhancements are designed to help organizations better cope with Windows 10 upgrade cycles.

About the Author

Kurt Mackie is senior news producer for 1105 Media's Converge360 group.

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