Microsoft Points to Windows as a Service Opportunity with 'Threshold 2'
The free upgrade approach Microsoft took with Windows 10 may not be doing much for OEM partners in the way of PC sales yet, but Microsoft is trying to point the rest of the channel toward new opportunities with the OS.
In a blog post Sunday, Microsoft Worldwide Partner Group General Manager Gavriella Schuster used the occasion of the code-named "Threshold 2" update to Windows 10 to highlight opportunities created by the new Windows business model, which involves no cost for updating many versions of Windows 7/8/8.1 and involves regular updates for years to come.
Schuster highlighted three opportunities for partners to help customers with the transition to the Windows as a Service delivery model:
Ensure they have the infrastructure in place to handle these updates across all of their employees, devices, and circumstances. ...
Help your customers decide how a particular update could impact their business, which critical apps will need to be tested, and how updates will be deployed among departments. ...
For every app and device that walks in the door, you can help your customers create a plan for how it will be updated and when it gets retired.
Threshold 2, which began rolling out on Thursday, is the first major update of Windows 10. For that reason, it's the first opportunity partners have to get involved with customers' ongoing Windows 10 update cycle.
Also known as the November Update, Threshold 2 includes performance improvements, usability improvements and enhancements to Cortana and the Edge browser, among other features.
For business-focused partners, Schuster emphasized elements such as Windows Update for Business, Windows Store for Business, mobile device management, and updates to Azure Active Directory.
Posted by Scott Bekker on November 16, 2015