Enterprise services and support

Will Windows 8 be irrelevant to regular PC users?

Will the average Windows PC user jump to Windows 8 next year or snub the new OS as a platform geared more for mobile devices?

Weighing in with a strong opinion on that question is research firm IDC, which recently unveiled a list of its top ten predictions for 2012. Key among them was one forecast eyeing doom and gloom for Windows 8, certainly in the desktop arena.

The next version of Windows will be Microsoft's first attempt to offer the same operating system for both PCs and mobile devices. IDC expects Windows 8 products to hit the market … Read more

Windows 8 beta could debut as early as February

A public beta of Windows 8 will launch in late February of next year, says tech news site The Next Web.

Citing "sources close to Microsoft," TNW pointed to February for the beta's debut but said the release date for the final version of Windows 8 remains a mystery, though it's expected to ship next year.

Mary Jo Foley of CNET sister site ZDNet said she's heard that the beta would appear after next month's Consumer Electronics Show, which runs from January 10 to 13, but Foley said she isn't aware of any … Read more

Google adds 24-7 phone support for Google Apps

Continuing its push into the corporate software applications business, Google has added round-the-clock phone support for its Google Apps customers.

Google made that level of support available previously to only its biggest customers. At its annual Atmosphere conference today in Mountain View, Calif., attended by 350 chief information officers, Google said phone support would be available 24 hours a day, seven days a week for small and medium companies as well. It also disclosed the news on the Google Enterprise blog.

The Web giant has continued to push into the business application world largely dominated by rival Microsoft. At Atmosphere, … Read more

Windows 8 already eyed by many businesses, says survey

Windows 8 may not launch until later next year, but many businesses are already aiming to jump to the new OS.

A full 52 percent of the 973 IT professionals polled by InformationWeek last month said they plan to upgrade to Windows 8. Among those, 5 percent said they'll deploy Windows 8 to their users as soon as it's available, while 13 percent said they'll switch within the first year, and 19 percent within the first two years.

Only 10 percent of the likely upgraders said they'll switch on an as needed basis, 24 percent said … Read more

Windows XP usage dips but it's still top OS

Windows XP continues to shed market share but still won't give up its crown as the most used operating system.

Eyeing the OS market in October, Net Applications pegged the total share for XP at 48 percent, the first time the 10-year-old OS has dipped below 50 percent specifically among desktop platforms. That's down from 50.5 percent in September and 52.5 percent in August.

Since Windows 7 made its official debut more than two years ago, XP has gradually dropped in usage from 72 percent in August 2009 to its current share. On a natural upswing, … Read more

RIM unveils cloud service for Microsoft Office 365 users

BlackBerry maker Research In Motion has launched a new service that not only extends access to Microsoft Office 365 but lets businesses better manage their BlackBerry devices.

Currently available as a beta for Microsoft Office 365 customers, BlackBerry's Business Cloud Services offers four key benefits to potential customers, according to RIM:

Access to Microsoft Exchange online email, calendar, and organizer data from BlackBerry smartphones. BlackBerry Balance technology, which lets users see both personal and work-related content on their phones but keeps the two separate from each other. Online access to smartphone security features where users can remotely lock or … Read more

Ballmer beats drum for Windows 8

Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer really wants to sell you on Windows 8, touting features ranging from a new lock screen that still shares updates to the benefits of the controversial Metro user interface.

In a demo and discussion of the new OS at the Dell World conference on Friday, Ballmer focused on four key features, according to a report from Information Week, though some of it was ground that's already been covered.

A new lock screen that pops up when you're away from your PC displays a "peaceful mountain view." And though the OS is locked, … Read more

Microsoft tells companies on XP not to wait for Windows 8

Microsoft is urging businesses still stuck on Windows XP not to wait for Windows 8 and instead make the move to Windows 7 now.

In a blog posted Monday, Microsoft's Rich Reynolds explained the need for companies to move to Windows 7 as Windows XP will no longer be supported after April 2014.

Though 2014 sounds like a long ways off, businesses typically need a fair amount of time for any type of major migration. Planning, testing, user training, and the actual rollout can easily chew up the better part of a year or sometimes more.

The ending of … Read more

Microsoft Patch Tuesday to target Windows, IE

Microsoft is gearing up for another Patch Tuesday.

In its regular series of monthly security fixes, the company tomorrow is launching eight separate bulletins to patch 23 different holes in a small but key range of products. Marked as "critical," two of the bulletins are aimed at stopping hackers from remotely running code in Windows, Internet Explorer, .NET, and Silverlight.

Specifically, these two bulletins are deemed critical for the desktop versions of Windows and should be applied to Windows XP, Windows Vista, and Windows 7. Only one of the bulletins is tagged as critical for Windows Server 2003, … Read more