Microsoft today announced that Windows Server 2016 and the System Center 2016 management suite of products have reached "general availability" (GA) status.
GA means that the products can be purchased and used in production environments. Both are now licensed on a per-core basis, instead of the earlier per-processor approach. In addition, today's GA milestone means that that Microsoft's service provider partners can now begin testing Windows Server 2016 in their datacenters.
In late September, both products were at the earlier "release-to-manufacturing" stage. They got a small bit of stage time during Microsoft's Ignite keynote product "launch" back then.
Microsoft seems to have reserved Windows Server 2016 and System Center 2016 product details for its Ignite session attendees. Many of those sessions are currently available on demand via the Ignite 2016 Channel 9 portal. The agenda for Windows Server 2016 and System Center 2016 sessions at Ignite can be found at this page.
Also, Microsoft announced this week that it will broadcast a Windows Server 2016 Webcast on Oct. 13, starting at 9:00 a.m. Pacific Time. The Webcast will feature talks by Microsoft luminaries such as Jeffrey Snover, Jeff Woolsey and Erin Chapple.
Windows Server 2016 Highlights
Microsoft is marketing Windows Server 2016 as another advance in its "hybrid cloud" approach. The "hybrid" part means that the traditional customer-maintained server model can work with the services delivered from Microsoft's datacenters, such as Microsoft Azure services and Office 365 services.
Windows Server 2016 was "forged in our own Azure datacenters," Microsoft stressed in its announcement. The new server also has software-defined capabilities that come from Microsoft's experience in running Azure datacenters. Microsoft also had previously announced that the Docker Engine was added to Windows Server 2016 at "no additional cost" to customers. It facilitates running applications without conflict by using either Windows Server Containers or Hyper-V Containers, which both tap Docker Engine technology.
Microsoft lists its application server product support on Windows Server 2016 in this TechNet publication. The main Microsoft application server products that aren't yet supported on the new Windows Server 2016 product include Skype for Business Server 2015, BizTalk Server 2016, Visual Studio Team Foundation Server 15 and Host Integration Server 2016. They will get supported eventually, though, a Microsoft spokesperson indicated.
IT pros looking for hardware recommendations for Windows Server 2016 might take a look at this listcompiled by Thomas Maurer, a Microsoft Most Valuable Professional. He's also compiled other useful links on "deployment, upgrading and certification" in this blog post.
Microsoft is touting access to its new server technology via a relatively new licensing portability option. It's for current Windows Server users that have Software Assurance coverage. Under this "Azure Hybrid Use Benefit" option, if an organization has Windows Server products installed on premises that are covered by the Software Assurance annuity program, then it's possible to move that licensing from an organization's infrastructure and use Windows Server virtual machines on Microsoft Azure datacenter infrastructure.
The GA announcement of Microsoft's System Center 2016 suite of products means that all of its components are now available, including Virtual Machine Manager, Operations Manager, Orchestrator and Service Management Automation, Service Manager, Data Protection Manager and Configuration Manager. A 180-day trial edition is available for download at Microsoft's evaluation portal here.
Instead of listing the exhaustive feature details, Microsoft broadly listed the following highlights of the System Center 2016 suite:
Faster time to value with simple installation, in-place upgrades, and automated workflows.
Efficient operations with improvements in performance and usability of all System Center components.
Greater heterogeneity and cloud management with broader support for LAMP stack and VMware, including monitoring resources and services in Azure and Amazon Web Services.
There's also a Microsoft white paper listing the System Center 2016 highlights (PDF).
Microsoft is also touting an option to license System Center 2016 components via its Operations Management Suite (OMS) subscriptions. OMS is Microsoft's solution for managing public cloud workloads. There are four service options available to OMS subscribers, namely Insights & Analytics, Automation & Control, Security & Compliance, and Protection & Recovery. They are priced per node.
Various System Center 2016 components come with each of those OMS service options. For instance, Configuration Manager use rights come with an Automation & Control OMS subscription. It's also possible to "attach OMS services to your existing System Center license," which Microsoft calls the "OMS Add-on for System Center." It requires having Software Assurance coverage on System Center to use this add-on option. More details about these System Center-OMS licensing options can be found in Microsoft's OMS "Pricing and Licensing Datasheet" (PDF).
[vc_row][vc_column][vc_cta_button2 h2="Find Your Best Path To A Truly Consistent Hybrid Cloud" title="COST BENEFIT ANALYSIS" size="lg" position="bottom" link="url:http%3A%2F%2Fwww.managedsolution.com%2Faws-azure-compare%2F||" accent_color="#f4c61f"]
Achieve IT infrastructure cost savings of at least 50%
Call Southern California’s most trusted name in cloud at 800-208-3617 for real time pricing and a cost benefit analysis for Microsoft’s Azure and Amazon’s AWS.
[/vc_cta_button2][/vc_column][/vc_row]
[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]
What to Love About Windows 10
With new features, increased security, simplified IT controls, and more, it's no wonder Windows 10 is deployed on over 400 million devices worldwide. There's a lot of reasons to love Windows 10, so this infographic outlines what you need to know about the best of the best.
Fill out the form below to download the infographic!
For more information on using Windows 10 and other Professional Services, contact us at 800-208-3617
[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row]
Microsoft brings Cortana to the Android lock screen
Following a series of beta trials, Microsoft officially announced this morning that it’s bringing its virtual assistant Cortana to the lock screen of Android devices. Initially, Microsoft had tested putting an overview of your day on the lock screen – offering information like the day’s weather, commute times, flight or meeting information, and more – where it could be seen at a glance.
The feature was designed to compete with Google’s own Assistant technology, which also offers similar information.
During the beta, users could head into the Cortana’s Setting menu to switch on lock screen integration. This would place a floating Cortana circle logo with “Swipe to Open” on the screen. If you swiped it, you’d be shown your personalized feed, schedule and the other information Cortana offered.
The Cortana lock screen integration was rolled out earlier this month, Microsoft confirms, but it’s now widely available.
Today, you’re also able to interact with Cortana above the lock, the company says. That means you can ask questions to their virtual assistant, as you could with Siri or Google Assistant, for example, as well as perform various tasks like setting reminders.
This functionality could further challenge Google on its own platform. As Google’s only entry in the PC space is Chrome OS, it may be more useful for Windows users to add Cortana to their phones, given its interoperability across desktop, laptop, and mobile – including iOS and Android, not just Windows 10.
Microsoft says it has also improved the Cortana home on Android, making the information easier to read, along with other improvements like the ability to quickly add reminders and new calendar items, plus easier access to viewing, editing and adding items to lists.
Cortana in December rolled out an updated design on iOS and Android, Microsoft reminded users in today’s announcement. This upgrade had been focused on making it easier to get things done by putting the most important tasks more towards the center of the experience. The default experience is very purple, instead of the blue-and-black of the earlier Cortana look and feel. However, Microsoft added more color options in the weeks after the upgrade, including blue, green, and black.
In addition to its U.S. and U.K. availability, Cortana for iOS and Android is also launching in Australia today.
Microsoft’s Windows 10 Creators Update will launch April 11
By Frederic Lardinois as written on techcrunch.com
After months of teasing, Microsoft is finally ready to ship the Windows 10 Creators Update, the next major iteration of its desktop operating system, to its users. The free update will start rolling out globally on April 11. This process usually takes a few weeks, but users will also be able to force the update from their Windows settings.
As the name implies, the focus of the update is on “creators.” Microsoft is going for a pretty broad interpretation of this theme here, but the highlights of the release are improved support for the upcoming crop of Windows-centric mixed reality and virtual reality headsets (especially for developers), better support for games thanks to a new dedicated game mode and built-in streaming to Beam, as well as new creative tools like Paint 3D.
The update also features the new night light mode to help you sleep better, screen time limits that parents can set for their children, and updates to the Windows Hello security feature.
When I talked to Windows General Manager Aaron Woodman earlier this month, he noted that what he has been seeing over the last few years is a pivot back to the roots of Microsoft and Windows — and he sees this update as another example of this. In his view, the three big highlights of the release are Windows Mixed Reality (which was once called Windows Holographic), the new gaming features, and the updates to the Edge browser.
Indeed, while it was long fashionable to make fun of Microsoft’s browser efforts and the early Edge releases definitely had a few usability issues, it’s now become a respectable competitor. Woodman noted that Microsoft wanted to first “nail the fundamentals” like performance and security and has now worked on other areas like tab management and the integration of Cortana (which actually works quite well).
With this update, the company is doing something interesting in that it is bringing e-books to the Windows Store, which will be displayed in Edge. At first, this seems like an odd move. We have all been accustomed to using specialized apps and even devices for reading e-books. Woodman, however, argues that while this holds true on mobile, on the PC, the browser is the default place for people to consume text.
The update will start rolling out on April 11. How long it’ll take to arrive on every PC remains to be seen and Microsoft tunes the process depending on the feedback it gets.
In addition to announcing the release date for this update, Microsoft also today announced that it will bring its Surface Book and Surface Studio hardware to more markets. The Surface Book can now be pre-ordered in Austria, China, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Hong Kong, Japan, Netherlands, Norway, Sweden, Switzerland and the United Kingdom. It will ship April 20.
The Surface Studio (and Dial) can now be pre-ordered in Australia, Canada and New Zealand. There, too, it will ship April 20.
Microsoft's first-ever desktop PC blows away the Mac
Whether you're a Mac fan or a PC person, I can hand you any laptop in the world, you can log into your Facebook and Google accounts, and do probably 90% of what you need to do. It means that, for a lot of people, one computer is pretty much interchangeable with any other.
But it doesn't have to be that way.
For the last two months, I've been using a Microsoft Surface Studio — a beautiful all-in-one PC, made with the goal of breathing new life into the tired old desktop computer.
It's Microsoft's first-ever desktop computer, following the well-received Surface Pro tablet and Surface Book laptop lines. Starting at $2,999, it's a piece of premium hardware that's not for everyone. Still, I'm here to tell you that for the last two months, this machine has put a grin on my face every dang day. Here's why:
It's tempting to compare the Surface Studio to Apple's iMac all-in-one PCs. They do share a certain design sensibility. But, in my opinion, the Surface Studio is so much more.
Apple
This is the Surface Studio. It's got a giant, gorgeous 28-inch touchscreen display, and comes with a wireless keyboard and mouse. Just like this, it was enough to engender jealousy and admiration from coworkers.
Darren Weaver/Business Insider
It's a fabulous computer, with enough processing power to handle all the tabs, Slack chats, and Steam windows I have open. But luxury doesn't come cheap: The cheapest Surface Studio starts at $2,999; the tricked-out configuration I tested goes for $4,199.
Darren Weaver/Business Insider
It even comes with a Surface Pen stylus that magnetically clips to the side, much like on the Surface Pro 4 tablet and Surface Book laptop. Note also that the screen is about as thin as the pen.
Darren Weaver/Business Insider
The included Bluetooth mouse and keyboard are, you know, fine. Not great, not bad. But if you have strong feelings about mice and keyboards, you probably have your own already?
Darren Weaver/Business Insider
Flipping it around, the back of the computer shows a little more of what makes the Surface Studio so special.
Darren Weaver/Business Insider
(If you're wondering, the back of the machine sports 4 USB 3.0 jacks, an SD card reader, and a mini displayport jack. Microsoft was courageous enough to include a headphone jack, as well.)
Just push down on the screen...
Darren Weaver/Business Insider
...and it totally flattens out! Again, note how thin it is. And the hinges make it easy and oddly addictive to push up and down. There's basically no resistance. It's soooo satisfying. Feel free to make "whoosh" sounds when you push it up and down, as I do.
Darren Weaver/Business Insider
Pushed all the way down, the Surface Studio sits at a 20 degree angle, which is perfect for sketching and taking notes.
Darren Weaver/Business Insider
I'm not an artist (this house is about as far as my artistic talents take me), but it's slick and responsive and a lot of fun to use that way. I've taken to sketching up photos and notes for friends and coworkers on the fly. But wait, what's that in my left hand?
Darren Weaver/Business Insider
Meet Microsoft's $99 Surface Dial. It was introduced alongside the Surface Studio, but it'll work with any Windows 10 PC.
Darren Weaver/Business Insider
The idea behind the Surface Dial is that it's a little gadget designed to complement the Surface Pen stylus. So if you're sketching with one hand, your other hand could be choosing colors.
Matt Weinberger/Business Insider
An important note: While the Surface Dial works with any Windows 10 device, you need to be using a Microsoft-made machine like the Surface Studio or Surface Pro to put it straight on your screen.
Darren Weaver/Business Insider
Some more notes on the Surface Dial:
1. It's super-satisfying to turn, and uses rumble feedback to really give you a visceral "click" when you turn it or push it in.
2. I didn't end up using it much in my day-to-day use. It's neat, but the novelty of using it to change the volume of my music or scroll up and down in Google Chrome wears off really quickly.
3. In theory, the Surface Dial adheres to the Surface Studio's screen when it's in the tablet mode, using a tacky surface on the Dial's underside. But if that bottom of the Surface Dial gets dusty or covered in crumbs, it won't stick to the screen as well. Just, um, trust me on this one.
4. It still works when it's not attached to the screen. Just, you know, see point #2.
And then, when you're done with tablet mode, it folds right back up into a PC again. It's super simple, no muss no fuss. You can bring it up and down like DJ Khaled just walked into the building.
Microsoft
Depending on the configuration you get, the Surface Studio packs a surprising amount of power: It's not exactly a dedicated gaming PC, but you can play titles like "Overwatch" at reasonably high settings. Nice.
Blizzard Entertainment
There are a few neat little bonuses, too. Like the fact that the base is cleverly designed to anchor itself steadily in place, but also somehow be really easy to push around your desk. So if you need to flip it around and show someone your notes, you can.
The back of the Surface Studio's base includes the power cable, which Microsoft claims will never come out even if you slide it around your desk.
Matt Weinberger/Business Insider
Compare all of this with Apple's Macs, none of which sport so much as a touchscreen, let alone the other stuff. Suddenly, the iMac looks a little bit...basic.
Justin Sullivan/Getty Images
Like Microsoft's other recent Surface devices (and a few non-Microsoft machines), the Studio also supports Windows Hello, which lets you log in with your face by looking at the camera. Hello was super neat when it was introduced in 2015, and it's super neat now.
Matt Weinberger/Business Insider
And if you're a Mac fan nervous about the Surface Studio because of Windows 10, don't worry. I came to Windows 10 after years of rolling Mac only... and now I'm a big convert. It's just so much easier to stay organized on Windows 10.
Matt Weinberger/Business Insider
It's not TOTALLY perfect. I'd be lying if I said I didn't run into some oddities with the Surface Studio, most commonly a bug that made it so that the machine didn't connect with the mouse or keyboard until I rebooted.
Wikimedia Commons
But, in general, the Surface Studio is an absolute joy to use. I actually looked forward to coming into the office every day to use my computer!
Darren Weaver/Business Insider
The obvious caveat here is that, as a desktop computer, I couldn't put it in my bag with me at the end of the day. Until Microsoft somehow invents a way to fold a 27-inch touchscreen into a backpack, I guess that's why there's the Surface Book laptop.
Melia Robinson/Business Insider
So, to quote the great sage Ferris Bueller, the Surface Studio is so choice. If you have the means, I highly recommend it.
The latest Windows Insider build will help you sleep better
Launch of Microsoft's Windows 10 in Sydney on July 29, 2015 in Sydney, Australia.
Microsoft launched one of its larger Insider Builds for Windows 10 today. The new version (15002) includes a plethora of new features that touch everything from the Start menu to the Edge browser, Windows Ink, Cortana, Defender and Windows’ built-in accessibility features. All of those are great, but the one new feature that may make the biggest difference in your day-to-day use of Windows 10 (and the night after) may be the new blue light settings that allow you to automatically show warmer colors at night (and reduce the amount of blue light).
If you’re already using f.lux, Night Light on Android Nougat (probably not), Night Shift on iOS, or a similar tool, then this isn’t anything new for you, but the vast majority of Windows 10 users are probably unaware of these third-party tools. The idea here is to reduce eye strain and to help you sleep better if you do have to work on your desktop at night. Blue light, research has shown, inhibits the release of melatonin and hence makes it harder to fall asleep after you’ve been sitting in front of a screen.
Microsoft is also making another change related to the color blue: the good old Blue Screen of Death is turning green in the Insider builds. Microsoft says it made this change “in an effort to more easily distinguish Windows Insider reports vs the reports of those on production builds.”
As for other new features, the new tab preview bar for the Edge browser looks very useful (though it’s something that other browsers have also long offered as a built-in feature). Edge now also lets you set tabs aside for later use, which should be useful for those of us who often have 20+ tabs open. With this update, Edge now also features a preview of Microsoft’s previously announced payment API.
In the Start menu, Windows 10 is finally getting support for folders to help you organize your tiles. In addition, users with 4k+ screens will surely appreciate the improved support for their monitors thanks to improved high-DPI support for desktop apps (which is still a bit of an issue for Windows users).
This is only a very small sample of what’s new in this build. You can find a full rundown of all of the new features in Microsoft’s announcement.
Since I was a kid, I have been drawn to computers because of what they enable each of us to make, to create. Recently Microsoft announced new hardware such as the Surface Studio and Dial, the Windows 10 Creators update, and new software such as Paint 3D, all focused on creators. Creation is a theme that extends across our suite of experiences, including the Photos app that comes with Windows 10.
We have now made available the next step in this creator’s journey with an update to Microsoft Photos. We’re making it fun to view all your digital memories in photo or video form, with a refreshed user experience that makes it pleasant to browse your collection. We’ve updated the way you edit photos and apply filters to simplify the most common actions. To celebrate the new hardware and the creator in all of us, we’ve added the ability to draw on your photos and videos and even play back the ink with animation!
We have ambitious plans with much more to come as we think about creators, digital memories, and storytelling. Stay tuned.
The updated Photos app: Now in dark or light
One of the first things you’ll notice in the updated Photos app is that things got a little lighter. We heard your feedback that for some people (most people!) a dark theme can be overwhelming or intimidating. We’ve got a new, light theme for browsing your pics! Let your memories shine through with the new light theme, or you can always go back to the dark theme in Settings. The single photo view still uses a black ‘lightbox’ feel to let your media show most effectively when it is the center of attention.
Plus, Photos also now has a horizontal navigation bar, making it easier than ever to view your memories in different ways: your whole collection chronologically, or by Albums or Folders. We’ve also taken the time to add subtle animations throughout the experience to make your memories come alive.
Draw on your memories
We each use photos and videos to capture some of the most important moments in our lives. But sometimes, there is more to the story than what our pictures and videos can convey on their own, or you’d just like to personalize a message. Now you can use your stylus (or your finger if you have a touch screen device, or your mouse!) to draw on your memories directly.
Choose from three pen types (I like calligraphic!), pick a color to draw with, and use the eraser to fine-tune your work. Once the ink dries, you can share a still of your new image. But even cooler, allow your message to come to life by sharing an animation of your drawing with friends and family as a video. Share it on Facebook, send over email.
You can also draw on videos, and the ink will play back at the right places when others view it. Use the pen to mark up the peewee league football video just like the pros. Or give stage direction for the school play. Or just add funny comments, thought bubbles and moustaches to lighten up a goofy video.
Editing made simple
The photo editor now has a new, easy-to-use interface. The commands have been rearranged to emphasize the most common user needs, such as easy cropping and adjusting. All the other capabilities are still there under Enhance and Adjust. We’ve added a whole new set of filters too. Get creative with filters such as Zeke or Denim, then check out the other adjustable enhancements you can make to your photos, like tweaking the lighting or warmth.
Photos now on Xbox
As a Universal Windows application, Microsoft Photos is showing up throughout the Windows ecosystem. We’re also releasing Photos for the Xbox, which allows you to browse media you have stored on OneDrive for access on all your devices. Use your controller to navigate your memories just as you would expect with our Xbox optimized user interface.
We’d love to hear from you!
We’re making a big investment in Photos these days and we want your feedback on how to make it better. You are a key part of all the changes we make to the Photos experience. Try out the latest update, edit some photos, draw on some videos, and continue to share your feedback with us through the built-in feedback tool. You can find “Send Feedback” under the “…” menu.
Adobe Flash has been an integral part of the web for decades, enabling rich content and animations in browsers since before HTML5 was introduced. In modern browsers, web standards pioneered by Microsoft, Adobe, Google, Apple, Mozilla, and many others are now enabling sites to exceed those experiences without Flash and with improved performance and security. Starting in the Anniversary Edition of Windows 10, we began to give users more control over Flash by selectively pausing certain Flash content, like ads, that were not central to the page.
In our next release, we will extend this functionality and encourage the transition to HTML5 alternatives by providing additional user control over when Flash content loads. Windows Insiders will be able to try an early implementation of this feature soon in upcoming preview builds. The user experience will evolve as we move towards a stable release in the Windows 10 Creator’s Update next year.
Sites that support HTML5 will default to a clean HTML5 experience. In these cases, Flash will not even be loaded, improving performance, battery life, and security. For sites that still depend on Flash, users will have the opportunity to decide whether they want Flash to load and run, and this preference can be remembered for subsequent visits.
Sample of the user experience when the user clicks on a blocked Flash control.
We are deeply aware that Flash is an integral part of many web experiences today. To ease the transition to HTML5, these changes initially will not affect the most popular sites which rely on Flash today. In the coming months, we will actively monitor Flash consumption in Microsoft Edge and will gradually shorten the list of automatic exceptions. At the end of this process, users will remain in control, and will be able to choose Flash for any site they visit.
We advise web developers to migrate to standardized content delivery mechanisms like JavaScript and HTML5 Encrypted Media Extensions, Media Source Extensions, Canvas, Web Audio, and RTC in the coming months.
This change will provide all users improved performance, greater stability, and stronger security. These changes are similar to updates coming from our friends at Apple, Mozilla, and Google. We look forward to continued work with these partners, and with Adobe, to improve the capabilities and security of the web for all users.
Contact us Today!
Chat with an expert about your business’s technology needs.