After the release of Windows 10 Tech Preview blog on the Orbits website and the recent Windows 10 event launch it makes sense to take a look at the advantages of Windows 10 for businesses.

The first thing I should mention is Windows 10 will be offered as a free upgrade. Yes that’s right a free upgrade! To qualify for this you will need to be a new or existing user for Windows 7, Windows 8, Windows 8.1 and Windows 8.1 phone devices. However this is only free for the first year so make sure you upgrade within the first year of Windows 10 release!

With that being said lets late a look at windows 10 features for businesses.

Windows 10 Design.

Windows 10 has been designed  so there is virtually no learning curve required. Windows 10 user will have the experience of familiar desktop such as Windows 7. Windows 10 has reverted back to the start menu that everyone is used to from Windows XP right up to Windows 7 removing the confusing interface that Windows 8 & 8.1 presented us. Windows 10 applications will no longer open in full screen mode for computers using mouse and keyboards instead modern apps will run in a window on the desktop just like your file explorer and web browser for example. This feature did not exist in the previous operating system 8 and 8.1.

Keeping you secure and up to date.

Businesses rely on updates to keep their employees computers secure. Microsoft has announced that Windows 10 updates will be easier than before, with a new feature that allows businesses to opt to a steady stream of updates or lock down their employees Windows environment. Doing so will give IT administrators more  control as only critical security updates are applied automatically.

File security

Microsoft has hinted at a new low-level security feature that can help employees keep their work files safe. They have not released much details about this it looks like Windwos 10 will have the capability to employ data separation at file levels. This way files will stay secure no matter where they go. Whether they on your Desktop, Laptop or mobile device, email them to colleagues or uploaded to the cloud.

Virtual Desktops

This is something that will help employees complete tasks quicker or make life easier. Through out the day there’s no doubt employees will use multiple apps and programs. The more programs that are open the more difficult it can be to find the multiple files, folders etc that are open.This is where virtual desktop functionality in Windows 10 may be useful. This is a handy multitasking feature that allows you to create as many ‘Desktops’ as you need. This allows you to open certain apps within each desktop for example;

Lets say your working on a project as well as doing your every day to day tasks. You can set up one ‘Desktop up with all your every day to day apps, files and programs you would normally use then you can create another ‘Desktop’ for all the other programs you need to complete the task. This way you can keep both tasks separate from each other and switching between desktops is as easy as a clicking of a button.

Snap-view multitasking

Microsoft introduced Aero Snap in Windows 7, the useful feature that lets one drag windows to the left or right area of your desktop to ‘snap’ them in place over half of your screen, this lets you easily and quickly set up a split-screen view with two apps. This instantly became one of the most popular features ever introduced on Windows with that being said it’s even better in Windows 10. You can now ‘snap’ windows to the corners of your screen so they take up one-fourth of your display, letting you easily display multiple programs all at once.

Protection against modern security threats

Windows 10 will introduce a number of improvements in security & identity protection features that will be easy to manage and won’t compromise the user experience. One of the many improvements is the work Microsoft has done to create user identities for accessing Sites, Apps and Devices that improve resistance to theft, phishing or breach. Microsoft say that “this approach is important because it takes the concept of multi-factor solutions such as smartcards or token-based system and builds it right into the operating system, in turn also eliminating the need for extra security hardware peripherals.”

BitLocker helps companies protect their business data on the devices but once that data leaves the device its no longer protected. Microsoft has been looking in to this and with Windows 10 you are able to provide an additional layer of protection which enables protection that will follows the data wherever it goes. This applies to data moved from tablets, PC, laptops, USB devices, emails or the cloud. The data will maintain the same level protection ensuring all your business data is secure at all times.

With the increase of working outside of the office secure access to the businesses network is incredibly important. People often need  to connect to critical data from anywhere and via multiple devices. Windows 10 will provide organizations with tools so there is secure connections and a more controlled VPN access.