Technology

What’s Cooking at Microsoft

By admin ⋅ May 17, 2008 ⋅  Print this post ⋅ Post a comment

Could it be that Microsoft is planning to scrap Windows Vista earlier? Of course we couldn’t tell tucked away in a dark, secluded corner of Microsoft’s site lies a document dated January 31, 2007 containing some preliminary information regarding select areas of investment for future versions of Windows. So which areas is Microsoft planning to focus on for the next major release of Windows? With the recent news of codename “Fiji” potentially being an MCE release, should help to roughly piece together the beginnings of the mystery currently known only by a codename: Windows “Seven”.

Windows Seven Preview

Building on the foundation of Windows Vista, this information has 2 main groups targeted: End Users and IT Pros.

End User focal points:

Easier: Making information easier to find and use.

• -Converging local, network and internet search functionality.
• -Enhance Enterprise management of find and organize backup, permissions and schemas.
• -Further advance intuitive user experience and role-based context.
• -Integrate automated application provisioning and cross-app data transparency.

Better Connected: Enable and empower your mobile workforce.

• -Deliver anywhere, anytime, any device access to data and applications.
• -Enable robust ad hoc collaboration experience.
• -Expand wireless connectivity, management and security functionality.
• -Optimize performance and functionality for current and emerging mobile hardware.
• -Extend multiple device sync, management and data protection capabilities.
• -Enable flexible computing infrastructures including rich, thin and network-centric models.

IT Pro focal points:

More Secure: Improve security and legislative compliance.

• -Extend data protection and management to peripheral devices.
• -Advance role-based computing scenarios and user-account management.
• -Bridge the inherent conflicts between data protection and robust collaboration.
• -Enable Enterprise-wide data protection and permissions.
• -Expand application compliance and usage monitoring.

Lower Cost: Optimize desktop infrastructure.

• -Enable seamless OS, application and data migration – simplified PC provisioning/upgrade.
• -Achieve non-disruptive application updating and patching.
• -Evolve hardware and software virtualization scenarios.
• -Expand PC self-help and IT Pro problem resolution diagnostics.

Some of the aforementioned is merely logical progression from where Windows is now to where it needs to go, i.e. “further advance intuitive user experience,” etc. and even in its preliminary stages, the information shown here being contained in an official Microsoft presentation is better than mere speculation and desire alone.

Tags: Technology News, Windows Seven Coming, Windows Seven Focal Points, Windows Seven Preview, Windows Seven Target Groups