There's been a lot of noise recently about the immersive, exciting and more engaging experience the new Windows 8 modern UI (user interface) brings to desktop and notebook usability.
But Windows 8 isn't just about enhancements to the end-user experience and a more natural 'touch-aware' way of interacting with applications. It brings a number of new features that could transform the experience of using Windows for business.
Traci Maynard, general manager of the software division at Tarsus Technologies, says the benefits that will be most important for CIOs and IT directors who are considering the move to Windows 8 come from the security realm.
"Most IT departments will be familiar with - and might even have made use of - BitLocker and AppLocker, two security features that Microsoft debuted with Windows 7," Maynard says.
"BitLocker has been improved, with several usability enhancements that make it faster to deploy, such as the ability to pre-provision user PINs, passwords and the option to specify either 'Full Volume' or 'Used Space Only' encryption.
"This enhancement is key," she adds, "since it allows IT departments to set up BitLocker to only encrypt used disk space, and in doing so, dramatically reduce the time it takes for BitLocker to be enabled."
Some key enhancements have also been made to AppLocker.
"AppLocker now unlocks the ability for administrators to set rules for packaged apps and packaged app installers, substantially cutting down on the amount of time it takes to configure the solution.
"Where previously AppLocker would have to be configured for each distinct application or executable in a suite of products, such as Microsoft Office or Adobe's Creative Suite, now administrators can configure it to work across all applications in a suite," she says.
Still on the security front, Maynard says many IT departments became accustomed to using Microsoft Virtual Desktop Infrastructure because of its ability to deliver a rich and full-fidelity Windows environment, using hardware that existed almost entirely in the data centre.
With Windows 8, the major enhancements come in the form of RemoteFX, a new technology that allows remote desktops to take advantage of graphics-intensive applications through a virtualised graphics card that's hosted server-side.
"Numerous performance improvements have been made to the version that ships with Windows 8, allowing remote clients to stream media smoothly and even play full-screen, full-performance DirectX11 games on a thin client as if it were a full-blown desktop system.
"The solution even caters for up to 16 touch-screen monitors per virtual machine, giving users the full Windows 8 desktop experience on lightweight and low-cost thin client devices," she adds.
"Rounding out the security enhancements of Windows 8 is 'Windows To Go', a completely new feature that enables users to boot into a fully-functional Windows 8 environment stored on a certified USB drive," Maynard continues.
"It's important to note that in the efforts of improved security, the host PC's local storage devices aren't available when a Windows To Go environment is active, and similarly, that any Windows To Go USB devices will not appear in Windows Explorer if plugged into a running Windows system.
"Other than that, it's a full-blown Windows 8 installation, but one that 'lives' on a USB Flash drive," she says.
Outside of the security benefits outlined here, there's a ton of new Windows 8 features worth exploring, such as BranchCache, DirectAccess, numerous performance enhancements and a host of Windows 8-specific hardware.
"So, while naysayers expound on the reasons Windows 8 won't make it in the enterprise, I believe the exact opposite is true.
"We've seen many long-awaited features delivered with Windows 8 that bring immediate value to so many clients we're working with today.
"Here at Tarsus, we haven't been more confident about an operating system overhaul in years," she concludes.
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Tarsus Technologies
With more than 27 years of experience in the ICT industry, Tarsus is the leading value-added distributor in South Africa, specialising in the supply of the world's foremost PC and peripheral hardware brands to the local reseller channel.
Tarsus strives to meet the channel's needs for credit funding, stock availability and efficient logistics, ensuring that resellers are able to deliver the highest quality service to their customers, focus on support and compiling the best overall solutions for their end-user customer base at the lowest possible cost.
The company prides itself on its flexibility, adaptability, knowledge, skills and successful track record, combined with an industry-leading ability to manage large roll-outs. These are the reasons Tarsus has consistently been rated as the top distributor in the country by international vendors, resellers and the IT media alike.
With its strong commitment to the South African channel, Tarsus is able to not only make the reseller channel more efficient, but more importantly, it plays a vital role in dramatically reducing the costs of doing business in the local ICT market.
Tarsus distributes a range of products from the world's leading manufacturers, including Acer, AOC, APC, Asus, Cisco, Dell, Gateway, HP, Lenovo, Meissner, Microsoft, OKI Printing Solutions and Samsung.
Tarsus' head office is situated in Johannesburg, with branches in Cape Town, KwaZulu-Natal, Port Elizabeth, Bloemfontein and Nelspruit. Tarsus has also extended its footprint into Africa with branches in Namibia, Botswana and Mauritius.
More information about Tarsus is available at: http://www.tarsus.co.za.
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