Mobile Device Management (MDM) and Microsoft Windows Intune?

Posted April 12th, 2012 by Joe Panettieri

Windows Intune, Microsoft’s cloud-based PC management and security tool, is designed to remotely maintain Windows PCs and notebooks. But I’m starting to wonder if Microsoft (NASDAQ: MSFT) will gradually extend Windows Intune to support mobile device management (MDM) across Windows 8 tablets — and yes, perhaps even Apple iPad (iOS) and Google Android devices.
Publicly, Microsoft has always stated that Windows Intune is a Windows-centric management platform. But privately, I know Microsoft has contemplated extending Windows Intune to support non-Windows devices.

Microsoft Management Summit

We could get more clues during next week’s Microsoft Management Conference 2012 (April 16-20, Las Vegas). At that event, Microsoft Corporate VP Brad Anderson is expected to give two keynotes. One of them will focus on “a world of connected devices.” The session description is as follows:

“Clouds and cloud-connected devices are changing the world of work and our daily interactions. Tech-savvy and always-connected, people want faster, more intuitive technology, uninterrupted services, and the freedom to work anywhere, anytime, on a variety of devices. Join Brad Anderson, Corporate Vice President of the Management and Security Division at Microsoft to learn how System Center 2012 and Windows Intune can help IT embrace this new reality today, and in the future, by making the right intelligent infrastructure investments.”

That keynote will arrive one week after Gartner’s latest tablet sales forecast, which covers 2012 through 2016. Gartners’ prediction for 2016: Apple’s iPad will continue to lead the market, Google Android will close the sales gap and gain ground on Apple, and Windows 8 tablets will be a distant number three in the tablet market.
That’s not exactly a “scientific” prediction. The entire tablet market share mix could change based on an awesome product from one company, and a bad release from another company.
But either way MSPs should be reaching the following conclusion: The mobile world, similar to the corporate IT world, increasingly involves a mix of platforms — and many of those platforms are not Windows. As a result, mobile device management (MDM) platforms — whether standalone or tied into a broader IT management system — need to go cross platform.
Windows Intune will continue to appeal to a segment of the IT market (Windows-centric shops). But such a narrow focus also limits Windows Intune’s appeal amid the mobile revolution.
At the Microsoft Management Summit, it’s safe to say Anderson will offer clues about where Windows Intune will head next. I wonder if he’ll broaden the message beyond Windows 8…

Google Drive may launch next week. http://ow.ly/akdjd

Win 8 inludes features like updated Win Explorer, Task Manager, better multi-monitor support & ability to switch languages on the fly http://ow.ly/akdIv

Pathways to Cloud 2012 Event

Mark your calendars! HP and Sarcom  are hosting a FREE Pathways to Cloud 2012 Event on  Tuesday April 3rd  in New York City  at the Marriott Marquis  1535 Broadway  New York, NY  See ‘first hand’ how to simplify and accelerate your path to the cloud with solutions that meet your two most critical needs: improving traditional IT, while enabling IT and your business to have a smooth transition to the cloud. Put me on the Pathway (and enter me for a chance to win an HP TouchSmart PC.)   Check in: 7:30 am - 8:30 am Breakfast and Cloud Exhibit Hall Open   8:30 am - 9:15 am Keynote: Traditional IT to Convergence and from Convergence to Cloud   Cloud Solutions and Accelerators   Compute Decisions Today for a Cloud Ready Future - Pt. 1 Lunch and Exhibit Hall Open   12:15 pm - 1:15 pm Compute Decisions Today for a Cloud Ready Future - Pt. 2   How to Get Started and Which Path to Choose   Data Management and Storage Requirements for Private Cloud   Building Cloud Optimized Data Center Networks   Closing Session: 3:45 pm    Click HERE to schedule your free consultation

9 Reasons to Switch from Facebook to Google+

Can Google+ steal users from Facebook? Yep. There are good reasons to switch from Facebook to Google+, ranging from ease-of-use to respect for data privacy.

By Mark Sullivan, PCWorld   

When people ask “can Google+ beat Facebook?” they’re misstating the question. It’s not about one site versus another site. Google+ is bigger than that. The reason Google calls it the “Google+ Project” is that Google+ will become a central part of Google’s whole identity. It will reshape the company. So the real question is “can Google beat Facebook?” Put that way, the contest seems a lot more even.
Facebook, of course, has a huge head start, but there are good reasons for people to seriously consider dumping Facebook for Google+. [See our Hands-on Review]

1. Integration with Google Services

The biggest wedge Google has for driving people toward using Google+ is integration. That is, Google will build Google+ social networking features and tools into almost all of its existing online services from Search to Documents to Video (YouTube). Google+ is already integrated into the navigation bar at the top right of almost all Google products; this lets you monitor all Google+ events (updates, messages, etc.) as well as share content with friends without ever leaving the Google service you happen to be using. Millions and millions of people use Google's free services (Gmail, Docs, Search, etc.), and with Google+ bound so tightly to them it may start to seem silly to jump out to some other site (Facebook) to do your social networking.

2. Better Friend Management

Google is right that the “Circles” concept is more in line with the way we make friends in real life. We have many different kinds of friends, and we interact with them and communicate with them in very different ways. Facebook’s Groups feature lets you form ad hoc groups of friends, but compared to the way its done in Google+ it seems cumbersome. After all, Facebook’s Groups feature is pretty new; it was “built on”, while friend "circles" are the bedrock of the Google+ platform.

3. Better Mobile App

If you're an Android user, you may find that getting content from your phone to your social platform is easier, cleaner more functional with the Google+ mobile app. The app is already great, but Google will seek more and more ways to make your Android phone a seemless appendage of your Google+ social platform. Google hopes to use its huge Android user base as a wedge against Facebook, whose mobile app, while nice-looking, is a little clunky to use.

4. Easier to Find Stuff to Share

Google+'s Sparks feature is another important differentiator from Facebook. Spark is Google leveraging its search engine to do something Facebook can’t do—give users an instant wellspring of relevant information to share with friends. Because Facebook has no search engine, its users must leave the site to find shareable data or wait for their friends the share it with them. The question "how do I find stuff to share" is immediately answered with Sparks.

Related Slideshow: Google+ vs. Facebook: See How They Compare

5. You Can Get Your Data Back

Facebook is notorious for its poor stewardship of personal data. You are forced to make certain parts of your personal data "public" for example, and It is very hard to permanently delete your Facebook profile. Google, on the other hand, makes it possible for you to pick up all the data you’ve banked at Google+ and walk away. This is done through a Google+ tool called “Data Liberation.” With just a few clicks you can download data from your Picasa Web Albums, Google profile, Google+ stream, Buzz and contacts.

6. Better Photo Tagging

When viewing photos in Google+ you can “tag” the people in them similar to the way you do in Facebook. You draw a little square around a person's face, then type in their name in the box below it (or choose one of the names Google+ guesses). But there’s a big difference in the way Google handles the privacy aspect of photo tagging. When you tag someone, you see this note: “Adding this tag will notify the person you have tagged. They will be able to view the photo and the related album.” Facebook, on the other hand, does not make an effort to warn people the they’ve been tagged (possibly in an unflattering or compromising photo) and give them an immediate chance to remove the tag.
Also, Google has wisely decided to shy away from using facial recognition software, which Facebook now uses to automatically identify people in photos uploaded to user albums.

7. Strong Group Chat Features

Google+ has Facebook beat in the area of chat. Forming ad hoc group video chats using the Hangouts feature in Google+ is easy, and forming ad hoc groups for a little chat seems like a natural and fun thing to do in a social networking setting. Similarly, the new Huddle mobile app makes it easy for mobile (Android) users to start up group text chats. Facebook simply doesn't offer these tools.

8. Safer Content Sharing

Privacy advocates have long called for social networking sites to let users assign a privacy level to each piece of content they share, instead of using a pre-set list privacy settings to govern all shares. Google obviously heard those calls, and built the capability into Google+. For instance, when I share an article or upload a camera image, Google+ gives me choices of which friend circles I’d like to share that content with. Advantage Google+.

9. Google Is a Better Steward of Your Personal Data

Running a social network is all about responsible stewardship of users' personal information. Facebook is a young, fast moving company that has proved itself to be cavalier in its movements, lacking in respect for user data privacy, and accident prone. Google on the other hand, is a far more mature company that is, I would argue, seen as more trustworthy than Facebook. For the most part, Google has lived up to its “Don’t Be Evil” slogan. Which company would you rather have as the steward of your personally identifiable information?

iPhone 5 Will Have 4-Inch Screen, Launch in Summer (RUMOR)

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 by Peter Pachal

We know. We know. Everyone still hasn’t stopped talking about how many iPhone 4Ses Apple sold last quarter, and here we are reporting on new rumors about the next one. But this most recent iPhone 5 rumor has piqued our interest more than usual.
9to5 Mac reports that a Foxconn worker told them that the next-generation iPhone, tentatively called the iPhone 5, is gearing up for production. According to the report, there are several different samples, each of which varies slightly from the others, so it’s impossible to determine which will be final.
However, all the samples sport 4-inch or larger screens, which would finally put the iPhone into the same screen leagues as many of its high-end Android competitors, like the Droid RAZR. That of course means none of the samples have the same compact form factor as the iPhone 4 or 4S. The screen on one of the units is said to be made by LG; there was no screen info for the other samples.
Also of note: Not a single one of the phones has a MacBook Air-inspired teardrop shape, a rumor that first got started last spring, then visually realized in a speculative post on This Is My Next (now The Verge). Apparently all of the samples are symmetrically shaped.
The report goes on to say that production of iPhone 5 could begin soon, perhaps with a summer release.
While you should look at all of this information with a skeptical eye, a raised eyebrow and folded arms, the rumor sounds slightly more credible than the junk typically spewed out from Taiwan industry pub DigiTimes. For starters, reviewing various prototypes before deciding on the final production model is a standard practice in manufacturing, unlike many rumors that imply certainty about what something will look like.
Also, the overall vagueness of the rumor (no precise screen measurement, no photos, nothing about the insides) at least gives an appearance of authenticity. After all, if you were just going to make something up, why not be more detailed? There’s certainly no shortage of potential features to choose from.
What do you think of this latest rumor about iPhone 5? Do you think it’s bunk, or does it feel like the real deal? Have your say in the comments.

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BONUS: Top 8 Rumors About iPad 3

View As Slideshow »

1. Minor Upgrades

iLounge recently reported that it saw a prototype of the next-generation iPad at the 2012 Consumer Electronics Show (CES) and that it looks just like the iPad 2, only thicker by about 1 mm. The camera in the top left corner is expected to be a bit larger than the iPad 2 and similar to the improved camera featured on the iPhone 4S.
It’s also been rumored that the next-generation iPad will have a high-resolution screen – possibly even double dpi -- and a stronger interior. However, the updates seen by iLounge seem to be more cosmetic than structural. Could the next-generation device be an upgrade similar to that of the iPhone 4 to the iPhone 4S?

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2. Delayed Launch

Due to some international weather conditions such as a flood in Thailand, some believe there is a bit of uncertainty with Apple’s supply chain in parts of Asia that would put the release date in question. However, analysts at Citigroup believe everything is on schedule and that the launch will happen as planned, according to a report by The Wall Street Journal.
Graphic courtesy M.I.C. Gadget
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3. First-Quarter Unveiling

Citigroup also expects the next-generation iPad will be unveiled in February, citing a few sources close to the matter. The iPad 2 was announced on March 2, 2011, so an announcement close to previous model launch dates is expected. Some also speculate that the event could be held on Feb. 24 – Steve Jobs's birthday.

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4. March Arrival

MacRumors recently cited Japanese reports that Foxconn and Pegatron – two key manufacturing partners for Apple – have started producing the next-generation iPad and plan to ship the device in March.

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5. Siri

According to a 9to5Mac report, Apple may be adding Siri Dictation to the next-generation iPad. A tipster noted that they were looking through the iOS 5.1 beta 3 settings application on the iPad and noted a new section called “Privacy and Dictation.” Inside included legal and feature information for Siri.

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6. A Cheaper iPad Model

The DigiTimes recently reported that a less expensive iPad model will also be released with the next-generation iPad to offer an alternative to the Kindle Fire.

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7. Price Cuts on Previous Models

Some are holding out on purchasing an Apple tablet until price cuts occur on previous iPad models after the unveiling of the next-generation version. Since the cost of the iPhone 4 and iPhone 3G lowered after the iPhone 4S debuted, it’s possible that the first two versions of the iPad could experience a price drop.

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8. Unconventional Uses for Previous Models

With the arrival of the next-generation iPad, some expect that previous models will be used to foster research in the future. In fact, according to a report by Scientific American, some previous versions of the iPad could end up in the hands of Orangutans. A non-profit organization called Orangutan Outreach gathers donated iPads to help animals learn and even communicate with others. Scientific American also noted that iPads are a therapeutic device and help orangutans in captivity stay active and happy.
Graphic courtesy Orangutan Outreach.

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IT Managers & Business Owners Benefit from IT Outsourcing

The benefits of IT outsourcing goes beyond cost savings, which may have been the primary consideration for going down the outsourcing path. Among the other benefits that IT managers and business owners can realize from IT outsourcing are better business control, access to specialized skills and expertise, reduced risks, improved flexibility and ability to rapidly implement new strategies and initiatives.
When you want something done and you don’t have the skills to do it, often the wiser choice is to get someone to do it for you who can perform better and faster. You save money and precious time rather than spending time trying to learn to do it yourself. That is one of the ways outsourcing proves to be cost-effective. It frees you up to focus on what you do best – the core mission of your business, delivering quality products and services for the satisfaction of your customers.
With a reliable and competent IT outsourcing partner a business shares the risks associated with performing tasks that may be done not as effectively by in-house staff. For example, if you have too many IT-related projects and not enough people with the right expertise to implement them, an IT services provider can help prioritize those requests and apply better controls to their implementation. IT outsourcing also mitigates the risks involved in hiring internal staff. It eliminates the need for training employees and dealing with leaves, absences, employee benefits and turnover. An IT outsourcing company can provide your staffing requirements on a more stable basis by bringing in people with the right skills set as needed.
IT outsourcing covers many services from which you can choose: data center operations, desktop support, help desk, software development, website/e-commerce, hosted applications, network operations, and disaster recovery services. IT security is an ever-growing concern and is another significant area of IT outsourcing.

May all your troubles last as long as your New Year resolutions.

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The Many Stories of The Rescuing Hug