The Windows announcements came during Microsoft’s annual Build developer conference, during which the Redmond, Wash. tech giant made several key AI announcements, including Windows 11 Copilot.

Windows 365 Boot

Among the Windows 11 IT and management announcements, the preview of Windows 365 Boot was perhaps the most notable, as it gives Windows 11 Pro or Enterprise users the ability to log directly into their Windows 365 Cloud PC as the primary Windows experience on their device. Windows 365 Boot will take users to their Windows 11 login experience, and they will then be directly connected to their Windows 365 Cloud PC with no additional steps.

Microsoft bills this as a tool for shared devices as logging in with a unique user identity can take a user to their own personal and secure Windows experience.

To deploy Windows 365 Boot to endpoints via Microsoft Intune, IT administrators will first need to ensure that they have Windows 11-based endpoints (Windows 11 Pro and Enterprise), enrollment in the Windows Insider Program (Dev Channel), Intune Administrator rights and Windows 365 Cloud PC licenses.

This Tech Community blog includes more information on how to deploy Windows 365 Boot.

Privacy and security

Microsoft is releasing several other new features designed to make Windows 11 more secure, including the public preview of ability to isolate Win32 applications for both consumer and commercial users.

According to Microsoft, this gives developers the ability to reduce the risk of security breaches by running Win32 apps in isolation to help prevent apps from having unexpected or unauthorized access to critical internal Windows subsystems, thereby minimizing the damage of an app is compromised.

Microsoft also rehashed its Sign-in Session Token Protection Policy, which it first announced at Microsoft Secure in March, which allows applications and services to cryptographically bind security tokens on the device to restrict attackers’ ability to impersonate users on a different device after stealing tokens.

In addition, Microsoft announced account badging, starting in June, which will send users an alert to their Start menu when their account needs attention.

Other security and privacy tools now available include new app privacy settings that give users the ability to allow or block access to presence sensor information and enable or disable presence sensing features, as well as a glanceable VPN on the taskbar to give users quick access to their VPN status.

IT management

For simplified IT management, Microsoft is adding new cloud-powered capabilities to Windows 11 Enterprise designed to lower the cost of managing and securing Windows devices.

This starts with Universal Print secure release with QR code for Android delivering step-by-step process authentication, including the ability to securely release a print job only to the employee for which it’s intended. This is designed to help prevent leaks of confidential information.

Microsoft is also making it easier for IT teams to connect to hybrid workers with organizational messages. The company says this allows IT in Windows 11 Enterprise organizations to send company-branded messages from Microsoft Intune to users on various Windows surfaces, including the notification panel, above the taskbar and the Get Started app.

Although it was announced last month, Microsoft also reiterated the preview release of the ability to upgrade from Windows 10 to Windows 11 Enterprise via Windows Autopatch.

Read Microsoft’s blog to learn more about these announcements.

The post Microsoft Releases Windows 365 Boot Preview, Windows 11 IT Management Features appeared first on My TechDecisions.

The Build conference comes as Microsoft becomes fully invested in Copilot, AI and Windows 11, with much of the announcements spanning across those product categories.

Windows Copilot for Windows 11

Microsoft has already unveiled Microsoft 365 Copilot to help workers be more productive while using Microsoft’s productivity tools such as Word, PowerPoint, Outlook and more. Now, the company is launching Windows Copilot, available in preview next month, which Microsoft calls the first PC platform to provide centralized AI assistance for users.

This comes along with Bing Chat and first- and third-party plugins to help users create complex projects and collaborate more efficiently across multiple applications. Windows Copilot, essentially a virtual assistant, can be invoked from the taskbar and will stay consistent across apps, programs and windows, Microsoft says.

In a blog, Panos Panay, Microsoft’s chief product officer of Windows and devices, says Windows Copilot makes every user a power user.

“The things you love about Windows – copy/paste, Snap Assist, Snipping Tool, personalization – they are all right there for you, along with every other feature on the platform, and they only get better with Windows Copilot,” Panay writes. “For example, you can not only copy and paste, but also ask Windows Copilot to rewrite, summarize or explain your content.”

Similar to ChatGPT, Bing Chat and other chatbots driven by large language models (LLMs), Copilot can be asked a range of questions.

Since the tool was announced during the Build developer conference, Microsoft says Windows Copilot gives developers new ways to reach and innovate for shared customers.

“We welcome you to be part of the Windows Copilot journey by continuing to invest in Bing and ChatGPT plugins so your investments will carry forward to Windows Copilot,” Panay writes.

Bringing the new Bing to ChatGPT, plugins

Microsoft is also bringing its new Bing to ChatGPT to act as the default search experience, giving ChatGPT users access to Bing’s search engine which will be built-in to provide additional information from the web.

This makes ChatGPT answers grounded by search and web data, with citations. ChatGPT Plus subscribers will first get access, and it will be rolling out to free users “soon” by enabling a plugin with brings Bing to ChatGPT, Microsoft says.

Additionally, Microsoft and ChatGPT creators OpenAI are making it possible for developers to use one platform to build and submit plugins that work across both consumer and business surfaces, including ChatGPT, Bing, Dynamics 365 Copilot, Microsoft 365 Copilot, and Windows Copilot.

As part of the shared platform, Bing is adding to its support for plugins by adding several others to the Bing ecosystem.

With Microsoft launching Windows Copilot and essentially bringing Bing Chat to Windows 11 in a “more robust way,” Microsoft says Windows Copilot and Bing Chat enable those plugins to be enhanced through applications on Windows.

Microsoft says it is also natively integrating the common plugin platform into Microsoft Edge.

Microsoft Fabric

Also as part of Microsoft’s announcements is Microsoft Fabric, a new unified platform for analytics that includes data engineering, data integration, data warehousing, data science, real-time analytics, applied observability and business intelligence connected to a single data repository called OneLake, the company says.

According to Microsoft, Fabric enables customers of all technical levels to experience capabilities in a single, unified experience. It is infused with Azure OpenAI Service at every layer to help customers unlock the full potential of their data, enabling developers to leverage the power of generative AI to find insights in their data.

Fabric also incldues Copilot, allowing customers to use conversational language to create dataflows and pipelines, generate code and entire functions, build machine learning models or visualize results, Microsoft says.

Other developer tools

Microsoft also announced Hybrid AI loop to support AI development across platform, and across Azure to client with new silicon support from AMD, Intel, Nvidia and Qualcomm. This builds on Hybrid Loop, which Microsoft launched at last year’s Build conference to enable hybrid AI scenarios across Azure and client devices.

Microsoft also announced Dev Home, which it calls a new Windows 11 experience designed to help developers be more productive and streamline workflows. The preview is available in the Microsoft Store now.

Read Microsoft’s blog for the full list of new developer tools.

The post Microsoft Brings Copilot to Windows 11 appeared first on My TechDecisions.

According to Microsoft, that version of Windows 10 will remain in support with monthly security update releases through Oct. 14, 2025 for all editions. Microsoft has been saying for some time now that it would support at least one version of Windows 10 through that date, but it not appears that Microsoft will put all of its support behind Windows 11 past that date.

That essentially means that organizations that continue to use Windows 10 past that date will not get security updates, leaving them open to potential cyberattacks. The previous Windows 10 release, version 21H2, will go out of support next year on June 11.

Existing LTSC releases will continue to receive updates beyond that date based on their specific lifecycles, the company says in a Windows client roadmap update. According to the company’s product and services lifecycle document, existing Windows 10 LTSC releases have end dates of Jan. 12, 2027 or later.

Read Next: How to Upgrade to Windows 11

Now, organizations essentially have two options for the immediate future:

• Upgrade to Windows 11 to keep operating systems up-to-date, secure, and equipped with new features.
• Update to Windows 10, version 20H2 to continue receiving monthly update releases through Oct. 14, 2025.

Microsoft is also announcing that the next Windows 11 LTSC releases will be available in the second half of 2024 for Windows 11 Enterprise and Windows 11 IoT Enterprise.

Organizations waiting for a Windows 11 LTSC release should begin planning and testing applications and hardware on the current generally available release, Windows 11 22H2, Microsoft says.

Microsoft rolled out Windows 10 22H2 in October 2022 along with several additional features for Windows 11 that weren’t included in the 2022 update, although the Windows 10 feature update was limited in scope and new features and functionality. That update came about a month after the company started to roll out the annual feature update for Windows 11, which included dozens of new features in security, efficiency, productivity, usability and more.

Windows 10 20H2, however, is the next version of the operating system slated for death, with an end-of-support date of May 9, less than two weeks away.

The post Windows 10, 22H2 is the Last Version of Windows 10, Microsoft Decrees appeared first on My TechDecisions.

According to Microsoft, security was a major driver in bringing Windows 11 to HoloLens 2, helping users of the mixed reality solution feel confident when building and deploying end-to-end solutions. The free upgrade to the newest operating system also includes continuous platform support, including monthly security servicing updates that reinforce the protection of sensitive information while improving app performance.

In addition to the security and support improvements, Microsoft is bringing developer tools including Microsoft Edge WebView2 control to HoloLens 2 via a preview. The company says this will give development teams the ability to embed web technologies such as HTML, CSS and JavaScript into their native applications.

To upgrade HoloLens 2 to Windows 11 for free, users can navigate to Settings>Update & Security>Check for Updates. Doing so will automatically trigger the system update. Microsoft notes that the upgrade is optional, and customers can continue using Windows 10 if they prefer.

Along with the release of Windows 11 on HoloLens 2, Microsoft is rolling out new features for Dynamics 365 Guides, including 3D annotations, custom security, industry compliance guidance and additional Microsoft Teams features in Guides.

The new annotation feature allows users to annotate anything around them within arm’s reach, and 3D drawings don’t need to be attached to a machine or surface, Microsoft says.

Microsoft’s new custom security feature in Dynamics 365 Guides, “Restricted Mode,” is designed to give organizations more control over mixed reality apps and the ability to enforce stricter access controls around systems and information deployed on HoloLens 2.

The company is also releasing new industry guidance for Dynamics 365 Guides for regulated industries that must comply with Good Practice (GxP) protocols. This includes refining industrial use cases on Guides to further address compliance, quality control, risk management and documentation.

Microsoft Teams is already integrated with Dynamics 365 Guides, but Microsoft is enhancing the experience with additional features such as the ability to goggle video on or off before a call and performance improvements.

Read this Windows blog or this Tech Community blog for more information.

The post Windows 11, New Features Coming to HoloLens 2 appeared first on My TechDecisions.

The new Windows 11 education features Microsoft highlights include new IT management features, live captions, focus features to help eliminate distractions, simple sign-in and personalized desktop themes.

According to Microsoft, school IT administrators in K-12 organizations can now use Managed Installer to approve and deploy apps to Windows 11 SE devices. This is designed to help education IT professionals ensure that devices are secure, easy to deploy and manage and perform well for an entire school year.

Deployment through Microsoft Intune for Education is still required, helping IT administrators get streamlined app distribution and automation prevention of app-based malware attacks, Microsoft says in a blog.

Admins can also use the Intune for Education dashboard to monitor app-related Windows 11 device health and set and manage school security policies for devices and apps.

Another IT feature in Windows 11 that educational organizations can take advantage of is simple sign-in, which Microsoft says offers a more simple and secure sign-in experience that allows students and staff to easily sign in using existing third-party providers such as Google or Clever to access Windows 11 Pro Education, Windows Education and Windows 11 SE. In addition, they can also use QR codes to sign in.

The feature allows students to sign in using a federated identity provider via web sign-in. This allows students to use the tools they already know to access learning materials, tools and resources, and reduces disruption at the start of the class, Microsoft says.

Microsoft also details live captions, a new feature in Windows 11 and Windows 11 SE designed to make audio more accessible to students wit hearing disabilities, or English language learners. The feature instantly displays audio on a device and captures and transcribes microphone input.

Students can set up live captions once to get automatic audio transcriptions across their device’s productivity apps and enable captions to help as needed. Live captions can also transcribe audio from a website in Microsoft Edge.

In addition, new Focus features can help reduce distractions and create healthy digital habits. Students can start a Focus session from their notification center and enjoy a defined break when it ends. This silences notifications automatically and prevents apps from flashing alerts.

The post Microsoft Rolls Out New Windows 11 Education Features appeared first on My TechDecisions.

The update, which is being delivered as part f the normal Windows monthly update process, will be available for users with devices running Windows 11, version 22H2. The release is an optional non-security preview that will become officially available on March 14, the Patch Tuesday for March, through standard channels such as Windows Update, Windows Server Update Service (WSUS) and the Microsoft Update Catalog. The update can also  be installed as a preview today by visiting the Windows Update settings.

The Windows 11 update is highlighted by the addition of a typable Windows search box combined with the new AI-powered Bing search engine in the taskbar, which Microsoft designed to put search needs for Windows in one easy-to-find location.

The new AI-powered Bing was introduced last month as Microsoft begins to integrate the generative AI technology from ChatGPT creators OpenAI.

According to Microsoft, the search box is one of the most widely used features in Windows with over half a billion users each month, and the addition of a typable search box powered by the new Bing is designed to help users get the information they are looking for faster than ever before.

Panos Panay, Microsoft’s chief product officer, writes in a blog that the new Bing is giving users access to information and resources they didn’t have before.

“For me personally, this technology is having incredible impact on how my kids, and I communicate with my dad, their grandfather, in Greek,” Panay writes. “It’s important for us to stay connected to where we’re from, including speaking the language, and with the new Bing chat experience we can learn and practice writing and speaking in Greek with my dad. It’s inspiring and changing the way we communicate and connect in ways we never imagined.”

However, the new Bing experience in Windows 11 is not yet available to Azure Active Directory and Active Directory accounts, the company notes in a Tech Community blog.

“We are exploring how we can bring this same innovation to the commercial space, while providing proper control and ample time so you can deploy these experiences in a way that works for your organization,” the company says.

Another feature included in the new update is the ability to link an iPhone directly to a Windows 11 PC via a new preview of Phone Link for iOS, a new Android phone link experience, new touch experiences, full screen widgets, quick access to the Windows 365 app, a deeper Teams integration, new AI features in Start and ongoing updates designed to make the operating system more accessible and sustainable.

Additionally, the update includes new AI-powered recommended content within the Start menu for Windows 11 Pro devices and higher that are Azure Active Directory joined. These recommendations are designed to help users prepare for upcoming meetings, quickly access collaborative files and more. These same features are also available in File explorer.

What IT admins need to know about the new Windows 11 update

Microsoft is also making the Windows 365 app generally available in the Microsoft Store so users go directly from their desktop to their Cloud PC. In addition to giving users a personalized experience tailored to their settings and work style, this is also designed to help reduce friction for IT administrators who can enable employees with a single sign-on experience.

While the Windows 11 update is being released outside of the company’s original feature update cadence, Microsoft says Windows 11 will continue to have an annual update cadence, with a new version released in the second half of this year.

In a Tech Community blog, Microsoft says the new features are being released now due to feedback from users.

“By delivering new value through servicing technology more often, we can help your organization benefit from improved security, productivity, and collaboration today in a proven, reliable way without sacrificing quality,” the company says.

For organization using Windows Update for Business or WSUS to control which updates are offered to managed devices, admins can use a new client policy to control the rollout of select features introduced via servicing.

However, features introduced via servicing behind this commercial control will be off for Windows-Update-manage device until they are released as part of the next annual feature update, the company says.

“For example, the new touch-optimized taskbar (and collapsed taskbar behavior) will be off by default. IT admins can enable it using the new client policy outlined in Commercial control for continuous innovation. (Note that not all features shipped via servicing will be behind this new control.)

Microsoft is also introducing new policies to enable admins to configure features in their organizations preferred way. For example, search on the taskbar can be configured via ConfigureSearchOnTaskbarMode to show the search box, search icon and label, search icon only, or hide search on the taskbar altogether.

The post Microsoft Releasing Windows 11 Update With AI-Powered Bing Search appeared first on My TechDecisions.

This is made possible by a partnership with global technology company Alludo and its virtualization solution Parallels Desktop for Mac. This allows the use of Arm versions of Windows 11 Pro and Enterprise installed in a virtual machine with Parallels Desktop for Mac customers on Mac with Apple silicon.

According to Alludo, this allows IT administrators to enable their users to run Windows 11 on Arm on the Parallels platform, with the support from Alludo and assurance that Microsoft has authorized the solution.

In a Microsoft support document, the company calls Parallels Desktop version 18 an authorized solution for running Arm versions of Windows 11 Pro and Enterprise in a virtual environment on its platform on Apple M1 and M2 computers.

In addition, users can securely stream their full Windows 11 experience to many devices via Microsoft’s Windows 365 Cloud PC service.

According to Alludo, the latest version of Parallels Desktop for Mac is optimized for the latest Mac lineup with Apple silicon, including MacBook Air, MacBook Pro, iMac, Mac mini, and Mac Studio.

Parallels Desktop users can download, install and configure Windows 11 in just one click, while the virtual TPM chip paired with the strong security capabilities designed into Apple silicon and Secure Boot provide a high level of security for customers, the company says.

In its own blog, VMware says the company is finally able to move “full-speed ahead in offering world-class support for Windows on Mac computers with Apple silicon with VMware Fusion via a new partner program.”

“Going forward we’ll be able to get insight and development guidance directly from Microsoft to help us leapfrog the competition and deliver the type of Windows-on-Mac experience that our users would expect from the worlds leader in virtualization,” VMware says in the blog.

However, Microsoft says there are some limitations that can impact the use of hardware, games and apps, such as those relying on DirectX 12 or OpenGL3.3 or greater, per Microsoft’s document.

The Arm version of Windows 11 has limitations that can impact your ability to use various types of hardware, games, and apps, including those that rely on DirectX 12 or OpenGL3.3 or greater.

Experiences that depend on an additional layer of virtualization (nested virtualization) are not supported, including:

• Windows Subsystem for Android, which enables your Windows 11 device to run Android applications that are available in the Amazon Appstore
• Windows Subsystem for Linux, which enables a GNU/Linux environment on Windows 11
• Windows Sandbox, a lightweight desktop environment to safely run applications in isolation
• Virtualization-based Security (VBS), which enables customers to create and isolate a secure region of memory from the normal operating system

DirectX 12, a suite of multimedia technologies frequently used in Windows games and other apps, is not supported.

32-bit Arm apps available from the Store in Windows are not supported by Mac computers with M1 and M2 chips. 32-bit Arm apps are in the process of being deprecated for all Arm versions of Windows. The preferred customer experience is to run 64-bit Arm apps, but customers can also use apps in x64 or x86 emulation on Mac M1 and M2 computers.

The post Microsoft Now Supports Arm Versions of Windows 11 on Apple M1 and M2 Macs appeared first on My TechDecisions.

The distributed work experiment continues

Although some organizations made news by ordering employees back to the office, many organizations are still offering hybrid working arrangements to employees. There have been countless surveys and studies on this issue, and virtually all of them show that employees are demanding some level of flexible working arrangements, so mandating a return to the office will likely lead to turnover.

With organizations now forced to accept hybrid work, IT leaders are turning to technology and new innovations to help keep employees connected. The year saw many new features in videoconferencing platforms like Zoom, Microsoft Teams, Google Meet and Webex, as well as new AI-driven hardware to support those platforms.

However, some challenges remain, including mental and physical health, transportation, housing, and a persistent disconnect between the flexible work demands of employees and what executives are willing to offer.

We should continue to see new innovations in technology to support hybrid work models this year as we head into year three of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Cloud computing soars

Of course cloud computing is on our list of top IT stories in 2022. Despite a projected IT spending growth of just 0.8% for 2022, IT analyst firm Gartner says public cloud spending is projected to rise by nearly 19% in 2022 and is poised for another big leap in 2023 of nearly 21%. This comes as organizations are looking to the cloud to help support growth amid economic uncertainties as a recession is likely.

Other Gartner research of the thoughts of IT leaders finds that 42% say cloud migration is a top area of investment, and 34% say infrastructure compute and storage are top tech priorities.

However, as organizations navigate a complicated process, they are left with some legacy on-premises systems that can make security and management difficult. To solve those issues, tech companies have been releasing new solutions designed to give IT professionals visibility into their entire infrastructure, including cloud and on-premises.

UC&C interoperability

When the COVID-19 pandemic forced employees to work out of their homes, many organizations quickly deployed videoconferencing services such as Zoom, Microsoft Teams, Google Meet or Webex to communicate and collaborate with their remote colleagues. However, interoperability between those platforms and other major services was staggered, meaning that joining meetings on another platform not supported within the organization was challenging.

However, all of those companies made some efforts to move that needle forward this year. Google recently launched support for embedded bi-directional interoperability on Zoom Rooms and Google Meet devices after it already did the same for Webex devices.

Cisco also announced an integration with Microsoft Teams that enables the Teams Rooms experience on Webex devices.

Also announced this year by Microsoft was Direct Guest Join, a one-touch experience that enables users to join a third-party online meeting from Teams Rooms. Currently, the feature works on Teams Rooms for Zoom and Webex.

Cybersecurity implications from the Russia-Ukraine conflict

For security-minded IT professionals–and especially the ones handling sensitive information about the U.S. government–the ongoing crisis between Ukraine and Russia should give cause for concern. Before the boots-on-the-ground invasion of Ukraine by Russian forces, destructive cyberattacks were launched to weaken the government’s response and cripple its infrastructure.

Some of these cyberattacks have since spread to neighboring countries, such as Poland. Moldova, Germany, Romania and other nations that are sympathetic to Ukraine’s cause.

John Fokker, principal engineer and head of cyber investigations for Trellix Threat Labs, says organizations that could be targets of advanced persistent threat actors or nation-states should be paying very close attention.

“Make no mistake—if you have an (advanced persistent threat actor) as a potential threat to your organization, you should take very close notice of what is going on right now,” Fokker says. “From a threat intelligence perspective, I think we’re at a very pivotal moment.”

The conflict is now nearing its one year mark, and the cybersecurity landscape is only more dangerous.

Cybersecurity remains front-page news

Ransomware, phishing, data breaches and other cybersecurity stories have grabbed headlines in recent years, and 2022 was no different, which is why cybersecurity has a heavy presence on our list of top IT stories in 2022.

According to Palo Alto Networks, 96% of all respondents to a recent survey were the victims of a cyber incident or data breach during that time, and 57% saw three or more incidents or breaches. The study also found that a third of all organizations surveyed experienced an operational disruption as a result of a breach in the past year.

Hybrid work is largely to blame, as 84% of executives say hybrid work has played a key role in the increase in cyber incidents over the year.

Zero trust has emerged as a key priority, and identity and access management is now critical to any zero trust initiative. However, attacks are paying attention and have begun targeting identity provides such as Okta, and recent incidents at password management companies continue to put identity security at the forefront.

Log4Shell persists 

It’s been about a year since the critical vulnerability in Log4j was discovered, but the bug is still among the most actively exploited.

Despite constant news coverage of the bug, 30% of Log4j instances remained vulnerable to exploitation three months after the bug was discovered, and cybercriminals and ransomware operators everywhere began leveraging the vulnerability, known as Log4Shell.

Even after a year, the Log4Shell story is not over, as nearly three-quarters of organizations remain vulnerable to Log4Shell, Tenable reported last month.

In fact, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s Cyber Safety Review Board says Log4Shell will be an “endemic vulnerability” that could remain in systems for a decade or longer.

A busy year for Patch Tuesday

In keeping with the security theme on our list of top IT stories in 2022, Microsoft and its customers had another busy year of patching critical vulnerabilities and zero days, with 917 total vulnerabilities addressed. This is up from last year’s count of 848, but not near the high in 2020, which saw an incredible 1,235 security bugs patched. By our count, Microsoft patched 26 zero-day bugs in 2022.

However, Microsoft did release Windows Autopatch, a new service that automates the process of managing and rolling out updates for Windows and Microsoft 365 apps. Free for customers with Windows Enterprise E3 and E5 licenses, Autopatch essentially automates Patch Tuesday for IT administrators with the goal of improving the customer’s security and productivity.

However, many smaller organizations not on those advanced licenses are still left to apply patches manually.

Windows 11 adoption rises

While we’re on Microsoft, 2022 was the first full year of a campaign to encourage users to update from Windows 10 to Windows 11, and that appears to be paying off somewhat, as the Windows 11 market share has grown to more than 16% after a relatively slow adoption for the first few months.

That slow adoption could be due to the operating system’s hardware requirements, as fewer than 39% of devices were eligible for a Windows 11 upgrade as of May 2022. With the holiday season past us and new Windows 11 devices hitting the market, we expect that number to increase quickly in 2023.

In addition, Microsoft will end support for Windows 10 by October 2025, so organizations have less than three years to make the move to Windows 11 by either upgrading eligible devices or planning a full device refresh.

Microsoft also says Windows 11 will have an annual feature update cadence, with feature updates being released in the second half of the year.

Recession and budgeting

The global economy is on the brink of recession, but IT budgets are still expected to grow as digital business initiatives can help companies survive an economic downturn.

According to Gartner, economic turbulence will impact technology investments, but spending in some areas will increase while others will decrease. Next year’s spending on software is projected to grow by more than 11%, and IT services will grow by nearly 8%. The research firm also found that almost 70% of finance chiefs plan to increase spending on technology to reshape revenue streams, add new products and services and change the value proposition of existing products and services.

“Enterprise IT spending is recession-proof as CEOs and CFOs, rather than cutting IT budgets, are increasing spending on digital business initiatives,” says John-David Lovelock, distinguished VP analyst at Gartner.

Burnout and turnover

The last three years have been very busy for technology professionals as IT professionals had to figure out how to support a remote workforce overnight and new software and services were developed at a rapid pace in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. In addition, cyberattacks and ransomware are running rampant, forcing IT and security professionals to work long hours and risk burning themselves out.

One report from email security company Tessian finds that security leaders are working an average of 16.5 hours over their contractual obligations, and about 1 in 5 are working at least 25 extra hours a week.

Another report from Mimecast, also an email security company, finds that 33% of security decision-makers are thinking of leaving their role, and the same percentage say their team sees an increased number of absences due to stress and burnout following a cybersecurity incident.

In IT, especially cybersecurity, finding and retaining talent is one of the biggest issues facing the industry, so getting a handle on this problem is paramount in 2023.

The post Our Top IT Stories From 2022 appeared first on My TechDecisions.

According to Microsoft, this feature is designed to help IT admins connect with employees in organizations embracing a distributed work model by leveraging Intune to configure and send branded messages to help onboard new employees or help existing employees ramp up for new roles. IT admins can also use the feature to notify users about organizational updates and training.

The Redmond, Wash. IT giant says feature was developed as a result of “ongoing conversations” with IT admins who have said they need better tools to onboard, connect and engage end users in hybrid work environments.

Messages can be delivered to appear just above the taskbar or in the Windows notifications area to keep users informed of important information. Messages can also be sent in the Get Started app to help onboard employees to a new device.

Microsoft says the public preview allows IT admins to enable always-on device onboarding messages, with 12 message types available via the Get Started app. In the Taskbar area and Windows notifications, admins can choose from seven message types to send messages about important updates.

The feature also allows IT to update corporate logos for branded messages, deliver users to a custom destination URL, schedule time and frequency for messages, select who can see a message via Azure AD, track the engagement of messages and configure a new Intune or Azure AD built-in role for Organizational Messages Manager or Writer, respectively, according to Microsoft.

The admin preview includes messages localized in 15 languages that are displayed in a dark or light theme, depending on user settings, according to Microsoft.

Admins can configure organizational messages in the Microsoft Endpoint Manager admin center beginning with the 2211 release of Intune.

Microsoft says organizational messages are supporting on devices running Windows 11 2252 or later, and the feature is included with Microsoft 365 E3 and E5, and Endpoint Management + Security E3 and Windows Enterprise E3 and Endpoint Management + Security E5 and Windows Enterprise E5 licenses.

According to Microsoft, admins must be assigned as an Azure AD Global admin, an Intune admin, an organizational messages manager in Intune or in Azure AD.

The feature has other prerequisites, which are listed in this documentation. Read this Tech Community blog to learn more.

The post IT Can Now Communicate Natively With Employees on Windows 11 appeared first on My TechDecisions.

“Our goal at BenQ is to create display solutions for meeting rooms that are as capable as any PC or laptop, giving meeting-goers the freedom to work right from the display itself and ensure not a second is wasted on troubleshooting or connecting devices,” says Bob Wudeck, senior director of business development at BenQ America Corp. “The BenQ EH620 smart projector is the culmination of that goal. It’s a powerhouse hub that’s simple to use and creates the collaborative meeting environments needed today.”

The EH620 Is the Room’s Hub

Featuring the built-in Windows 11 platform, the EH620 allows users to log in to the projector just as they would a Windows PC. There is no need to spend time learning how to operate a new device while collaborating. This reduces device clutter and distractions while increasing capabilities when connected to a wireless keyboard-mouse set and webcam. Users can start online meetings instantly.

The smart projector also features built-in Edge and Chrome browsers for easy web searches. Users can access their cloud account files on Google Drive, OneDrive and Microsoft Teams without using laptops. This effectively reduces meeting preparation time, with users getting everything done on one projector to present seamlessly. The BenQ-exclusive Launcher interface organizes apps into three groups, saving users time spent downloading, searching, or logging into apps. They just click the apps and start the meeting.

The EH620 Is Hybrid-Ready

The BenQ EH620 also supports all BYOD devices. Without installing any additional software or using Wi-Fi dongles, users can wirelessly present by either casting their devices directly to the projector with Miracast, AirPlay, or Google Cast (available in December 2022), or by utilizing BenQ’s InstaShare application. Up to four presenters can share their screens simultaneously with a four-way split-screen. Plus, the projector supports hybrid meetings. When running a videoconferencing app directly from the EH620 and wirelessly casting, both remote and in-room attendees can view the casted presentations.

The EH620 Is Video Conference-Native

Since the EH620 is preloaded with meeting apps including Google Meet, Skype for Business, and TeamViewer Meeting, users can launch and join videoconferences directly from the projector to free up personal devices from public use. The projector detects plug-and-play web cameras automatically and will switch to the optimal Vocal Audio Mode when the app launches.

The EH620 Is IT-Friendly

BenQ has identified three priorities for IT and ensured that the EH620 meets them: easy to install and set up, centrally managed, and robust in security. First, IT administrators and staff can bring their Windows PC experience directly to the EH620 projector. BenQ says is it bypasses complicated settings, especially with software installation and wireless setup.

For IT managers, the EH620’s RJ45 port enables integration with commonly used PJLink, Crestron, and AMX platforms, allowing them to access device information from a central location. In addition, the smart projector auto detects the firmware version and sends update availability notifications to ensure the firmware is current at all times.

Finally, for security, all wireless transmissions are protected by WPA2 AES 128-bit encryption and with Firmware Trusted Platform Module (fTPM), data is protected. Users — guests included — can cast their files to the EH620 without connecting to the local Wi-Fi network, thereby limiting opportunities for hackers.

This article originally appeared on MyTechDecisions’ sister-site CommercialIntegrator.com.

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