Windows 10 Migration – What’s New in Spring 2018?
Windows 10 migration and upgrades. The Spring 2018 version of Windows 10 has been released. Windows 10 made its first appearance in July 2015, and is available in six versions: Home, Education, Mobile, Pro, Enterprise, and Mobile Enterprise. Four major updates to the operating systems have been issued.
Considering a Windows 10 migration or what to know what’s new in the upgrade? We’ll look at a few of the new features in the Spring 2018 Windows 10 version from a business perspective in this blog.
7 helpful new business features in Windows 10 – Spring 2018 update
- The Timeline is a helpful tool that gets you back to work faster. Synch it to mobile devices and desktops for the upmost efficiency. Launch it by clicking on the computer screen outline at the right of the task bar on the bottom of the home screen. Timeline shows you the documents most recently worked on, or the applications that you recently opened.
- Focus Assist. Access it by hitting the Start icon button and typing “Focus Assist settings”. This new feature lets you stop notifications for a specific time period. If you are sharing your screen and doing a Skype or online presentation, notifications are distracting. Stop all sounds, alerts and notifications for whatever time period you need. You can stop late night notifications.
- Improved Security. Anti-virus, firewall and anti-phishing updates have been added to warn users not to visit a potentially malicious website or download a suspicious file. The Windows Defender Device Guard allows IT professionals to “white list” applications. A free plugin of Windows Defender Device Guard is available on the Chrome Web Store.
- Clutter Free Printing. Need to print a webpage? Check the “Clutter Free Printing” box and the page will print without any ads. Eliminating the ads reduces the amount of toner used.
- Cortana is a virtual personal assistant. It sends helpful tips and reminders.
- Windows Hello For Business. This feature replaces passwords with two-factor authentication security. Enterprise businesses may want to opt for the fingerprint, iris or facial recognition security features. Additional costs involved. Windows Hello requires a special camera for facial recognition or a finger print reader which supports the Windows Biometric Framework.
- Windows Mixed Reality. Imagine being able to get a virtual reality tour of a yet to be built office building, proposed interior design transformation or new product.
Several off-the-shelf VR applications are supported. Two examples with practical business use are:
- SketchUpViewer – The application creates holographic representations of envisioned designs. It’s popular with architectural firms.
- Trimble Connect takes a 3D design and lets project managers and stakeholders get a view of what the finished product will look like from all angles.
Pop Up Ads, Device Upgrades
There is one annoying new feature. Microsoft is allowing advertising pop-ups. Fortunately, each advertisement can be disabled. Unfortunately, it may require the help of an IT professional to block each one.
Microsoft is introducing the new Windows 10 upgrade slowly. The Windows 10 upgrade isn’t free. Keep in mind that older computers may not be compatible with the upgrade. Upgrade older devices.
Windows 10 migration or Office 365?
In 2017, Microsoft started bundling Windows 10 with Office 365. If your business has an Office 365 subscription, each licensed user will receive automatic Windows 10 updates as part of their subscription. Small to medium sized businesses can benefit greatly from an Office 365 migration. If you are a small business owner with a staff of 10 or more, or if you have offices in multiple locations, you should definitely explore the benefits of migrating to Office 365. Call Nettology to learn more.
Need an IT Assist? Contact Nettology
If you’d like help with a Windows 10 migration or managing other parts of your IT environment, feel free to call Nettology Philadelphia IT support at 610-558-1730. Nettology can order and configure laptops for your business. Our all-in-one Total Care computer network support package will keep your IT infrastructure running smoothly. We offer many IT services for small businesses throughout the United States.
