Enterprise Server Strategies for the CIOIn this week's news summary, we'll cover the latest PowerShell details, Microsoft's latest Patch Tuesday bulletin, Windows 8 predictions and more stories you might have missed while taking the Windows IQ Test.
Requires Free Membership to View
WMF, mate
The preview release of Windows
Management Framework 3.0 is here, which means you can get a good look at the updates to Windows
Management Instrumentation (WMI), Windows Remote Management (WinRM), and, most importantly,
PowerShell 3.0. Redmond Mag notes a
number of upgrades to the product, including an integrated scripting environment and implicit
remoting capability. Given PowerShell's
increased role within Windows Server, there should be plenty here to keep admins busy.
Patch Tuesday preview
Microsoft's latest security
bulletin, due to be issued on Tuesday, will include 14
patches addressing 20 vulnerabilities. This includes one update labeled "critical" for Windows
Server 2003, 2008 and 2008 R2; another is critical for Windows Server 2003 only. The bulletin does
not address a fix for the Duqu Trojan zero-day vulnerability uncovered last month.
More Windows 8 predictions
Many speculated that a beta version of Windows 8 would be unveiled at the Consumer Electronics Show
in January, but the latest rumor, via The Next Web, is that we'll have to wait
until February to see it. It remains to be seen whether this schedule will affect the eventual
product release – and there are just as many questions about how that product will be received.
Among analyst firm IDC's
predictions for 2012 was skepticism about how the market will respond to the new OS (though IDC
is optimistic about Windows Server 8's ability to improve
private cloud deployments), given usability concerns, the fact that many enterprises just
completed upgrades to Windows 7, and the questions about how it'll work on tablets (like whether
there will be support
for the Desktop App). The Motley Fool agrees that Windows 8's touch-friendly interface doesn't
seem like it will work well on traditional PCs, but offers some positive thoughts about Windows
tablets.
Windows Store opens doors in February
Microsoft debuted its plan to attract developers and customers with its app store, dubbed the
"Windows Store." Developers can submit their apps, which will only work in the Metro UI
environment, and price them from $1.49 to $999.99 (as well as free) and are required to come with
time- or feature-based free trials. According to Mary Jo Foley at ZDNet, developers of
desktop-based apps can promote
but not sell their wares. Microsoft will share revenues with developers: 70 percent of sales will go to the developers until they hit 25,000 purchases,
according to Gareth Morgan at Computing. After that, developers will receive 80 percent. Rovio, you'd better be
listening. Microsoft is holding a development contest that could indicate an ARM-based beta of Windows 8 will also be released, writes Woody Leonhard at
InfoWorld. One important note: the Windows Store terms of use gives Microsoft the ability to remove
'apps or data' from Windows 8 devices at any time.
Join the conversationComment
Share
Comments
Results
Contribute to the conversation