Microsoft rumored to debut Enterprise Mobility Suite, Office for iPad on Thursday
Many expect Microsoft to launch Office for iPad on Thursday, but fresh rumors say the company may also make a play for mass device management with a cross-platform Enterprise Mobility Suite, a competitor to Apple's recently released Deployment Programs initiative.
Citing sources, ZDNet's Mary Jo Foley reports Microsoft is preparing to release a licensing bundle being called the Microsoft Enterprise Mobility Suite (EMS), which is aimed at enterprise customers requiring a cross-platform device management solution.
According to the publication, EMS is able to manage mobile devices running iOS, Android, Windows and more from a central location. The setup can be considered an enhancement of existing Microsoft technology that leverages Windows Server, System Center and Windows Intune to manage devices across various platforms.
Sources say EMS will feature Windows Intune, an updated "Premium" Azure Active Directory and Azure Rights Management Services. Combining the licensed assets, enterprise customers will be able to manage deployed devices from the cloud on a more granular level. This would be a boon for larger companies with bring your own device (BYOD) policies that do not limit employees to a specific OS.
Foley reports Windows Intune is being reworked with in-the-cloud device management features, negating the need for System Center. The solution is expected to support the upcoming Windows Phone 8.1 and Samsung's Knox security system, among other platforms.
Apple recently rolled out its own iOS-only mass device management (MDM) solution for IT professionals working in education and enterprise. Counted among the features of Apple's retooled MDM program is a "zero-touch configuration" tool that automates device setup and enrollment over wireless communications.
Also thought to be on tap for tomorrow's event is the debut of Microsoft's much anticipated Office for iPad. Many expect CEO Satya Nadella to announce the software, though not much else is known about the title. Some speculate Office for iPad will be akin to Office Mobile and may require a subscription to Office 365.
AppleInsider will be at Microsoft's cloud and mobile press event tomorrow, so stay tuned for the latest news.
Citing sources, ZDNet's Mary Jo Foley reports Microsoft is preparing to release a licensing bundle being called the Microsoft Enterprise Mobility Suite (EMS), which is aimed at enterprise customers requiring a cross-platform device management solution.
According to the publication, EMS is able to manage mobile devices running iOS, Android, Windows and more from a central location. The setup can be considered an enhancement of existing Microsoft technology that leverages Windows Server, System Center and Windows Intune to manage devices across various platforms.
Sources say EMS will feature Windows Intune, an updated "Premium" Azure Active Directory and Azure Rights Management Services. Combining the licensed assets, enterprise customers will be able to manage deployed devices from the cloud on a more granular level. This would be a boon for larger companies with bring your own device (BYOD) policies that do not limit employees to a specific OS.
Foley reports Windows Intune is being reworked with in-the-cloud device management features, negating the need for System Center. The solution is expected to support the upcoming Windows Phone 8.1 and Samsung's Knox security system, among other platforms.
Apple recently rolled out its own iOS-only mass device management (MDM) solution for IT professionals working in education and enterprise. Counted among the features of Apple's retooled MDM program is a "zero-touch configuration" tool that automates device setup and enrollment over wireless communications.
Also thought to be on tap for tomorrow's event is the debut of Microsoft's much anticipated Office for iPad. Many expect CEO Satya Nadella to announce the software, though not much else is known about the title. Some speculate Office for iPad will be akin to Office Mobile and may require a subscription to Office 365.
AppleInsider will be at Microsoft's cloud and mobile press event tomorrow, so stay tuned for the latest news.
Comments
Satya Nadellais cloud guy!
But MS should come with new Hardware! I mean better HW and better OS.
Something about that "Post PC" thingy seems to be less absurd than those laughing it off thought.
Good move.
Originally Posted by Chandra69
But MS should come with new Hardware!
If Nadella continues in the same direction and at the same pace, they will be selling iPhone cases and black noisy Time Capsule clones by Christmas.
…But MS should come with new Hardware! I mean better HW and better OS.
No, no, no! Microsoft should drop hardware and concentrate on enterprise software like this Enterprise Mobility Suite; software that comes in versions for all major operating systems. The old Microsoft was doomed to failure when they embarked on that stupid quest to have Windows be everywhere and do everything*. Satya Nadella is doing the right thing - not Windows One Drive but Microsoft One Drive, not Windows Office but Microsoft Office for Windows, for Mac, for Linux, whatever. IBM reinvented itself and stayed successful and relevant; Microsoft needs to do the same and they need to move past Word/Excel/Powerpoint. They need to develop whatever software tools the enterprise needs to integrate whatever hardware tools it choses to use: databases, customer service, graphics management, document management, etc.
The OS wars are over.
*Google is on the same track and will eventually meet the same fate (IMHO)
…But MS should come with new Hardware! I mean better HW and better OS.
No, no, no! Microsoft should drop hardware and concentrate on enterprise software like this Enterprise Mobility Suite; software that comes in versions for all major operating systems. The old Microsoft was doomed to failure when they embarked on that stupid quest to have Windows be everywhere and do everything*. Satya Nadella is doing the right thing - not Windows One Drive but Microsoft One Drive, not Windows Office but Microsoft Office for Windows, for Mac, for Linux, whatever. IBM reinvented itself and stayed successful and relevant; Microsoft needs to do the same and they need to move past Word/Excel/Powerpoint. They need to develop whatever software tools the enterprise needs to integrate whatever hardware tools it choses to use: databases, customer service, graphics management, document management, etc.
The OS wars are over.
*Google is on the same track and will eventually meet the same fate (IMHO)
The problem I have with what you are saying is that Microsoft doesn't build good software either. Most of their software is "good enough", but not typically best in class. Microsofts licensing and ecosystem lock-in was best in class. Now that they are having issues with giant holes being busted in their ecosystem, they will need to retool and build best in class software to actually compete. I'm not sure they can do this. There are other companies working on MDM solutions for all device types and OSes. Microsoft needs to make one that is better and priced right. The sooner they do that, the better chance they have to leverage what is left of their ecosystem play to try and lock-in their these new tools.
The day my employer tries to force a Microsoft MDM client on my Mac is the day I quit. Bad enough they try to push that Symantec Altris on me.
Once again, the branding geniuses at MS have outdone themselves.
Srsly? They're prepping System Center Configuration Manager as what, an ARD killer?
Heck, they waved the Mac browser flag once Safari dropped.
Bueno to the suerte with that one, guys.
Anybody who claims that they just simply cannot live without Microsoft and Office and the rest of it needs to understand what iWork is all about. It is 100% Good Enough.
Microsoft has more to benefit by having office on iPad than Apple does.
Anybody who claims that they just simply cannot live without Microsoft and Office and the rest of it needs to understand what iWork is all about. It is 100% Good Enough.
100% Good Enough - For You, and possibly others. But not necessarily everybody.
I would like to buy Word for Mac from the Mac App Store, but don't know that I would buy it for my iPad.
Also, I think device management is really something that should be done by the OS vendor.
double post
I would like to buy Word for Mac from the Mac App Store, but don't know that I would buy it for my iPad.
Also, I think device management is really something that should be done by the OS vendor.
Imagine how easy that would to be keep it updated. It would run sandboxed too so there wouldn't be the usual gaping Windows security holes.
But this is Microsoft we are talking about. Everything should be difficult.
Software Sadists.
100% Good Enough - For You, and possibly others. But not necessarily everybody.
Exactly. I tried Numbers out last week on my iPad Mini since it's free. It can't even do a simple text-to-columns conversion. Sorry, but no dice.Many expect Microsoft to launch Office for iPad on Thursday, but fresh rumors say the company may also make a play for mass device management with a cross-platform Enterprise Mobility Suite, a competitor to Apple's recently released Deployment Programs initiative.
Illustration of Windows Intune. | Source: Microsoft
Citing sources, ZDNet's Mary Jo Foley reports Microsoft is preparing to release a licensing bundle being called the Microsoft Enterprise Mobility Suite (EMS), which is aimed at enterprise customers requiring a cross-platform device management solution.
According to the publication, EMS is able to manage mobile devices running iOS, Android, Windows and more from a central location. The setup can be considered an enhancement of existing Microsoft technology that leverages Windows Server, System Center and Windows Intune to manage devices across various platforms.
Sources say EMS will feature Windows Intune, an updated "Premium" Azure Active Directory and Azure Rights Management Services. Combining the licensed assets, enterprise customers will be able to manage deployed devices from the cloud on a more granular level. This would be a boon for larger companies with bring your own device (BYOD) policies that do not limit employees to a specific OS.
Foley reports Windows Intune is being reworked with in-the-cloud device management features, negating the need for System Center. The solution is expected to support the upcoming Windows Phone 8.1 and Samsung's Knox security system, among other platforms.
Apple recently rolled out its own iOS-only mass device management (MDM) solution for IT professionals working in education and enterprise. Counted among the features of Apple's retooled MDM program is a "zero-touch configuration" tool that automates device setup and enrollment over wireless communications.
Also thought to be on tap for tomorrow's event is the debut of Microsoft's much anticipated Office for iPad. Many expect CEO Satya Nadella to announce the software, though not much else is known about the title. Some speculate Office for iPad will be akin to Office Mobile and may require a subscription to Office 365.
AppleInsider will be at Microsoft's cloud and mobile press event tomorrow, so stay tuned for the latest news.
At last! we waited for it a long time.
No thanks. I use google docs and iWorks for my needs. Sorry for me the ship has sailed.
Keynote beats PowerPoint at every level by a massive margin. Word is a slow, buggy, over complicated piece of cr@p. Pages blows it away for ease of use and price and zero learning curve. Numbers to me is in it's infancy but meets the demands of the average user and has been designed for the user. So what about outlook. Well it is garbage, having to tie in to exchange server and using word as a rendering engine. A joke. Let's face it Microsoft were asleep under balmer and now the world has changed, the cash cow of OS and office is coming to an end, their hardware business is all wrong and they completely missed the point with trying to force 2 os's into 1. When windows 7 was finally becoming a useable and stable well received OS they bring out 8. They need some radical thinking and putting office on iPad for probably a subscription or over inflated stand alone won't cut it.
Bingo! Well said.
Best post.