Windows 8.1 to Address Management, Mobility, and Security

Organizations that skipped evaluating Windows 8 may find that both Windows 8.1 and Windows RT 8.1 now have enterprise-focused features worth reviewing. Many organizations have chosen not to evaluate Windows 8 due to the prominent role of the touch-enabled Modern UI, the lack of enterprise features and Modern applications, and a tradition of waiting for a first service pack. Windows 8.1 and RT 8.1, which began a public preview in June 2013, address many of these concerns. However, one of the more interesting features, the ability to associate non-organization devices with Active Directory, will require Windows Server 2012 R2.

Windows and Windows RT 8.1

Windows 8.1 and Windows RT 8.1 are the first of what promise to be annual updates to the Windows client OS. The update, originally code-named Blue, will update the Windows client OS (Windows 8.1), the Windows server OS (Windows Server 2012 R2), the Windows OS for the ARM architecture (Windows RT 8.1), and eventually, Windows Phone. The first Windows update available for preview is Windows 8.1, released at the start of Microsoft’s Build Conference in June 2013.