Windows is one of the most used Operating System in the Enterprise sector. Keeping in mind the extra effort one needs to spend on managing and deploying the applications and drivers, upgrading the OS at an Organizational level is not an easy task. You may face constant compatibility problems, stubborn security issues, etc., just to name a few. Thus, Microsoft has come up with Windows Upgrade Analytics Service, which helps enterprises to get ready for the new Windows releases quickly and adapt readily to the changing definitions across the OS.
Windows Upgrade Analytics Service
With Windows-as-a-Service paradigm, one would need a specific set of tools to plan and manage the Windows updates as they come your way. Upgrade Analytics provides you such tools to guide you through the upgrade workflow while ensuring your application and driver compatibility.
Windows 10 has reflected a lot of positive change on how the definition of personal computing has evolved over time. Customer feedback is now deeply engaged in the making of the best possible OS. Several enterprise customers reached out to Microsoft with their demand for some tool that can help them in better understanding the Windows Upgrade procedure and walk them through.
Below are some notable features of Upgrade Analytics tool that you can take advantage of:
Usability of telemetry data
Telemetry data is something that Microsoft collects over time, based on your privacy settings. It is often confused with the functional data that apps exchange when connecting with Microsoft account. Microsoft considers user feedback as one of the backbones of this major development. You, by giving away your device usage and program/driver behavior data, contribute towards the effective improvement in the user experience at a whole.
Upgrade Analytics uses this data “to provide powerful upgrade readiness insights and recommendations about the computers, applications, and drivers in your organization”. This provides the assurance and transparency while deploying the bulk upgrades for Windows 10 in your own Organization, using the very tools that Microsoft itself uses.
Visual workflow to guide you from start
You get a step workflow that comprehensively guides you through the deployment until it reaches the production stage. With the help of this detailed guide, you get an early insight into application and driver compatibility issues and fix them easily with the suggested fixes.
Other focal strengths of Upgrade Analytics include:
- Detailed catalog for application and computer usage
- Powerful computer level search and drill-downs
- Tools to help you with discovery and rationalization to identify computers fit that are ready to be upgraded
- Data export to commonly used software deployment tools, including System Center Configuration Manager.
Wrapping it up, it would be justifiable to say that Windows Upgrade Analytics Service can help your IT team prioritize & take up tasks regarding applications & driver issues, track the issue resolution status and how it stands against each upgrade, that comes due in future. You’d have all the telemetry data to help you decide what all computers are ready for an upgrade. Changes made to the running environment and marking any application as ready to upgrade will be visible to you on your dashboard. In total, you have a full-fledged analytics package at your command.
You can get an idea of how to use it to manage Windows Upgrades here at Technet.
