Windows 8 Devices Deliver: Simplified management done through a single pane of glass. Review infographic

Transcription

1 Windows 8 Devices Deliver: Simplified management done through a single pane of glass Review infographic

2 Contents Executive Summary... 2 Introduction... 3 Overview... 3 Scenarios... 6 Scenario 1: Managing PCs and Mobile Devices... 6 Scenario 2: Management from the Cloud... 6 Scenario 3: App Development... 7 PC and mobile device management... 8 Key findings... 8 Managing PCs (with on-premise tools)... 9 Compliance... 9 Software provisioning OS deployment Asset tracking Remote power management Remote helpdesk support Group Policy Control Monitoring enterprise PCs Managing mobile devices with on-premise tools Management from the Cloud Integrated management solutions Third-party MDM solutions Managing apps development Key findings Cross-platform apps Creating secure apps Application development and marketplace environments Conclusions Logic20/20, Inc. 2013, all rights reserved. Page 1 of 20

3 Executive Summary This document is intended to explore the difference in the management capabilities between Windows 8.1, OS X 10.8 Mountain Lion, and ios 7. With the rise in corporate employees using their personal devices for work purposes, management tools have become more important than ever. Microsoft understands this and has created a variety of different tightly integrated programs for dealing with device management both onpremises and in the cloud. Apple only provides basic management functionality on their own and relies on thirdparty products for advanced functionality. While third-parties can offer tempting features, using third-party solutions can increase complexity of a company s overall device management solution. In terms of how Microsoft and Apple manage application development, both are actually in strong positions. However, Windows 8.1 fosters developers to create crossplatform applications that go between device type (tablet vs. desktop) and hardware type (x86 processor vs. ARM), which requires little to no additional coding. Apple development is more difficult in moving between desktop and tablets as they don t offer the same cross-platform ease as Windows 8.1. Windows Intune and System Center 2012 R2 Configuration Manager offer an app portal that can be used as a kind of enterprise app store. Apple offers an app portal that can be used as an enterprise app store for ipads, but not for Macs. These advantages make application development for an enterprise environment much more convenient on Windows 8.1. Logic20/20, Inc. 2013, all rights reserved. Page 2 of 20

4 Introduction This document is intended to be a feature-level deep dive into comparing the key management features of three competing operating systems: Windows 8.1, ios 7, and OS X 10.8 Mountain Lion. The purpose of this comparison is to provide a view of the competitive landscape as it relates to key management features. Each part compares the features of Windows 8 devices to similar features in ios and OS X devices. The Apple products have been researched using publicly-available information. Similarly, the Windows 8.1 information also primarily comes from the public domain. The audience for this document is technical and business decision makers, as well as subject-matter experts. Overview With the growth of smartphone and table usage, a trend has appeared of employees wishing to use their own mobile devices in the workplace. A vital decision enterprises need to make is how best to manage and deploy devices and platforms. This can understandably lead to concern over securing data while still allowing employees to use their devices. A growing market of Mobile Device Management (MDM) products have begun appearing that address these concerns. Research firms such as Ovum are urging vendors not to ignore this trend 1 : The percentage of full-time employees that exhibit BYOD [Bring Your Own Device] behavior is holding remarkably steady, despite attempts by companies to clamp down on it. This is not a phenomenon that is going to go away. Businesses need to stop hoping it will and put a strategy in place to manage it. - Ovum PC Life Cycle (PCLM) tool makers have noticed this corporate trend and have begun to include MDM features with several of their releases. 1 Source: Logic20/20, Inc. 2013, all rights reserved. Page 3 of 20

5 This document analyzes this emerging field of device management tools as well as other categories relevant to platform and device management in enterprises as they compare between Microsoft and Apple platforms. The following table summarizes the areas that will be examined, and how Windows 8.1 compares to the two Apple platforms: Management Areas Managing PCs (on-premise tools) Managing mobile devices (on-premise tools) Windows 8.1 versus ios N/A (Managing a full enterprise range of PCs with ios or Windows RT devices is not in the scope of this paper) With the introduction of Windows 8.1, additional mobile device management (MDM) functionality is now built into the OS. Now both Exchange Active Sync and upper level solutions such as Active Directory for powerful and secure enterprise scenarios. Windows 8.1 is bringing Microsoft on-par with third party MDM features, while offering a more unified device management approach compared to ios. Windows 8.1 versus OS X Windows 8.1 s PC management features offer a compelling choice for enterprises compared to OS X. Microsoft s powerful software provisioning and OS deployment tools offer administrators the power and flexibility to control device proliferation across companies of all sizes. Group policy control leverages Microsoft s Active Directory which makes it easy for managing devices on a corporate infrastructure. OS X relies primarily on third-parties to implement these features which can add complexity to a PC management implementation. Windows 8.1 s new built in MDM functionality puts it in a strong position against Apple when also paired with Windows Intune for more powerful integrated MDM. OS X also offers a mature feature set for MDM, but must rely on third-parties for enterprise level management which can add additional complexity for administrators for managing devices. Logic20/20, Inc. 2013, all rights reserved. Page 4 of 20

6 Management Areas Managing apps development Windows 8.1 versus ios A Windows 8 app is compatible with both ARM and x86 devices whereas developers on Apple s ios platform have to design specifically with the size differences in mind if they wish to put their ipad apps onto an iphone; two different apps are often required for this. Microsoft is also able to allow for easy sideloading and simple tools such as Zero Install which allows developers to run and update apps without installing them. Apple developers must buy a yearly subscription to develop and distribute in-house apps. Windows 8.1 versus OS X Windows 8 apps are also compatible between ARM/x86 mobile devices and full Windows 8.1 PCs as well. Apple developers must develop specific apps between ios and OS X. UI code is only one of the attributes that needs to be rewritten when converting apps between ios and OS X. Windows 8.1 development makes it easy to scale between devices as required. Logic20/20, Inc. 2013, all rights reserved. Page 5 of 20

7 Scenarios The following scenarios demonstrate some of the key features compared in this document. Focus on IT admins and users. Scenario 1: Managing PCs and Mobile Devices IT administrator Shawn is responsible for managing over a hundred devices across his company. His workplace includes not only company computers, but employee mobile devices that must be managed as well. Thankfully, Shawn is able to accomplish this by using several Microsoft device management solutions. Shawn uses the Microsoft Deployment Toolkit and Security Compliance Manager along with System Center 2012 R2 Configuration Manager (ConfigMgr) in order to help automate the compliance management process so that the devices on the network meet industry and company standards. Using the Microsoft BitLocker Administration and Monitoring tool, he s able to set BitLocker encryption on the PCs and BitLocker To Go for employees portable drives. After getting that work done, Shawn then starts to deploy the company s approved software to the computers using ConfigMgr. A new update has just come out for Windows 8.1 and Shawn uses ConfigMgr to ready the deployment of the update to the rest of the computers. At the same time, an update came out for one of the company s mobile applications which he ll also be able to deploy with the help of Windows Intune. If Shawn had wanted to use an Apple solution for ios or OS X for these kinds of PC management solutions he would have had to research and purchase a third-party product. Additionally, he would have had to learn how to use the new tool as opposed to having the familiar single pane of glass approach that Microsoft s solutions offer. Later that day Beth, a new hire, has gotten her phone connected to the company system and has just been handed her new computer. When she boots up the computer she must put in the BitLocker password that she was provided in order to get access to the computer. Once she gets access she is prompted for a Windows Update which she accepts and waits to download and then reboot. While waiting she decides to check the company s paycheck app on her phone and finds out that it also requires an update that she is prompted to download. Once the updates are complete, her computer and phone are up-to-date and she can begin her work. Scenario 2: Management from the Cloud Sam is an IT administrator for a company that has offices all over the world with many employees who travel to client sites. Using Windows Intune and ConfigMgr, Sam has set the password functionality on the employee s mobile device and laptop. Several high level employees of the company have access to highly confidential material on their devices so Sam decides to assign them to a group that she is able to track separately from the rest of the company for reporting purposes. Logic20/20, Inc. 2013, all rights reserved. Page 6 of 20

8 Rebecca is one of the employees with a device containing confidential material. To her horror, she has just realized that she left the device at a restaurant several hours ago. She returns to find the device is gone. She contacts Sam in IT for assistance. Before Rebecca has even called IT, Sam was alerted to a possible problem when Rebecca s device became locked after several attempts at access it with the wrong password. Sam is able to confirm with Rebecca that it wasn t her who forgot the password and they decide to have Sam erase the confidential data on the phone to prevent anyone from accessing it. Apple s Profile Manager for OS X and ios would have allowed Sam to implement many of these device management features, but it is not recommended for use in large, enterprise scale device management scenarios. Third-parties would need to be used for larger implementations. Scenario 3: App Development Ryan is a software developer who is interested in developing an app for both Windows 8 devices, including Windows RT devices. Wanting the app to work on touch screens, Ryan consults Microsoft s Dev Center to learn more about Windows 8.1 s touch language. He also uses several design patterns to help him decide on the layout. All the basic languages that Ryan knows how to use (C#, Visual Basic, C++, etc.) are compatible with Windows 8.1 as well. Once his app is completed he finds that it works on a 10in. Windows RT tablet, an 8in. Windows 8 tablet, and his desktop computer. Since the app he is developing is a line-of-business (LOB) app and he has not had his IT department test it yet, Ryan decides to sideload the app instead of initially publishing it to the Windows Store. Once the app is ready for enterprise deployment, Ryan uses System Center Configuration Manager or Windows Intune to manage the deployment, offering a simple, single pane of glass solution. For ios and OS X, Ryan could only use Apple s volume purchase program combined with a third-party mobile device management solution, which would be a more complicated scenario for him to learn and manage. Logic20/20, Inc. 2013, all rights reserved. Page 7 of 20

9 PC and mobile device management PC management tools help organizations cut costs involved in PC ownership and management by providing the ability to remotely manage PCs throughout their entire lifecycle. This includes planning, initial deployment, ongoing management, software deployment, disaster recovery, and OS/hardware migrations. Having the option to select an efficient and cost effective PCLM tool is a key consideration for enterprises during the platform selection process. In addition to PC management tools, MDM services have matured greatly in the last year. Having a strong, integrated MDM solution is also a smart consideration enterprises should not take lightly. Key findings The following section compares Windows 8.1, ios 7, and OS X 10.8 Mountain Lion based on their management capabilities: Compliance, OS Deployment, and application delivery: Microsoft offers free support with its ADK (Assessment and Deployment Kit) and MDT (Microsoft Deployment Toolkit). System Center 2012 R2 Configuration Manager (ConfigMgr) is a separate Microsoft product that provides powerful management functionality. Domain Join and Group Policy Control are both strongly integrated features of Windows 8.1 as well. Apple s own OS X server software Profile Manager only offers basic functionality to configure, manage, and deploy systems for enterprises, while its Netinstall is more effective dealing with smaller installations than larger enterprise requirements. Third-party solutions offer comparable features between OS X and Windows 8.1, but can add additional complexity for IT administrators to implement and manage. Mobile device management: With the release of Windows 8.1, Microsoft is offering expanded options that will allow third party products such as AirWatch and MobileIron to provide stronger enterprise device scenarios, putting Windows 8.1 on par with OS X and ios MDM solutions. Microsoft s ConfigMgr and Windows Intune still offer a more closely integrated system that removes the potential complexity adding third-party solutions may create. Logic20/20, Inc. 2013, all rights reserved. Page 8 of 20

10 Managing PCs (with on-premise tools) Tools that help enterprises manage PCs help cut the time and costs involved with PC ownership and management by offering to manage the entire PC lifecycle from: OS deployments to software deployments to migrations to continuing management. A powerful and cost efficient PCLM tool is something that all enterprises will need to consider while selecting a platform. This section examines the following PC management features: Compliance (including encryption) OS deployment/application delivery Asset tracking Monitoring and support Group Policy Control Compliance Microsoft offers free tools with Windows 8.1 called Microsoft Deployment Toolkit (MDT) 2 and Security Compliance Manager (SCM) 3. MDT integrates with SCM to guarantee that the Windows 8.1 deployment is fully secure. Windows 8.1 offers a separate tool known as System Center 2012 Configuration Manager (ConfigMgr) 4 which enhances the compliance features and assists IT with assessing and enforcing compliance measures. This ensures that enterprises reduce their IT risk and that they meet the industry standards as well as their own corporate standards. ConfigMgr automates sections of the compliance management process which greatly reduces complexity for the client. Administrators can set a baseline of their own choosing or follow industry standard policy templates that Microsoft provides as part of their IT Governance and Compliance Solution Accelerators 5. These can check for OS version, required applications installation and configuration settings, and OS configuration settings. With the baseline in place, ConfigMgr pushes it down to the client agent. The agent regularly confirms the compliance status of the client system against their set baseline. 2 Source: 3 Source: 4 Source: 5 Source: Logic20/20, Inc. 2013, all rights reserved. Page 9 of 20

11 In addition to all of this, ConfigMgr also has the fully featured ability to report. Administrators can check the compliance of a full environment which gives them the ability to: Check desktop, laptop, server, and mobile device configurations Check for unauthorized configurations Prioritize compliance Apple s OS X comes with their Profile Manager feature which provides basic deployment, configuration, and management of systems, but it lacks the advanced compliance, reporting, and remediation features of ConfigMgr. Instead of an integrated solution, OS X relies on third-party solutions such as Citrix 6 to meet the features of the more integrated Window 8 solutions. While these solutions offer comparable features, the possibility that IT administrators will need to deal with another, non-integrated system is something that enterprises should not ignore. OS X must also rely on third-parties for encryption compliance, while Windows 8.1 offers Microsoft BitLocker Administration and Monitoring (MBAM) which is a strong in-house solution for large-scale management of BitLocker implementations. For Windows 8 devices and portable storage devices, BitLocker To Go and BitLocker Driver Encryption protect their data. Earlier this year Microsoft launched MBAM which offers new functionality such as: Faster deployment speed IT administrator support for dealing with lost PINs Support for more complex PINs that so not accept simple PINs like Apple also does not offer any tools for ios that allow administrators to manage the compliance of their devices and again must rely on third-parties for solutions. Software provisioning Microsoft s ConfigMgr is much more context-aware in its ability to deliver applications that it was previously able to. To choose the best way of delivering an application to a user it analyzes the network and device capabilities. It can choose a variety of delivery methods such as: Local installation Application virtualization streaming Presentation server Integration with Citrix XenApp8 6 Source: 7 Source: 8 Source: Logic20/20, Inc. 2013, all rights reserved. Page 10 of 20

12 User centricity is also achievable using ConfigMgr using a new application model which lets administrators select specific applications and send them to specific users instead of devices. This means that ConfigMgr is able to grade a user s relationship with their device(s) and choose which experience that user should receive. An example of this can be when a user updates an app on their work laptop it will use Microsoft Installer, but if they access it on their unsecured home PC it may be delivered using App-V in order to keep data more secure. These new tools give IT administrators the power and flexibility to control device proliferation across their company which is a unique competitive piece of functionality that puts Windows 8.1 and ConfigMgr in a very good position compared to their competitors. Apple s NetInstall allows users to upgrade their computers without the need to disable or attach OS or third-party software. NetInstall also allows them to manage third-party and Apple installs, name computers, add MDM configurations, and bind to directory services. Apple s Profile Manager allows for automatic configuration updates over the air for ios devices. NetInstall is an effective product for small scale implementations, but Windows 8.1 and ConfigMgr offers support for large-scale implementations along with its powerful application delivery model. OS deployment As was previously touched upon in the above section on compliance, Microsoft s MDT along with ConfigMgr allows for an automated and extremely customizable solution for configuring and deploying desktops and servers. For the version of Windows being used, IT administrators can put together a solution for delivering updates, security fixes, patches, applications, and more in one distribution. IT administrators can also use task sequences to automate the OS deployment. The Task Sequencer allows IT administrators to group tasks, which makes deployments more efficient and easier. To improve the end-user experience, tighten security, and shrink downtime there is additional support for a variety of deployment scenarios including: Computer to computer In-place migrations Offline or removable media OEM PXE The strong feature set of ConfigMgr s OS deployment functionality helps organizations simplify upgrades, reduce the cost of OS deployments, improve security during deployments, and use native Windows 8.1 toolsets. As a result, IT administrators will find the tool easier to use and do not have to spend time learning a third-party solution. Apple s NetInstall software will do basic OS deployments and distribution, but does not have as many fully featured capabilities as Microsoft s ConfigMgr. Logic20/20, Inc. 2013, all rights reserved. Page 11 of 20

13 The ios operating system updates are usually very large changes and third-party MDM solutions are usually required to update along with the OS update. This can cause headaches for IT administrators because of the complexity of ensuring the MDM solution and all devices running the updated OS are functioning properly. Asset tracking Windows Intune and ConfigMgr make use of Microsoft Exchange ActiveSync in order to perform asset tracking for both PCs and mobile devices. Apple uses both OS X Server and Remote Desktop 9 for asset tracking. Remote Desktop lets IT administrators search, track, and report on a large number of hardware and software attributes across a network. Due to asset tracking being based on PSLM/MDM capabilities Microsoft and Apple s unified solutions along with third-party solutions all offer comparable features for tracking and reporting devices on a network. Remote power management Microsoft uses ConfigMgr for power management and in Windows 8.1 has included additional report and power management functions such as: Ability to set policies for individual user groups Ability to allow users to opt out of power management policies Reports that show devices which are currently excluded from those policies Administrators working with OS X can use Apple s Energy Saver to perform power management on OS X devices. Features include setting sleep and shutdown times along with scheduling start-ups. These features, in addition to Microsoft s ConfigMgr functionality, put Windows 8.1 ahead in power management. ios devices do not offer native remote power management and must rely on third-party apps or MDM s to accomplish this simple task. 9 Source: Logic20/20, Inc. 2013, all rights reserved. Page 12 of 20

14 Remote helpdesk support Windows 8.1 includes basic helpdesk functionality such as passcode wipes, remote device wipes, screen sharing, and remote device locking. Microsoft also offers an integrated helpdesk support system called System Center Service Manager This change control and helpdesk management product helps enable automation of IT service management and the reporting features allows for tracking, management, and reporting of information across all aspects of System Center components. Using OS X Server software, Apple offers a self-service portal for remote helpdesk support that also offers the basic helpdesk features that Microsoft offers. In order to match the more powerful, integrated features provided by Windows 8.1, Apple would need to rely on third-party offerings which has the potential to add additional cost and complexity to an enterprises IT helpdesk solution. Group Policy Control Group policy control is a very helpful ability for enterprise companies to have. Microsoft s advanced, integrated group policy features allow IT administrators to control a large amount of settings for computers in a network s ecosystem such as: Setting users wallpaper Setting the chrome used by Windows Setting the default browser Permitting access to external drives and/or directories Permitting the connection of external devices These group policies can be managed through Active Directory which makes it even easier to manage devices that are part of the corporate infrastructure. With Windows 8.1, MDM management features are built into the OS and can even allow for management of mobile devices. Apple does not have such strong, built-in functionality for group policy control and must rely on third-parties yet again in order for IT administrators to have many of the functions that Windows 8.1 provides. Third-party vendors actually leverage Microsoft s own Active Directory so that ios and OS X devices can be managed 10. This is a clear advantage for Microsoft as they are much more easily able to integrate with their own technologies than a third-party. 10 Source: Logic20/20, Inc. 2013, all rights reserved. Page 13 of 20

15 Monitoring enterprise PCs Windows 8.1 has several tools that meet the needs for monitoring enterprise PCs such as: Performance Monitor: This visualization tool can be used to analyze system performance using logs and even real time data. Event Viewer: Used to look into error messages. It is able to examine hardware events, system logs, and application logs. System Center Operations Manager (SCOM): Ensures that performance remains predictable and offers infrastructure monitoring. Also provides public and private datacenter and cloud component monitoring. Apple s Profile Manager is included with OS X Server and offers a lightweight management system that can be used to monitor OS X devices on an enterprise network. Using the same type of configuration profiles as ios, it will analyze recent activity and keep track of tasks on OS X devices. Apple Remote Desktop also gathers software and hardware information on devices which assists with the monitoring process. In this category both Apple and Microsoft offer strong integrated solutions. Managing mobile devices with on-premise tools As mentioned in the previous sections, PC Lifecycle Management (PCLM) tools are used to ease the management of the PC infrastructure for enterprises and assist in cutting costs. For Mobile Device Management (MDM), there have traditionally been separate tools that offer the management of mobile devices. Over the last few years, PCLM and MDM products have started merging and offering many of the same features. Currently they still offer advantages in their perspective areas, but it gives the option to customers if they need to use additional software for MDM tools or if their PCLM tools are currently sufficient for their needs. BYOD (Bring Your Own Device) is a growing area for corporations, but it is not in the scope of this paper. Compared to corporate owned devices, BYOD management solutions do not offer the same level of security that is required by larger corporate enterprises. Even though employees may wish to use their own devices to access sensitive corporate information, it is not in the best interest of an enterprise-level organization to allow this. In a June 2013 survey performed by Dimensional Research, it was found that 63% of corporations polled do not manage corporate information on personal phones and that 79% of large companies reported mobile security incidents in the past year Source: Logic20/20, Inc. 2013, all rights reserved. Page 14 of 20

16 Corporate controlled devices offer a tighter level of control of employee mobile devices and makes for the most secure mobile management solution that enterprises can have. Management from the Cloud The scope of this paper will examine the following three cloud-based MDM solutions: Windows Intune AirWatch MobileIron Integrated management solutions Windows Intune 12 is Microsoft s powerful, integrated, cloud-based PCLM solution with additional MDM functionality. It provides reporting, tools, and upgrades for the latest version of Windows, Windows Phone, and with the release of Windows 8.1 it even offer increased ios and Android support. Intune was originally a PCLM tool, but with the release of Windows 8.1 has become what Microsoft calls a Unified Device Management tool which supports both PC and mobile device management. Windows Intune provides all the basic MDM features like wiping devices of data, OS settings management, and requiring passwords. Through integration with ConfigMgr, IT administrators can manage devices from a single pane of glass 13 which allows for faster and simpler deployments without the need for larger amounts of training that an unfamiliar third-party solution would require. In addition to these lower level features, Windows Intune also includes inventory management, a system overview feature that tracks the status and manages the alerts of devices on the network, and allows IT administrators to group devices according to a variety of characteristics such as location, department, and function. By setting groups like this, administrators can control specific settings and push applications or updates to individual groups that may require them. Windows Intune originally only allowed enterprises to use their Exchange Server s Admin Console to directly manage mobile devices like ios, but with its December 2012 release it introduced direct MDM and unified device management. The workspace in Systems Overview is also capable of delivering a Mobile Device Summary which can be used for tracking the distribution of mobile devices on the network. A collection of additional Windows Intune s MDM features are provided below: Company and Self Help Portal available to employees of companies using Intune LOB app provisioning and consumption is supported Devices can be allowed to connect to Exchange servers Remotely wipe data from devices which have been lost or stolen 12 Source: 13 Source: Logic20/20, Inc. 2013, all rights reserved. Page 15 of 20

17 Device access requirements and security policies can be used and managed for device compliance Update Manager (included with Intune) assists in scheduling and deploying both Microsoft and third-part software Update management and software deployment is another key strength that Windows Intune s Update Management. Though the functionality is limited for mobile devices, the Windows 8.1 functionality is feature rich. Included is the ability to schedule and deploy updates to both third-party and Microsoft software as well as tracking the licenses that have been purchased across device installations. Windows Intune also offers strong reporting features for Windows 8.1 for generating reports across areas such as installed software, endpoint protection, updates, and hardware. Data can also be brought into other tools for further report analysis. Apple does not provide a cloud based, in-house OS X management solution, which is a key Microsoft advantage in the PCLM space. For MDM, ios relies primarily on thirdparties which will be discussed in the following section 14. Third-party MDM solutions MobileIron and AirWatch are the leaders in cloud-based MDM solutions for ios software. AirWatch s MDM solution is primarily delivered though its cloud service, but can support on-premises requirements. MobileIron uses its Connected Cloud service for cloud based needs. Both of these third-party solutions offer a strong feature set for mobile device management with functionality such as: App Catalog: AirWatch s tool for managing and distributing apps Content Locker: AirWatch s tool for securing mobile access and distributing documents Multiple OS management Security features: remote device wipe, blocking apps, inventory management, secure publishing, password enforcement, encryption, etc. Windows Intune is capable of doing all that an enterprise will need for their mobile management needs without the added complexity of purchasing, implementing, and using third-party solutions. Windows Intune is also able to be used in combination with ConfigMgr so that you can have all of your administration done from a single location allowing for Microsoft s single pane of glass philosophy. Administrators only need to deal with the apps once and the configuration once, and administer it all from ConfigMgr s console. The tightly integrated approach offered by Windows Intune and 14 Source: Logic20/20, Inc. 2013, all rights reserved. Page 16 of 20

18 ConfigMgr is a strong advantage for Microsoft and for administrators that wish to operate their systems through a single, unified console. Managing apps development Application development environments are constantly improving to meet the evolving needs of users and developers. The following categories are vital considerations to note when examining these environments: ARM (Windows RT), x86 (Windows 8.1, OS X), and A4/A5/A6 (ios) processor compatibility Application security Development environment Quality of the Marketplace experience Key findings Windows 8.1 is designed to work across a variety of devices from x86 desktops and tablets to ARM devices. To facilitate this idea of cross-compatibility, Microsoft makes it easy for developers Windows 8 apps to work across these various hardware and Windows 8 OS variants. Apple s mobile and desktop platforms vary in both operating system (OS X/iOS) and hardware (x86 vs. A4/A5/A6). However development for these platforms is separate and up to the developers to design for different screen sizes, processor types, and operating systems. Windows 8.1 s cross-compatibility is a strong advantage for Microsoft. Cross-platform apps Microsoft s goal with Windows 8.1 and Windows RT was to allow developers to easily create cross-architecture applications that they are able to code once and have them work across both x86 and ARM processors, even across different screen sizes, hardware types, etc. Developers will still need to design apps with a tablet interface in mind (icons large enough to allow for touch among other considerations) if they wish for their apps to work well on tablets, and apps make exclusively for x86 hardware will also not work on ARM processors, but the ease and potential of cross-platform app development is still there for the developers to take advantage of. This is a strong advantage for Microsoft. The ios Software Development Kit (SDK) cannot be used on OS X. Apps that developers make for iphone are compatible with the ipad, but not vice versa. Because of Apple s proprietary mobile processors (A4/A5/A6), apps developed for ios or OS X are not compatible with each other since OS X is built for Intel hardware. Developers must Logic20/20, Inc. 2013, all rights reserved. Page 17 of 20

19 design with that goal in mind form the beginning, or do several different versions of their application. Creating secure apps Microsoft s Windows 8.1 uses AppContainer to minimize the vulnerability of systems 15. Cookies, cache, and other web-platform data is not shared between an App Container and the remainder of the system. Using an App Container blocks read and write access to most system files. The benefit of an App Container is that developers can make apps that interact in a secure manner. Apple s security features for apps include sandboxing and Keychain for its platforms 16. App sandboxing can segment the program from other parts of the system in case malicious user data attempts to damage the app. A Keychain is encrypted storage for confidential information such as passwords. Microsoft and Apple offer similar security feature sets for app development, but security has always been one of Microsoft s key strengths, one that ios has yet to match 17. Application development and marketplace environments Across ios, OS X, and Windows 8.1, all three platforms feature familiar/customary environments that their prospective developers will be comfortable with. No single environment has a clear advantage over the other. Windows 8.1 is continually evolving (more than ever with the introduction of the Modern design idea), but it continues to give developers and users a familiar set of tools, languages, and backend infrastructure. ios and OS X may be newer compared to Windows 8.1, but developers and users are also used to the development environment that Apple provides. Windows 8.1 offers a variety of ways to publish, install, and/or distribute apps including: Windows Store: Microsoft s app marketplace Windows Intune and ConfigMgr for a company portal that provides a catalogue of enterprise apps Sideloading: Install a Windows Store app without publishing it or downloading it from the store Zero Install 18 : Run and update Windows apps without installing them 15 Source: 16 Source: /TheiOSEnvironment/TheiOSEnvironment.html 17 Source: Windows 8 Competitive Comparison: Security 18 Source: Logic20/20, Inc. 2013, all rights reserved. Page 18 of 20

20 Since the introduction of the iphone, Apple has offered a popular and hearty App Store for ios and Mac App Store for OS X in which users can purchase and download apps from their itunes software. Even though Enterprise app stores can be setup for ipads, Apple still has not allowed for the ability to create an enterprise app store with the Mac App Store. They do offer a volume purchase program that enterprises can distribute apps with using third-party MDM solution, which adds additional steps and complexity for application purchasing and distribution. This is not the case when it comes to Windows 8.1 because Microsoft offers the ability for an enterprise app portal with Intune and ConfigMgr. This is a strong advantage over Apple when comparing Windows 8.1 with OS X or ios. Conclusions Due to the increased popularity of mobile devices in corporate environments, powerful and secure device management has become more important than ever. Apple and Microsoft both offer solutions for their perspective computer systems, but because Windows 8.1 is already deeply entrenched with the vast majority of these businesses, the integrated solutions offered by Microsoft are both powerful and offer administrators and users a familiar environment to work with and a single pane of glass approach that allows for management from a single console. For managing PCs, Apple primarily relies on its own basic featured in-house solutions such as Profile Manager and NetInstall for basic deployment, configuration, management of systems, and software provisioning but it must rely on third-party solutions for many advanced features. Windows 8.1 offers a variety of services both free (such as MDT and SCM) and meant to compete with third-parties such as ConfigMgr while offering an integrated experience for administrators. Mobile device management is another area that Apple primarily relies on third-parties to come up with solutions. Using a variety of third-party software can cause complexity for IT administrators which can lead to more difficulty than they may be worth. Microsoft offers Windows Intune which is able to work with other programs such as ConfigMgr to offer a unified device management solution. The cloud management field has a variety of third-parties that are all attempting to be the go-to solution for enterprises. Microsoft s advantage will always come from the additional complexity that goes along with finding, purchasing, and learning to use a new third-party tool. IT administrators are already accustom to using Windows products and the ability to manage complex systems from a single pane of glass with Microsoft s solutions is a strong advantage. App development environments for Microsoft and Apple both offer comfortable tools for developers to work with. Microsoft s advantage comes in Windows 8.1 s ability to run apps between different device types such as desktops and tablets without additional Logic20/20, Inc. 2013, all rights reserved. Page 19 of 20

21 coding work on the part of the developer. Apple developers must code specifically for different processors and hardware types. Both Microsoft and Apple offer strong marketplaces for applications, but Apple s OS X app store lacks a strong enterprise focus which puts them behind in that key area. Presented By: Logic20/20 Writer: Benjamin Howorth Contributors: Marius Marcu, Anders Westby, Emily Winans, Bill Tsang, Michael Niehaus, Martin Booth, Michael Wallent Date: Fall 2013 This paper includes research gathered as of October 1, 2013 regarding Windows 8.1, ios 7, and OS X Logic20/20, Inc. acknowledges the support of Microsoft Corporation, which made possible some of the research presented in this white paper. Publicly available sources were also used as research and are cited in the paper. This white paper is for informational purposes only. The information contained in this document is deemed reliable at the time of writing, but is not guaranteed. Logic20/20, Inc. MAKES NO WARRANTIES, EXPRESS, IMPLIED OR STATUTORY, AS TO THE INFORMATION IN THIS DOCUMENT. Without limiting any rights under copyright, no part of this document may be reproduced, stored in, or introduced into a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means (electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise), or for any purpose, without the express prior written permission of Logic20/20, Inc. Logic20/20 and the Logic20/20 logo are trademark(s) of Logic20/20, Inc. All other trademarks are trademarks of their respective owners Logic20/20, Inc. All rights reserved. Logic20/20, Inc. 2013, all rights reserved. Page 20 of 20