Microsofts Next Windows Variant Must Be the Modern Thin Client [View all]

https://www.petri.com/microsofts-next-windows-variant-must-modern-thin-client

We are quickly approaching the tipping point where running software locally will become a legacy approach much like on-premises hardware. This, I believe, is true for both the consumer and the enterprise and if Microsoft does not play its cards right, the company may find itself in an awkward position where other platforms will outperform its own operating system.

Microsoft is pushing Windows 10 S as a modern version of Windows that will only run apps from the Windows Store and they claim this version of Windows will maintain optimal performance its entire lifecycle while also being more secure. This is fine as an in-between step for the evolution of Windows but it is not the correct long term solution to the “Windows” problem.

What is this problem? It’s the end goal for Windows. Where is it headed, what’s the longevity plan for the software and more importantly, how is Windows going to remain relevant in a world that no longer needs it to survive? These are the questions that Microsoft must answer if the company wants to retain its position as the platform authority for productivity.

You may write-off that ChromeOS is not a threat to the enterprise but that platform is very close to being a modern thin client; relatively lower-power hardware and nearly all tasks are performed through a web browser. Microsoft does not have a response to the growing threat of what Google is building and if you think it’s Windows 10 S, it’s not.

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