Microsoft Releases Public Preview of Desktop Analytics To Help With Windows 10 Update Readiness Checks

Microsoft has released a public preview of a new service aimed at helping businesses assess their app-compatibility levels ahead of deploying new Windows 10 feature updates. From a report: It allows for the quick and easy creation of app inventories to make compatibility checks simpler. Brad Anderson, corporate vice president for Microsoft 365, says that the tool makes use of machine learning and the cloud to make it easier to deploy and update Windows 10. The aim with Desktop Analytics is to avoid the compatibility problems that stand in the way of keeping machines up to date.

Re:

[jezwel]

So this tool will inventory your machine and send the data to a MS 'Cloud' server where its added to a growing DB of other machines.

Sounds like MS wants more info about you and your stuff. I mean I was running inventory scans on my machines 20 years ago... why can't we pull in the 'catalog' and compare it to a scan we take? Why do we have to send them our scans?

So they get more money?
You need an active Azure subscription plus all your devices licensed under WinE3 or better for this to work.
It's designed to help you move to Windows 10 and stay current, which means less support issues to cover, plus of course all those devices will need software assurance.

The entire point is make it easier to get customers onto the subscription model.

Cloud-connected Desktop Analytics

[Cid Highwind]

Anything to avoid admitting it was a mistake to fire the whole QA department, eh Microsoft?

Re:

[thegarbz]

QA problems would be Windows not running on Surface devices. QA problems are all the myriad of bugs that Windows 10 has. The QA department never would have and couldn't possible identify the fuckton of problems that MS seems to have with software and hardware incompatibilities.

To be honest they need both. A decent QA process / department, AND some decent analytics to identify bad actors (usually anti-malware companies).

The other way around...?

[Halueth]

The moment you need tools and such to make an assessment if one is eligible for an update, that's the moment you should notice you've missed a turn. It's a sign of neglect or failure on your delivery process. QA should've warned development not to go this way, but if they did, that's some schoolbook malpractise in place here.

Re:

[thegarbz]

Yes and no. How is this different than automated regression testing? This tool shouldn't replace a QA department, but rather it should run parallel to it.

A rose by any other name...

[Anonymous Coward]

It allows for the quick and easy creation of app inventories to make compatibility checks simpler.

Windows is fscking spyware. Microsoft is just trying to legitimize it. Instead of telling us "oh, look at all the data we've been collecting about your computers without telling you", they're putting lipstick on it and pitching it as "look at all the data we can offer you".

Fsck you, Microsoft! You may be given a pass in corporate environments, but we know you're collecting all the same data about every Windows

27 Years.

[westlake]

Win 3.1 launched in 1992. Slashdot in 1997.

Slashdot has never used a proper Windows logo to tag a Windows post. No other OS no matter how obscure receives the same treatment.

Hard to believe that doesn't affect which Windows posts are accepted or how the geek is expected to respond to them.

Re:

[Rockoon]

It is when the rational arguments defending Microsoft get modded down that its a sad day.

For instance, posts that defended Microsoft for including a browser and media player with the OS, got modded down to oblivion back in the day. The irrational stand here was that it was OK for everyone but Microsoft to include those things in their OS. Nonsensical.

However, many arguments ARE rational, such as the modern ones against the data collection, as well as those against mandatory updates. You dont see those a