Your New Client Security Analyst

After seven years, my colleague Natalie Lambert is leaving Forrester. In the year that I have been at Forrester, she has been a good team-mate, sounding board for ideas, gleeful mischief-maker, and collaborator on shared research topics. I will miss her insights and energy, and I wish her the best as she begins her next adventure.

Natalie covered quite a bit of ground: client security, client management, endpoint virtualization, Bring-Your-Own-PC programs, full disk encryption and several other topics. While it would be impossible to fill her shoes, I am strapping on my hip waders and immersing myself in several of her research topics.

Specifically: henceforth, I will cover all client security topics for Forrester. These include:

• data leak prevention (DLP) on the client
• full disk encryption
• client security (anti-malware and anti-virus)

I am pleased to cover client security topics again. I wrote extensively about client security for three-and-a-half years before coming to Forrester. Among other things, I correctly predicted that Windows Vista would have no effect on the Windows security aftermarket — six months before Vista launched. And in 2006 and 2007, I anticipated the rapid move of anti-virus to the cloud, which we see today in Panda Security’s “collective intelligence,” in McAfee’s Artemis project, Trend Micro’s Smart Protection Network, and in new startups like Immunet. For cloud coverage of client security, I will partner with Chenxi Wang, but security topics that have anything to do with stuff sitting on endpoints, I will be your analyst.

I will not take on any of Natalie’s IT operations topics, such as BYOPC, mobile management, client management. These areas will be covered by other analysts on the infrastructure and operations (I&O) research team, chiefly Chris Silva and Ben Gray. Rather than speak for them, I will let them speak for themselves. I will collaborate with Ben and Chris on security strategies and best practices as it affects their topics.

I will also retain my coverage of data security topics, notably data leak prevention (DLP) and enterprise rights management. A few subjects will transition to my other colleagues on the Security and Risk team. We will likely announce details after we conclude those discussions.

In the meantime, Forrester customers who would like clarification on what the shift in security coverage means for you should contact their client services representative. I would be happy to speak with you! But the short answer is that not much is changing. You will talk to me rather than Natalie. She provided excellent coverage of client security topics, and I will strive to do the same.

 

[posted by Andrew Jaquith]

What’s New With Windows 7? Not That Much Apparently

Large enterprises and small businesses alike are in the throes of making very strategic decisions about their Windows desktop road map. The result of which is that customer optimism is high for new information on the future of Windows. With Windows 7, however, Microsoft is taking a tighter approach to releasing product information which is driven by Steven Sinofsky, the new head of Windows development. This approach stems from a lot of the lessons Microsoft learned from its Windows Vista experiences and we agree that it’s the right approach to take. Let's face it, Microsoft was burned by Windows Vista for promising too much for too diverse a crowd and it's going to be a little more disciplined about when and how it discloses information on Windows 7. So desktop ops professionals have to be more patient moving forward and discount any speculation that is undoubtedly on the way.

Of course Microsoft is still in the midst of development and testing for Windows 7, so it's way too soon to come to any conclusions. And while the touch capabilities that Ballmer and Gates demonstrated at the Wall Street Journal's "D: All Things Digital" conference last week were neat, they aren't going to help you with this decision-making process. At the end of the day, this news about Windows 7 becomes just another driver to adopt Windows Vista in the foreseeable future. You may be tempted to hang on with Windows XP (especially given the fact that it will still be available on new machines for at least another year), but this will lead to bigger troubles down the road because Windows 7 will be built on the Windows Vista foundation. Forrester recommends that most companies deploy Windows Vista eventually because Windows 7 is clearly going to be an evolutionary update, not the revolutionary update that many are hoping for. So the challenges that organizations are experiencing with Windows Vista today will also occur with what's coming next, and you're better off preparing for the future now than later.

By Benjamin Gray

Check out Benjamin's research

Windows XP Availability Update

With June 30th just one month away, your business may be feeling pressure to upgrade from Windows XP to Windows Vista. But don't panic if you're not ready. Three of the world's largest PC manufacturers have announced that they will continue support for Windows XP on new PCs when customers exercise their Windows Vista downgrade rights. The best part of the downgrade process is that when you're ready to move to Windows Vista, you have already purchased the license for it. So the upgrade should be "free." And why is Microsoft allowing this? Because machines shipping after a Windows Vista downgrade (hence, with Windows XP) still count as shipped Windows Vista licenses, which allows Microsoft to continue touting how well Vista is selling.

Here's a quick guide to the Windows Vista downgrade process by PC manufacturer for all of the businesses that aren't yet ready for Windows Vista.

• Dell: Dell is offering to pre-install Windows XP on newly purchased machines as part of their Windows Vista downgrade service. Dell will provide technical support for the factory-installed Windows XP image. Just make sure you select "Genuine Windows Vista Business BONUS" or "Genuine Windows Vista Ultimate BONUS." There is no additional cost for this service.
• HP: HP is also offering to pre-install Windows XP on new machines until at least July 30, 2009. Just make sure to select "Genuine Windows Vista 32 downgrade to Genuine Microsoft Windows XP." Again, there is no additional cost for this service.
• Lenovo: Lenovo will also support downgrading to Windows XP on many of its machines, but it isn't offering a factory pre-install option. Instead, customers may purchase a Windows XP Recovery CD with the purchase of a Windows Vista Business or Ultimate machine. However, it is only offering this service through January 31, 2009.

By Benjamin Gray

Check out Benjamin's research

Windows XP SP3, The Final Frontier

The last of the service packs for Windows XP (SP3) was released to manufacturing last month and to the Web on May 6 after a delay to fix compatibility with Dynamics Retail Management System (RMS). SP3 contains the usual rollup of all the fixes and patches along with several (mainly security) enhancements including black hole router detection and network access protection (NAP). Don’t expect any new features or new versions of Internet Explorer or Media Player, however, given that Microsoft has turned its focus to Windows Vista and subsequently "Windows 7."

As with any SP release, the Microsoft support forums were immediately flooded with some irate consumers. The most consistent complaint was of endless reboot cycles on AMD-powered machines. This error was quickly traced back to mistakes made on the part of HP that have still not been resolved. However, the majority of consumers and businesses alike should expect a non-event in upgrading.

What does this mean for IT ops professionals? It’s a no-brainer to make this relatively painless upgrade -- especially since independent studies are touting that SP3 adds up to a 10% performance boost in some applications and buys you support from Microsoft through April 2014. Quite honestly, we haven’t heard much from our user clients about SP3. We can’t help but assume it’s because the real focus has shifted to either Windows Vista or Windows 7, but it can also be attributed to the fact that this upgrade is essentially a non-event for most organizations.

By Benjamin Gray

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Chip Wars Renewed?

In recent years, AMD has struggled to remain relevant in the commercial PC as it has competed against Intel, the market share leader and gold-standard in processor performance. Today, companies often only choose AMD for its lower initial acquisition costs — which run approximately $50 to $75 cheaper than Intel’s, although you’re sacrificing performance to get there. This approach of narrowly undercutting Intel has not worked well for AMD, as it has now seen six straight quarters of net loss.

On Monday, however, AMD announced a major new initiative it calls AMD Business Class — a renewed effort to better compete in the commercial segment across both desktops and laptops. Targeting SMBs, the public sector, and large enterprises, AMD Business Class is its renewed focus on a historically weaker area than the consumer market. Initially, AMD is touting the availability of three new AMD-powered desktops: HP’s dc5850 and dx2450, Fujitsu Siemens Computers’ Esprimo E/P5625, and a refresh of Dell’s OptiPlex 740. The new processors are available in Athlon X2 dual-, Phenom X3 triple-, and Phenom X4 quad-cores and will try to keep pace with Intel’s Green IT initiatives with Energy Star 4.0 compliance.

AMD claims that the new processors will help minimize IT disruption through longer PC lifecycles, greater cross-generation compatibility, and a guarantee that this hardware will be available for the next 24 months as part of AMD's CSIP stable image program.  What is the net-net for IT Ops professionals? AMD now has a lower-cost alternative to Intel’s Stable Image Platform Program (SIPP), but with more processor options (Intel’s SIPP processor options are limited to Core2 Duo processors and Core2 Quad processors). So when IT Ops is told to cut spending, AMD Business Class is worth investigating.

This announcement is just a forerunner to the real excitement around AMD’s upcoming mobile chipset, codenamed Puma, which is scheduled to ship at the close of this quarter. Puma, which is built on the Griffin processor, will be the first big challenger to the Intel Centrino mobile processor. Stay tuned as things will likely get more interesting between Intel and AMD, which will benefit businesses that clearly demand more competition and innovation from their component manufacturers.

By Benjamin Gray

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Windows Mobile 6.1 Announced At CTIA

CTIA, one of the wireless industry’s biggest conferences of the year, is happening this week in Las Vegas and Microsoft is garnering the most headlines. Why? It officially announced Windows Mobile 6.1, which is expected to hit the market "within the next couple of months." Forrester received a hands-on preview of it a couple of weeks ago and we couldn’t help but leave the meeting feeling like Microsoft’s playing catch-up to superior handheld device user experience providers like Apple and RIM. Still, it’s a good sign that Microsoft is focused on simplifying the user experience moving forward.

Microsoft has been heads down for years keeping IT happy and it’s been pretty successful given that 54% of the 531 North American businesses we recently surveyed support Windows Mobile-powered smartphones. However, Microsoft is now facing pressure to improve the user experience so that it’s pleasant for workers’ personal lives as well as their professional lives. The biggest changes that Windows Mobile 6.1 will bring include a more PC-like browsing experience, threaded SMS conversations, improved search, and simpler navigation (e.g., an improved home page and one-tap connection to a wireless network).

These experience improvements are clearly evolutionary rather than revolutionary. But Windows Mobile 6.1 proves two things:

1. Microsoft can deliver a new mobile operating system on schedule approximately once per year.
2. Bringing a better browsing experience to handhelds is going to be a big step for Microsoft and one that its users will embrace. Unfortunately, existing users will have to wait until Q3 to upgrade their browser and those looking to replace their devices altogether will have to wait for the end of the year before they come standard with the new IE Mobile browser.

By Benjamin Gray

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Apple Retools Mac Pro Just Before Macworld

Last week, Apple announced a new Mac Pro just one week before Macworld. Why then? So Mr. Jobs can focus his keynote on more press-worthy items. What those will be are anyone’s guess -- for another day that is -- but rest assured there’s no shortage of speculation. The new Mac Pro is loaded with an alphabet soup of technical specifications that can make even seasoned analysts flinch but creative professionals and scientists will desire the bleeding-edge 8-core workstation. With it, Apple is showcasing Intel’s most powerful workstation platform (Harpertown) in a highly configurable model. While the speeds and feeds are certainly impressive, its killer application is the Leopard operating system. The Mac Pro is a solid upgrade for targeted graphics and scientific clients but it isn’t a general-purpose enterprise desktop, a market Apple hasn’t yet focused their efforts on.

Windows Vista SP1 Is Almost Upon Us

Last week, Microsoft released Windows Vista Service Pack 1 Release Candidate (or Windows Vista SP1 RC) to the general public. This was the last step to be taken before the official release of SP1 next quarter.

As Forrester has recently written, we think desktop operations professionals will start to get serious about deploying Windows Vista enterprise-wide after the release of SP1. Our conversations with clients have varied in scope but include businesses that:

• Have already implemented Windows Vista in some of their business units.
• Are deep into hardware and application compatibility testing now.
• Are taking a wait-and-see approach.
• Are strongly considering skipping Windows Vista altogether.

Our question, then, to readers: Are you interested in hearing about the improvements around reliability, performance, and support for new types of hardware and emerging standards that SP1 will bring? Or does it ultimately not matter because the biggest driver for Windows Vista is to simply stay current with Microsoft’s support lifecycle — and the migration will happen regardless of what’s contained in SP1 or not?

We suspect most IT operations professionals have little interest in such announcements until Windows Vista SP1 has been officially released, but we’d like to hear from you if you feel differently.

By Benjamin Gray

Check out Benjamin's research

Will Dell Revitalize The Tablet PC Market?

The secret was out but now it’s official: Dell’s long anticipated plunge into the tablet PC market has finally arrived with today’s release of the Latitude XT. Tablets were first introduced to enterprises over five years ago with great expectations but have long remained a niche solution for industries like healthcare, education, the public sector, retail, and manufacturing. But tablets have recently taken two significant steps forward, which will drive 28% of enterprises to increase their usage of tablets over the next year.

• Windows Vista integrates tablet functionality. So there are no separate images to build, maintain, and deploy.
• Dell has entered the market. The news here isn't that the Latitude XT is technically superior to all other tablets (it may in fact be, but we don’t do product evaluations), but because Dell is the preferred PC supplier to enterprises and 88% have standardized on a single supplier. Now existing Dell customers that had to develop a relationship with another supplier can consolidate future tablet purchases into their existing master agreement.

For the tablet enthusiasts out there, Dell’s Latitude XT offers:

• Impressive touch technology. Bringing the coolness of the iPhone to the tablet, the Latitude XT’s screen recognizes both pen and touch input (touch is available with a $200 upgrade). And with the Latitude XT’s palm rejection, it offers the best tablet user experience today.
• Ultralight form factor with long battery life. Dell’s Latitude XT is one of the lightest corporate tablets in the industry. At 3.5 pounds, it compares favorably to most HP, Lenovo, and Toshiba tablets. Its less than 1” thick frame boasts all-day computing (over 9 hours of battery life) and a very sleek, ultralight power adapter.

Let us know if you think Dell’s tablet — or any other for that matter — will break the “niche solution” stereotype that has plagued this form factor. We’d love to hear your thoughts!

By Benjamin Gray

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Is Apple’s iPhone Ready For The Enterprise?

The iPhone, a consumer powerhouse, has garnered a lot of interest among prosumers that leaves us wondering if it’s quite ready for the enterprise. We’ve received a surprising volume of client inquiries over the past few weeks regarding whether large organizations should add the iPhone to their list of internally supported mobile devices. Forrester strongly believes that the first generation of the iPhone is not an enterprise-class mobile device. Limitations like its lack of support for push email and calendar, third-party applications, and disk or file encryption make the iPhone impossible to secure and manage. However, improvements are already being taken to make the iPhone more business friendly with a new generation that will support 3G networks and will be open to third-party applications.

Is there anyone out there that thinks we’re off base here and that has welcomed the iPhone within the walls of your enterprise? If so, we’d love to hear your thoughts. Look out for an upcoming Forrester report on this topic as it is proving to be a hot one in the mobile enterprise space.

By Benjamin Gray

Check out Benjamin's research.