VMware, Inc. a global leader in cloud infrastructure and business mobility, announced today a comprehensive solution to support Windows 10. Customers upgrading to Windows 10 can take advantage of the management, transition and app delivery tools provided by the VMware Workspace Suite, which includes AirWatch Enterprise Mobility Management, VMware Horizon, VMware Identity Manager and VMware Horizon FLEX.

Windows 10 is positioned as a milestone release for Microsoft and represents a fundamental shift in the way IT can manage all devices running the new software. As the vast majority (96 percent) of enterprises surveyed plan to use internal resources and existing staff to upgrade, according to a July 2015 TechValidate study commissioned by VMware, VMware supports the Windows 10 platform by providing tools internal IT departments need to help manage devices, deliver all application types and activate the new features introduced in Windows 10. VMware solutions are purpose-built to support customers embracing business mobility and updating to Windows 10, while continuing to support earlier Windows versions. The innovations in Windows 10 simplify device management by moving to a unified enterprise mobility management (EMM) platform across all Windows 10 corporate- and employee-owned devices, including laptops, desktops, smartphones and tablets.

Redefining Windows management for the mobile-cloud era

Windows 10 promises to be the first truly mobile operating system for Windows and highlights Microsoft's commitment to unified endpoint management. AirWatch Enterprise Mobility Management will support all new capabilities introduced in Windows 10, including streamlined deployment, unified app experience, advanced security and data protection and update management. The best-in-class AirWatch Enterprise Mobility Management suite can become the defacto management platform for all devices running Windows 10 -- including laptops, desktops, smartphones and tablets -- from a central, unified console.

Further, VMware complements this unified endpoint management strategy and can help organizations enroll or migrate users and devices to Windows 10, configure or deliver applications to Windows 10 devices and help manage security policies and lifecycles of devices and users. Since more than half (51 percent) of organizations surveyed plan to use virtual desktop infrastructure ("VDI") to upgrade to Windows 10, customers can use VMware centralized virtual desktops from local or cloud data centers to host Windows 10 and deliver enterprise desktops to end-users. Conversely, Windows 10 devices can also use VMware Horizon 6 and VMware Horizon Air Desktops to gain access to hosted instances of Windows XP, 7, 8, and 8.1.

The same survey found 81 percent of IT professionals cited application compatibility as one of top concerns with Windows 10 migration. VMware offers solutions to address application compatibility challenges. VMware Horizon FLEX, VMware Fusion 7 and VMware Workstation 11 can deliver a fully managed Windows 7, 8 or 8.1 instance onto an upgraded Windows 10 host machine. Doing so will allow an organization to migrate applications to their Windows 10 estate over time while still maintaining the ability to run them under Windows 7 until they can complete the migration.

Transforming application delivery and management

One of the most important features in Windows 10 is a unified application experience, which solves previous challenges, including separate distribution channels for Win32 and modern applications, as well as multiple login credentials for each of their applications.

Microsoft announced that it will soon offer one Windows Store for all Windows devices. The unified Store will offer many benefits for commercial software developers, enabling them to offer universal Windows apps that can be used across phone, tablet and PC form factors. For organizations, the unified Store will also offer a new web-based Store portal that will allow IT administrators to browse the app catalog and acquire apps in bulk. VMware and AirWatch customers will be able to deliver store apps, web apps, desktop apps and remote apps from a new, unified central catalog that interoperates directly to the Windows Store.

Additionally, VMware Identity Manager interoperability will provide single sign-on to grant users permission to all of their Windows 10 applications without requiring separate usernames and passwords. Furthermore, the conditional access feature in VMware Identity Manager allows IT to allow access to enterprise applications based on pre-determined compliance policies. Workspace Portal will also support the corporate-friendly Business Store Portal (BSP) to manage apps and licenses on smartphones, tablets, laptops and desktops via AirWatch.

Availability

VMware Workspace Suite provides enterprises with the most complete solution to managing Windows 10 environments, and supports organizational shift from a client-server focused IT to business mobility in the mobile-cloud era.

Enterprise customers can enroll their Windows 10 devices in VMware Workspace Suite, VMware Horizon and AirWatch today. For consumers, VMware Fusion and VMware Workstation are available for support.