Windows 8 Training for Success

Microsoft released a consumer preview of Windows 8 just a few weeks ago, and the full commercial release may be later this year. While your organization may not be looking at Windows 8 for some time, you should still provide Windows 8 training for your administrators so that they can stay current in their field. In addition, by being familiar with the new features in Windows 8, you can better judge when your organization should upgrade. 



Some of the features in Windows 8 that will benefit your organization include:

Hyper-V: Hyper-V comes to the desktop. This will mean a lot for your developers, as they can finally run 64-bit servers locally in virtual machines.

BitLocker Improvements: BitLocker was introduced in Windows 7 as a way of natively encrypting a drive to protect the data in case of theft. Windows 8 makes it easier to provision BitLocker while imaging systems. Windows 8 also introduces features making BitLocker easier to support in the enterprise.

Windows To Go: Windows 8 is designed so that it can be run from a USB drive, enabling users to "carry their operating system around with them."

Metro: The user interface (UI) for Windows 8 is a radical change from previous editions of Windows. Your users will need training to work with the tile-based UI.

Windows Store: Like the Apple App Store, Windows 8 will have a store built in. Of course, in addition there will be group policies to control access to the store for enterprise users.

Cloud Integration: Windows 8 makes access to cloud services, such as SkyDrive, nearly transparent to the end user. Of course, as a systems administrator, you will have to understand how to govern access to these services.

Refresh Your PC: Most Windows users know that their system will benefit from being reinstalled every so often. Windows 8 will be able to essentially reinstall itself with the click of a button, making this kind of refresh very easy.



There will be an increasing amount of material about Windows 8 as the release date approaches. Even if you don't plan to deploy Windows 8 in the near future, you and your staff should have Windows 8 training to stay current in their field. It's also important to be aware of the current Windows platform for strategic planning in your organization. 



QuickStart Intelligence will offer Windows 8 training that is current as the operating system evolves approaching release to manufacturing (RTM). Updated training will be available immediately after RTM.