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Today’s topics include the first major update to Windows 10, the availability of the Mozilla Firefox browser for Apple iOS, Salesforce.com’s announcement of closer integration of its Salesforce IQ and Desk.com platforms, and why ARM’s TechCon 2015 show is focusing on Internet of things security.
Microsoft started distributing the first major patch of its new Windows 10 operating system on Nov. 12, bringing with it new tools to change the way enterprises manage future updates.
According to Jim Alkove, corporate vice president of Microsoft Enterprise and Security, Windows Update for Business provides IT controls over the deployment of updates within their organizations, while ensuring their devices are kept current and their security needs are met, at reduced management cost.
Alkove said features include setting up device groups with staggered deployments and scaling deployments with network optimizations.
The open-source Firefox Web browser is finally available to Apple iOS users, but it is a version that is missing one core element that every previous Firefox browser edition has always had.
The iOS version of Firefox isn’t powered by the open-source Gecko rendering engine. Firefox editions for Windows, Mac OS X, Linux and Android have always been powered by Gecko, but Apple’s policies do not permit developers to use any rendering engine other than WebKit, which is used by Apple’s Safari Web browser.
Salesforce.com aims to give SMBs more sophisticated selling tools by integrating sales and support service to get a more complete view of customer needs. SalesforceIQ gives sales teams ready access to the latest information on existing customers and prospects to prepare sales professions to call on potential customers while Desk.com tracks service and support issues.
The integration allows sales people to access information from both platforms at the same time to keep them informed, for example, about a recent service call that could have a bearing on customers’ interest in new products, services or upgrades.
ARM is looking to extend the reach of its chip designs beyond smartphones and tablets and into new growth areas, particularly the Internet of things.
The company sees the growth of the IoT with its tens of billions of connected devices, systems and sensors as a natural fit for its low-power system-on-a-chip designs. ARM has been making a strong push into the burgeoning IoT market for the past couple of years.
That has included everything from the development of its mbed IoT platform to partnerships with the likes of IBM and strategic acquisitions to build out its capabilities in the market.