Microsoft Offers Glimpse of Benefits of EMS, Windows 10

Today’s topics include plans for Microsoft’s “mobile-first, cloud-first” vision, new cloud conferencing offerings from Polycom, a data breach at password security vendor LastPass and a reward from Google for researchers who discover security flaws in the Android mobile operating system.

Microsoft is banking on Enterprise Mobility Suite and its upcoming Windows 10 operating system to turn the company’s oft-repeated “mobile-first, cloud-first” vision into a reality for businesses. Ahead of the Windows 10 launch on July 29, the company is offering a glimpse of what it has in store for IT administrators charged with managing users and their devices. When deployed on environments managed by the company’s cloud-based EMS platform, PCs and tablets running the new operating system can slip into an organization’s bring-your-own-device initiatives right from the start.

At the InfoComm 2015 show in Orlando, Fla., June 16, Polycom officials announced new offerings for both Web-based users and those using the cloud for business team collaboration. They also unveiled new capabilities for streaming video that can be shared with others in the conference. The new cloud services are aimed at making video conferencing tools more accessible and efficient, according to Ashan Willy, senior vice president of worldwide systems engineering and product management at Polycom.

Password security vendor LastPass publicly admitted on June 16 that it was the victim of a data breach on its network. The company, however, claims it has robust encryption in place, reducing the risks associated with the breached data. User data itself was not stolen, meaning that LastPass users don’t necessarily have to change the specific site passwords that they have stored in the services. However, Joe Siegrist, the company’s CEO and co-founder, suggests that as a matter of best practice, users reset their master password and also use two-factor authentication.

Google will pay thousands of dollars to software security researchers who find and report vulnerabilities in the Android mobile operating system as part of a new bug bounty program announced by the company on June 16. The Android Security Rewards program builds on the format used in the company’s well-known bug-hunting initiative for its Chrome Web browser. Software security researchers who find verifiable issues and disclose them by following the company’s guidelines can earn up to $38,000 per issue.