Today’s topics include Samsung’s recall details for the Note7, how Windows 7 and 8.1 update processes will impact enterprise businesses, using Power BI to gauge Microsoft Office usage, and HPE’s aim to go more energy efficient in the coming decade.
Samsung has halted production on its flagship smartphone, the fire-prone Galaxy Note7. Now, the company is laying out steps for Note7 owners who will need to return their recalled phones for refund or credit.
The official U.S. Note7 Refund and Exchange Program began the afternoon of Oct. 13, offering customers a bill credit of up to $100 toward any Samsung phone or $25 toward another brand. Alternatively, owners can receive a full refund on the purchase price of their Note7.
Starting Oct. 11, Microsoft has changed its update method for Windows 7 and 8.1, the two dominant versions of Windows. The new method is designed to match how Windows 10—the company’s latest operating system—handles updates.
For enterprises, this means users can’t choose specific patches from Microsoft’s update lists. It’s an all-or-nothing update now. Smaller organizations will be subject to the same changes.
Enterprises using Windows Server Update Services or the Windows Update Catalog will see three updates monthly.
In other Microsoft news, the company’s cloud-based business intelligence and analytics product, Power BI, can now help businesses determine how effectively their workers are using Office 365.
The new Office 365 Adoption Content Pack offers a data-driven look at how Office software plays out in the workplace. By allowing businesses to visualize and analyze usage patterns, the pack helps them adjust management strategies, create custom reports and generally maximize usage and effectiveness, ensuring software dollars are well-spent.
Hewlett Packard Enterprise has an ambitious plan to make its entire product portfolio 30 times more energy efficient by 2025.
The new goal was announced at the Bloomberg Sustainable Business Summit in New York City, where HPE representatives outlined how these efficiency measures would not only significantly reduce power consumption and carbon emissions but also decrease operational costs and capital for consumers.
According to HPE, use of its products represents the majority of the company’s carbon footprint. By optimizing energy performance, it lowers its impact and spreads that energy goodwill to its customers.
The announcement follows a study released earlier this year by the U.S. Department of Energy indicating that efforts toward energy efficiency like these are making a difference in the country.