Microsoft has grown amazingly, be it with Windows 7, 8 or 10. What adds more are the suite that the company offers. Yes, we know each version has different suites, usually 4 to 5 to offer you. Need not to mention, these suites considerably differ from each other. With that been said, Windows 10 has 8 amazing features in Enterprise and Education suite that aren’t available for normal Windows users. Without further delay, we’ll let you take tour to these features.
- Long-Term Servicing Branch: Windows 10 has many branches, with “Current Branch” as the basic and most installed branch on PCs. For the uninitiated, Branch is new way from Windows to provide updates to users. Earlier, Windows would release the update or new version and it was later made available to users. But with Windows 10, Microsoft has turned it out and give a choice to users in how they receive new features via two branches, namely long-term servicing branch (LTSB) and current branch (CB)
In LTSB, which is available for Windows Enterprise, users will have a slower-moving Windows. Windows 10 Professional has an option to switch to ‘Defer Upgrades’, which will make the system stable, not letting any new features installing on it. However, updates are most welcomed in this branch. For example, Widows 10 Enterprise doesn’t have Cortana and Windows Store, yet it has all major updates. So if you wish to have such stable system with no new features rolling out every now and then, Windows 10 Enterprise is your way. But unfortunately, it isn’t accessible by normal users.
- Windows To Go: Microsoft gave way to pocket operating system with Windows 8 (also available in Windows 10) and called it Windows To Go. With this, you can install your OS on a USB flash drive or external hard drive and can further mount it onto any system. Once you have done that, you can continue your work on any system without getting worried about any discrepancies in it. Whatever work you do the mounted Windows that will be saved therein.
This is a great feature but again Microsoft has limited it to Enterprise version. Windows To Go is compatible with all versions of Windows but the only requirement is to have Windows Enterprise suite on the USB Flash drive.
- AppLocker: Windows 10 Enterprise suite allows you create rules for your AppLocker, using the Local Security Policy Edition. AppLocker is the security feature in Windows that block the access for different users to run any application. You can create a whitelist of application and also deny access for an app(s) to a particular user. This is a great feature by Windows to ensure that not every app is used by everyone, however it is limited to Enterprise and Education editions. But the rules that you create using AppLocker on Windows 10 Professional edition won’t be of any use, unless you’ve upgraded your system to Windows 10 Enterprise or Education versions.
- Group Policy Editor: Windows 10 Enterprise edition has a Group Policy Editor tool to edit settings and make them most appropriate for users. Microsoft has restricted these group policy settings to Enterprise and Education with Windows 10 Anniversary Update.
- Disable Microsoft Consumer Experiences: This policy gives you the access to disable downloading of third-party apps when setting up a new account on PC. For ex., this feature will install a few apps from Windows Store but not all and also you have the access to uninstall them later.
- Turn Off Windows Tips: Windows 10 Enterprise, you can turn off Windows Tips. Simply go to Settings> System> Notification & actions> Get tips, tricks, and Suggestions> Turn them off.
- Do not display the Lock Screen: If you have Windows 10 Enterprise Edition, you’re amongst those fortunate ones, who can go for “do not display the Lock Screen”. You need to go to Computer Configuration> Administrative Templates> Control Panel> Personalization> Do not display the Lock Screen> Enabled, and you’re done.
- Disable all apps from Windows Store: This policy allows you to disable access from Windows Store and also block the way for apps to run on system.
- App-V and UE-V: App-V and UE-V stands for Microsoft Application Virtualization and User Environment Virtualization respectively. With Windows 10 Anniversary Update, these two were integrated as a part of it, which earlier had to be downloaded separately.
As the name suggests, Application Virtualization allows to personalize applications to virtualization. With this feature, system administrator can isolate some applications in folders and then run those applications in self-contained virtual environment without normal installation of the app. This feature also lets apps to be “streamed” from serve to client PC. App-V is beneficial for organization to keep track of applications being used and their access to users.
User Environment Virtualization is another feature on Windows 10 Enterprise edition that allows users to save their application and Windows operating system settings to virtual environment. This is especially helpful when users install their operating system to different system using their external drives.
- Device Guard & Credential Guard: Microsoft has put this text on for Device Guard, “Device Guard on Windows 10 Enterprise changes from a mode where apps are trusted unless blocked by an antivirus or other security solution, to a mode where the operating system trusts only apps authorized by your enterprise. You designate these trusted apps by creating code integrity policies.” Device Guard works with hardware feature like Intel VT-x and AMD-V virtualization extensions that creates a firewall against attacks and allows only approved codes to run. However, to bring the most out of this feature, organizations have to configure codes for approval.
Credential Guard uses virtualization-based security to isolate secrets that earlier versions of Windows stored in the Local Security Authority (LSA). These secrets include details about user account, network login credentials and alike. Once safeguarded by Credential Guard, these are only read by system software. However, Microsoft suggests to use other security to protect your data, like Device Guard.
- DirectAccess: DirectAccess is an automated VPN for Windows 10 Enterprise users. Usually, users have to manually initiate VPN, but in Windows 10 Enterprise edition has enabled it as an automatic feature every time a user is connected to the internet.
- Branch Cache: Branch Cache is especially useful for organizations that have different branches at different locations. The administrative branch can hold any particular data of any particular branch that is of much importance, using the feature. Usually, this activity is performed via internet (basically WAN feature). Perhaps, by attaching Branch Cache feature, Windows has eliminated the need of internet for this purpose. Organizations can access and manage data offline, which trim off the internet usage radically. Branch Cache can be operated in two different modes, namely, “Distributed Cache” and “Hosted Cache” modes. The former stores the cache on computers all across the branch office, while the latter, allows the cache to be on server of the branch office.
These are the 8 feature that are available exclusively on Windows 10 Enterprise and Education editions. For Home and other edition users, this features and special might envy you but unfortunately you won’t have access to them until Microsoft brings them to you in your versions.