14 DAY TRIAL // With Windows 7 and Windows Server 2008 R2 on the horizon, Microsoft has been hard at work advertising the new capabilities of the two operating systems, especially when used together, with a focus on the flexibility they allow businesses in supporting a remote workforce. The Redmond company's strategy to help businesses embrace remote working comes as a consequence of a combination of market trends and preferences. A survey commissioned by the software giant to 7th Sense LP indicates that employers, managers and employees in 25 Midsize U.S. Cities have all indicated strong support for remote working. However, despite this, Microsoft warned that actual adoption lags behind.
“Strategic use of a remote work force and supporting technologies can be a competitive game-changer in this down economy, especially for small and midsize businesses (SMBs) that have historically trailed large enterprise companies in adopting remote working practices,” explained Michael Park, corporate vice president of the U.S. Small and Midmarket Solutions & Partners Group at Microsoft. “After surveying those areas where SMBs employ a large percentage of the local work force, our findings suggest that businesses that currently leverage remote workers are enjoying an advantage over their competitors.”
According to the Redmond company, the top 10 best midsize cities from a remote working perspective are: San Diego, West Palm Beach, Fla.; Buffalo, N.Y., Salt Lake City, Raleigh, N.C., Oklahoma City, Nashville, Tenn., Charleston, S.C., Greensboro, N.C. And Hartford-New Haven, Conn. Microsoft emphasized that remote working scenarios were ultimately beneficial to SMBs, in the context in which they allow for cost savings related to anything from leasing office space, to paying utilities and maintenance. But at the same time, SMBs will have a chance at cutting down their impact on the environment, while being able to access a wider talent pool than the workers in the proximity of the office.
Microsoft is currently pointing SMBs to Windows Vista and Windows Server 2008 for features such as BitLocker Drive Encryption and Network Access Protection (NAP) to support remote workers. But of course, Windows 7 and Windows Server 2008 R2 will take support to a new level. “Making users Productive Anywhere is a focus on the mobile user community and empowering users with seamless access: We built technologies into Windows 7 such as BranchCache, Direct Access, Federated Search, and Enterprise Search Scopes to enable users to access to their data and applications anywhere and anytime,” Gavriella Schuster, senior director, Product Management for Windows Client, said.