The company has made a great job with the first Windows 8 update, MBA IT claims

Jul 16, 2013 07:25 GMT  ·  By

MBA IT, a Microsoft Gold Partner for Volume Licensing, tested the software giant’s new Windows 8.1 to determine whether it’s a viable platform for enterprises or not.

It turns out that Microsoft has managed to do quite an excellent job with the first Windows 8 overhaul, the company said in a press release, while also explaining that Windows 8.1 could restore credibility after the mediocre reaction to Windows 8.

“Windows 8.1 has addressed the security concerns that many of our customers had, with device encryption for all 8.1 devices and the introduction of Remote Business Data Removal – whereby lost or stolen devices can be wiped remotely,” George Ralph, technical director at MBA IT, explained in a statement.

Even though seeing a Microsoft partner praising the new Windows 8.1 isn’t such a surprising thing, it’s yet another sign that the Redmond-based company is putting the focus on enterprises, while also trying to listen to customer feedback and address it with major updates.

“Microsoft had a lot to prove after the negative publicity surrounding Windows, but I think 8.1 goes a long way towards restoring credibility in this as an Enterprise-ready platform. There is no doubt that BYOD is the hot topic right now, and having built in Open Mobile Device Alliance Device Management will resonate with our customers,” Ralph continued.

Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer also explained during his last public appearances that Windows 8.1 was specifically designed to resolve issues reported by users in Windows 8.

The return of the Start button is the living proof that Microsoft has actually listened to consumers’ opinions who asked for this feature to be brought back in Windows, Ballmer said.

In addition, the company has implemented a new option to skip the Start screen and boot directly to desktop, thus getting straight to a much more familiar working environment.