If you have spent any amount of time in a Windows IT environment, you more than likely have heard of Group Policies.
According to Wikipedia:
Group Policy is a feature of the Microsoft Windows NT family of operating systems that control the working environment of user accounts and computer accounts. Group Policy provides the centralized management and configuration of operating systems, applications, and users’ settings in an Active Directory environment.
In the release of Windows Server 2012, Microsoft included over 4,500 different Group Policies for your IT team to play with and figure out. Some of them have been around for a while, but a lot of them are new.
The most obvious additions include the ability to customize new Windows 8 behaviors. These Policies help IT administrators manage users with Windows 8 on their devices and range from things like disabling the lock screen and picture password screen to determining how apps are deployed and monitored and whether or not the Windows App Store is available to the user.
Another big improvement are the new Policies for Internet Explorer, which add preferences for both IE9 and IE10. Some of these Policies include forcing Enhanced Protected Mode to be enabled, preventing ActiveX controls to be run in certain ways and disabling the user’s ability to wipe out IE history from their device.
Group Policy updates are also much easier to administer in Server 2012. Instead of having to use the command line to update Policies on individual devices, an administrator can refresh Policy updates immediately from a GUI console.
Is your small business considering Windows Server 2012? Minneapolis-based OAC Technology can help. For over 10 years, we have been helping businesses with Server Support, ensuring that their systems are up-to-date and secure. Give us a call at 952-548-5558 and we would be happy to sit down with you for no charge and assess your business’s needs.
