Here’s an overview of the impacts to come and the vision behind Windows 10 Application Development for enterprise.
The multiplatform vision behind Windows 10 is called, Universal Windows Platform (UWP), and it will have a great impact on Microsoft tools and software users but even more so, for Microsoft application developers.
Windows 10 Application Development – Technology
.Net Framework was for a long time at the very heart of Microsoft Development environment, going from version 1 to version 4.6 in over 10 years.
With the advent of UWP, version .Net Framework 4.6 will be the last one delivered, there won’t be any more updates. Nevertheless, applications developed within the .Net Framework will keep running on all Windows versions, including Windows 10.
As for Windows Phone Mobile, the Development environment was Visual Basic up to OS 6.5.
From OS 7.0 to 8.1, SilverLight became the Application Development framework.
And now, it’s UWP (Universal Windows Platform) replacing .Net Framework and becoming the application development environment for all platforms; that is Desktop, Tablet and Smartphone applications.
Windows 10 Application Development – Architecture
Behind UWP, there is in fact a mixt architecture, with a native core for each platform and the bulk part of the application calling upon a Web Service.
Consequently, for enterprises already using an architecture based on Web Services for its business applications, there won’t be that much of an impact.
But for those which applications are based on a closed architecture, there will be an important technological cleavage requiring a longer migration period to come to benefit from all UWP advantages.
Windows 10 Application Development – Migration
Although Microsoft has invested much efforts to facilitate the migration; it is almost certain that all hardware older than 5 years will have difficulties with Windows 10. Therefore, even though Windows 10 is free in many cases, the cost of migration will go much beyond the license fee.
Forrester reminds us that upgrading from Windows XP to Windows 7 came up to 1,000 $ / station on average but predicting it’ll be much less for Windows 10 and that one should not underestimate training cost .
Evidently, Microsoft guarantees retro-compatibility of applications, you should be able to just migrate your applications to Windows 10 without investing into updating in the meantime, during which you won’t be able to benefit from UWP’s architecture advantages. There is no doubt that for businesses the most part of cost will come from upgrading applications towards this new Service / Cloud architecture and the main cause of problems will come from critical incompatibilities due to software and / or hardware age of inherited infrastructures; although Microsoft has promised a high compatibility level for Windows 7 applications. There is also the migration cost of all applications very much « Internet Explorer-oriented » because Edge, the Windows 10 browser, settings are apparently very different.
Windows 10 Application Development – Enhanced Security and Management
Microsoft has made remarkable efforts in terms of Security and Management with Windows 10 and UWP (Universal Windows Platform), among other things in terms of Identity Management with access to Active Directory through Cloud Azure. This will greatly reduce the necessity of managing multiple passwords when shifting from a Desktop Account to a Cloud Service Account for such applications like Office 365 and Windows Store.
Other Security and Management functionalities to come in future application development:
- Multiple user and BYOD mode Management;
- VPN configuration;
- Distant Device total wipe out ;
- Windows Store Extended Control (restrictive deployment for specific user groups) ;
- Biometric Authentication with Windows Hello ;
- Two-Step Authentication with Passport ;
- Enhanced Protection against sustained Advanced Threats with Device Guard.
For more informations go see or windows development page
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