Microsoft recently announced an update to its Windows Analytics service that allows customers to check virus compatibility, Windows , and device firmware version.
Windows Analytics is a service offered to businesses to easily manage large networks, and with this new update it can help IT administrators determine whether computers are secure or not.
The information is provided by the UI and includes details about the antivirus status. Some security products may no longer be compatible with newer operating system updates, and starting with this new release, Windows Analytics can provide statistics on how many of them are running unsupported security solutions.
Additionally, Windows Analytics can now show whether or not Windows security updates have been installed. This is especially useful in cases like the Meltdown and Spectre updates, where some IT administrators needed to disable patches on specific systems, so this update makes it possible to quickly find the number of computers that need further assistance.
Finally, Microsoft is adding support for firmware status, which means IT administrators will get details about the firmware installed on the device. The company is even working with third parties to expand the data this feature offers.
Microsoft has already released Meltdown and Spectre fixes as part of the January Windows updates, and now we expect to ship revised updates that include Intel's latest microcode improvements.
