Microsoft launches new Windows Apportals

Today we launched Windows Apportals on Microsoft.com, at Windows Apportals.

WHAT ARE WINDOWS APPORTALS?

A Windows Apportal is a Windows 8.1 app that can integrate your entire Line of Business (LOB) stack into a single, modern, touch-based experience. The concept behind Apportals is simple – introduce the same nested folder structure common in a desktop OS to the modern mobile OS. The result is a UI experience that allows the user to drill from the Start screen (composed of Live Tiles) to another mini-Start screen (composed of Grid Tiles). And best of all, because an Apportal is built out of the OS, everything that runs on Windows runs in a Windows Apportal, including Desktop Windows 7 Applications; Modern Windows 8 Apps; and Web Applications.

WHY WINDOWS APPORTALS?

Windows Apportals address a long-missed insight in enterprise sales: customers use software from many vendors. Windows Apportals were built in response to numerous requests to create an “on-the-glass” integration for the wide variety of heterogeneous LOB apps that exist in organizations today, including legacy Windows 7 Desktop Applications; newer Modern Windows 8 apps; and Web Applications. IT Pros within enterprises know that the wide variety of apps, applications, and services which exist in an organization require a loosely-coupled structure – and in today’s diverse organizational environments it is not realistic or desirable to build a single, monolithic application. Instead, organizations want to use the flexibility of the Windows 8.1 OS to create a UI-based virtual integration, and continue to gain value from existing legacy technology investments. Windows Apportals are the solution to this need.

USER CUSTOMIZATION WITH ACTIVE DIRECTORY

Active Directory (AD) plays an important role in Windows Apportals by providing role-based access to both the Grid Tiles and the back-end data sources. Specifically, AD is a directory service that Microsoft developed for Windows domain networks and which is included in Azure and Windows Server. With AD, a domain controller authenticates and authorizes all users and computers in a Windows domain type network – assigning and enforcing security policies for all computers and installing or updating software. For example, when a user logs into a computer that is part of a Windows domain, Active Directory checks the submitted password and determines whether the user is a system administrator or normal user. With a Windows Apportal, the AD settings determine the specific data and Grid Tiles to which a user is entitled. This provides a high-level of customization, and is particularly helpful in environments where there is a high-level of data customization required by user – such as sales organizations, healthcare organizations, and distributed enterprises. As a result, a single Windows Apportal app can filter, share, and display data and functionality based on job role, organization, industry, and even geography – thereby enabling users to stay focused on the specific tools and information they need to do their job.

“Customers get excited when they see Windows Apportals, they say it’s the future”, said Martin Wolfram, President, Inviso. “As a Microsoft partner, we are very customer focused. This new innovation has given us the opportunity to work with our customers to understand a broader set of their business needs, and then customize and deliver end-to-end services that meet those needs. The design and architecture lend themselves to easy re-use of code, which makes Windows Apportals an incredibly profitable line of business for us. Customers see a lot of value in Apportals, so for us, Windows Apportals are game changer.”

For partners attending WPC 2014, register to attend the Windows Apportal session for a Windows Apportal demo.Grad Conn, CMO Lead, Microsoft U.S.

Source: Microsoft launches new Windows Apportals
 
Hi there,

I have to admit that I must be getting old because I can't understand A WORD of Brink's original post !!!! although I can usually make some sort of understanding out of most things. This time I'm 100% totally flummexed. !!

This must be the time that Old fashioned Engineering and Computers finally separate !!!!.

Cheers
jimbo
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Linux Centos 7, W8.1, W7, W2K3 Server W10
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    Monitor(s) Displays
    1 X LG 40 inch TV
    Hard Drives
    SSD's * 3 (Samsung 840 series) 250 GB
    2 X 3 TB sata
    5 X 1 TB sata
    Internet Speed
    0.12 GB/s (120Mb/s)
You have to see the movie. Its is basically a nested Start Screen. On the main Start Screen you have a tile that is a portal to a group of other tiles so you can group them like you want. These grouped tiles can be Desktop apps, Metro apps, Links to other programs. May be the wave of the future.

Jim
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Windows 7 HP 64bit, Windows 8.1 Pro w/Media Center 64BIT
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    System Manufacturer/Model
    ASUS - Home Built
    CPU
    AMD Phenom II X6 1100T
    Motherboard
    ASUS M5A99X EVO
    Memory
    Crucial Balistic DDR-3 1866 CL 9 (8 GB)
    Graphics Card(s)
    MSI R6850 Cyclone IGD5 PE
    Sound Card
    On Chip
    Monitor(s) Displays
    ASUS VE258Q 25" LED with DVI-HDMI-DisplayPort
    Screen Resolution
    1920 x 1080
    Hard Drives
    Two WD Cavier Black 2TB Sata 6gbs
    WD My Book Essential 2TB USB 3.0
    PSU
    Seasonic X650 80 Plus GOLD Modular
    Case
    Corsair 400R
    Cooling
    Antec Kuhler H2O 620, Two 120mm and four 140mm
    Keyboard
    AVS Gear Blue LED Backlight
    Mouse
    Logitech Marble Mouse USB, Logitech Precision Game Pad
    Internet Speed
    15MB
    Antivirus
    NIS, Malwarebytes Premium 2
    Other Info
    APC UPS ES 750, Netgear WNR3500L Gigabit & Wireless N Router with SamKnows Test Program,
    Motorola SB6120 Gigabit Cable Modem.
    Brother HL-2170W Laser Printer,
    Epson V300 Scanner
Somewhat similar to Deepin groups, maybe.
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    7/8/ubuntu/Linux Deepin
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
You have to see the movie. Its is basically a nested Start Screen. On the main Start Screen you have a tile that is a portal to a group of other tiles so you can group them like you want. These grouped tiles can be Desktop apps, Metro apps, Links to other programs. May be the wave of the future.

Jim


Hi there.

Thanks for putting some of the "Geekspeak" back into some sort of Understandable English. !! Concept sounds actually very good -- C'mon guys when explaining new stuff please try and make it a bit easier for some of us "old timers" to follow what's going on -- even though we won't code or design this stuff we are quite likely to be decent enthusiastic users of this technology. Thanks again. !!

BTW when W8 first appeared my gripe was that on a desktop with a load of apps endless tile scrolling was not a good idea - especially after we had all got used to a Cascaded menu environment (Windows 7) and the change to W8 was quite brutal. W8.1 improves it a lot but even now I've often wanted "Grouped Single Tiles" which can then expand to contain other tiles (rather like a cascaded menu but in a sort of 3-D on the screen). Looks like this approach might be coming to some sort of reality.

Some user customisation of the tiles would be a nice feature too -- and grouping how you like rather like custom toolbars but for tiles.

(Even on a mobile phone I find once you have to scroll more than about 3 pages to get to an app the "single dimension" continuous scroll is not a good idea and has severe limitations).

Cheers
jimbo
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Linux Centos 7, W8.1, W7, W2K3 Server W10
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    Monitor(s) Displays
    1 X LG 40 inch TV
    Hard Drives
    SSD's * 3 (Samsung 840 series) 250 GB
    2 X 3 TB sata
    5 X 1 TB sata
    Internet Speed
    0.12 GB/s (120Mb/s)
Its is basically a nested Start Screen.
Glad you said that - like Jimbo I didn't pick that up from the original post. I also agree that it's a better way to organise Start Screen apps.

I wonder if it's possible/easy to create this sort of thing on a personal (non-enterprise) computer?
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Windows 8.1, 10
As I understand they re-invented the folder structure pre-existing in the classic Start Menu. Instead of cascading columns in the Start Menu, you have cascading full screens in the Start Screen.
It seems that it can be used to browse for folder and files on top of launching applications but they are not clear about it.
It's definetly making Metro's Start Screen easier to use. We start to get closer to something which could concurence the Desktop.
It's very interresting that they manage to make normal Windows applications work on Windows Apportal. Proof that the Metro App concept was a failure.
As I'v always said: BETTER BRING PC CAPABILITIES TO A MOBILE PHONE THAN THAT OF A MOBILE PHONE TO A PC!!!
Looks like the new Microsoft CEO is more apt to understand what every basic computer user takes for obvious.
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    w9x
It's very interresting that they manage to make normal Windows applications work on Windows Apportal. Proof that the Metro App concept was a failure.

I have to ask how you came to that conclusion since a Start Screen tile can open both?

Admittedly Modern/Metro apps concept may be difficult to comprehend, but once the side-loading (custom-tailored for a specific business) Modern app concept catches on I think MS will have a hit.

BTW, they should be releasing the whole Modern/Metro Office suite soon. I'm guessing along with Windows 9 or whatever they name it.
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    8.1 Pro X64
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    System Manufacturer/Model
    Acer T690
    CPU
    Intel Pentium D Dual Core
    Motherboard
    Acer/Intel E946GZ
    Memory
    2GB (max upgrade)
    Graphics Card(s)
    Intel Graphics Media Accelerator 3000 - PCI Express x16
    Sound Card
    Integrated RealTek ALC888 high-definition audio with 7.1 channel audio support
    Monitor(s) Displays
    Acer AL1917W A LCD
    Screen Resolution
    1440 X 900
    Hard Drives
    350 GB Seagate Barracuda 7200.10
    Thumb drives
    PSU
    Standard 250 watt
    Case
    Desktop 7.2" (183mm) W x 17.5" (445mm) L x 14.5"
    Cooling
    Dual case fans + CPU fan
    Keyboard
    Acer Windows PS/2
    Mouse
    Wireless Microsoft Arc
    Internet Speed
    54mbp/s
    Browser
    IE11
    Antivirus
    Defender
    Other Info
    Office Pro 2013 / Nokia Lumia 1520 Windows Phone 8.1DP GDR1
Metro Start Screen can open Windows application on an operating system which supports Windows Applications and these operating systems are so far working only on computers.
Ballmer and his team wanted to bring with Metro lower capability on PCs. Today they want to bring highr capabilities on smartphones which is more logical.
With a little less bloat mid-range mobile phone could run Windows (a normal version) easily. As I understand Apportal is closer to a full Windows OS.
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    w9x
Well I'm with Jimbo, I had no idea what it was until it was explained and I watched the video. It looks like an amazing idea, but will this only be for Enterprise versions of Windows? if so that will be a killer mistake, this would go down brilliantly with home users as this is something we have always been crying out for!
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    windows 7
Metro Start Screen can open Windows application on an operating system which supports Windows Applications and these operating systems are so far working only on computers.
Ballmer and his team wanted to bring with Metro lower capability on PCs. Today they want to bring highr capabilities on smartphones which is more logical.
With a little less bloat mid-range mobile phone could run Windows (a normal version) easily. As I understand Apportal is closer to a full Windows OS.

Thanks for that. :thumb:

That means they're getting closer to their ultimate goal. :)
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    8.1 Pro X64
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    System Manufacturer/Model
    Acer T690
    CPU
    Intel Pentium D Dual Core
    Motherboard
    Acer/Intel E946GZ
    Memory
    2GB (max upgrade)
    Graphics Card(s)
    Intel Graphics Media Accelerator 3000 - PCI Express x16
    Sound Card
    Integrated RealTek ALC888 high-definition audio with 7.1 channel audio support
    Monitor(s) Displays
    Acer AL1917W A LCD
    Screen Resolution
    1440 X 900
    Hard Drives
    350 GB Seagate Barracuda 7200.10
    Thumb drives
    PSU
    Standard 250 watt
    Case
    Desktop 7.2" (183mm) W x 17.5" (445mm) L x 14.5"
    Cooling
    Dual case fans + CPU fan
    Keyboard
    Acer Windows PS/2
    Mouse
    Wireless Microsoft Arc
    Internet Speed
    54mbp/s
    Browser
    IE11
    Antivirus
    Defender
    Other Info
    Office Pro 2013 / Nokia Lumia 1520 Windows Phone 8.1DP GDR1
Back
Top