VMware Inc. has tightened integration with personal computers from its Dell Technologies Inc. corporate parent and boosted Windows 10 support in a new release Monday of its Workspace One endpoint management suite.

Enhanced Windows 10 support is primarily in the area of security. It includes predictive patching of Windows 10 clients based upon operating system and application readiness assessments as well as scores in the Common Vulnerabilities and Exposures database of known security flaws.

The new release also includes endpoint management for group policies, a feature that makes it easier for administrators to manage Windows group policy objects with editable templates.

Under the expanded collaboration with Dell, the companies will jointly provide PCs and laptops that are preconfigured for use with Workspace One. That includes a set of applications that can be used immediately upon deployment and recovered from the server if needed.

“When you think of how PCs are delivered today, you get a loaner device with a base version of the OS,” said Renu Upadhyay, senior director of product marketing in the end-user computing group at VMware. “Going through a reseller and getting imaged can take a week or more. We’ve eliminated those steps so you get a fully provisioned Dell laptop on day one.”

Other Windows related enhancements include delivery of Workspace One AirLift, a Windows-specific endpoint management platform announced in March that integrates with Microsoft Corp.’s System Center Configuration Manager. SCCM compatibility enables customers to migrate PC lifecycle management tasks such as installation, network connection, patching, software distribution and remote user support from the cloud and without replacing their existing SCCM server.

Users can now also get an integrated app called Note that delivers secure, containerized tasks and notes to employees on whatever mobile device they may be using. In addition, VMware enhanced its software development kit with expanded application program interfaces and introduced a customizable email client called Boxer.

Taken together, these user interface-oriented enhancements “are not just about setting configuration, but adding engaging activities as part of the mobile experience,” Upadhyay said. “I can get notifications that my compliance training is past due, for example. Users can download and get secure, encrypted access to their email, notes and tasks.”

Improved integration with the company’s Horizon 7 virtual desktop infrastructure now enables administrators to set policy and update operating system images for persistent virtual desktops from within Workspace One. The company also announced its intention to port Horizon 7 to the Amazon Web Services Inc. platform for instant cloning, application volumes and user interface customization.

The updates are expected to be available in the third quarter.

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