Since the last release notes, we have brought to you the following new features, changes and enhancements to existing functionality:
- Battery full charge runtime estimation added
In addition to providing asset -related statistics of the computer battery or batteries such as the name, manufacturer and the current max charge capacity related to battery's stated design capacity, we have added active tracking of estimated battery runtime.
This value is an estimate of the average runtime, in hours, that the user of the computer will get from the device's battery charged to 100%, given the recent usage profile on the said computer. As the use can vary wildly between otherwise identical computers with same battery type and capacity, depending on the applications being used and the load that they generate based on the applications' type and function, this estimate can give you an indication of how well or long the end-user can make use of his or her computer if needed to rely only on its internal battery. If the runtime estimate is very low, then it could be feasible to replace the battery with more powerful one as to serve the user's needs better.
Please note that since this estimation is based on actual use monitoring in the Applixure Agent, for new computers having internal battery it can take a while for the estimate to be available. - Operating system install and upgrade date refinements
While Applixure Agent has tried to gather original install date for operating system it is installed on, under certain scenarios - most commonly if the OS is deployed from the previously prepared image in opposed to being installed from original media directly - this date has incorrectly reflected the image creation date.
We have made improvements to the detection algorithm, and Applixure should now report operating system install age according to date it has been deployed to the device.
In addition to this original install/deployment date, we now show the last [build] upgrade date for the operating system as well if there is distinctly different date available for upgrade from the install time. Specifically in Windows 10 scenarios, this date should reflect the date of the major in-place upgrade such as going from 1703 release to 1709 release.
As the build upgrade does not generally remove applications, user settings and data, we feel that providing these two values can give good insight to firstly how long the OS has actually been on the device with possible accumulated old data (and/or possibly outdated settings such as drivers) and how up-to-date the operating system itself has been kept (the build upgrade date).
Both of these dates are available from Applixure's Connect API's data for agents, and in the individual device's details screen showing the install and last upgrade age.
In the Connect API's data, there is additionally third date present (if detected by the Applixure Agent) which should reflect the operating system image creation date. - Updated graphs grouping and Windows 10 release information
In order to make information in the main dashboards (Devices, Software, Issues & performance and Use) more easy to read, we have grouped these graphs into somewhat more logical groups with subheadings and re-arranged some of the information between the dashboards.
In addition, for Devices dashboard we have now added new graph breaking down the new information of operating system full upgrade time for those devices that has the upgrade date available. This is in addition to previously existing install time graph.
Since we also have build update number (UBR, Update Build Revision) now available for the devices that indicate the quality and security update level being installed, we decided to further split the Windows 10 release graph into separate graphs showing each its own Windows 10 major release (1607, 1703 etc.) and all the build+revisions deployed for it.
You can display these additional graphs using Show further details... -link under the Windows 10 releases graph.
- Applixure new environment creation and removal from UI
A feature specific to our partners and for customers with multiple environments in their subscription enabled, you can now provision new Applixure environments for your Applixure account directly from the Web UI.
New environment provisioning feature is available from the Environments -screen using the Provision new Applixure environment -button.
For existing environments, closing and deleting the environment is available for eligible users accounts from Settings / Environment settings -screen, using Close environment -button. If the Applixure account has only one environment left, that remaining environment cannot be closed.
Please note that these capabilities require - in addition to being available only to Applixure partners and subscribers with multiple environments available - require explicit permissions being enabled for the user account.
New environment provisioning requires user account owned by the Applixure account that has Create new environments for account -permission enabled for it, or user account that is full account administrator. Similarly, closing existing environment requires user account owned by the Applixure account that has Close account's existing environments -permission enabled in addition to having Full administrative rights -permission to the given Applixure environment. - Firmware version shown in the device's screen
While firmware (BIOS/UEFI) version has been available in the Connect API data and CSV exports for devices, it is now also shown in the Firmware type -part in the device's details screen.
- Personal Data filtering on Applixure environment level
We have added a new policy setting for Applixure environment -level, where it is possible to prevent Applixure Agents in the environment from collecting certain Personal Data -related information. This setting can be accessed from the Settings / Environment settings -screen.
Enabling this setting will prevent end-user logon names, full names and account pictures (if any) sent, stored or appearing in the Applixure data. This feature can help in situations wherein for privacy related reasons, or to comply with appropriate legislation such as upcoming EU GDPR, these pieces of information cannot be collected from the computers.
For select computers, you can also disable the collection of Personal Data collection using our Group Policy Template (only for Windows devices in Active Directory domain), available from this Helpcenter article.
Please note, however, that all Applixure partners and customers are reponsible for their part of the obligations set in legislation applicable to you or your end-users and Applixure cannot assume or know if it is possible for your environment to collect such information. - Fixes for miscellaneous technical issues and minor functionality improvements.
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