Top five Windows 10 migration fears

When the University of Arkansas moved endpoints across its campus off of Windows 7 as part of a VDI project earlier this year, some IT administrators were concerned about Windows 10 data privacy.

Student labs and kiosks at the university in Fayetteville, Ark., have Windows 10 virtual desktops, while physical desktops available to staff and faculty are in a gradual rollout from Windows 7 to Windows 10. The data that Microsoft collects from Windows 10 users may include error reports, app usage information and even search terms, plus much more.

"Just using it, you are agreeing to all of that data being siphoned up," said Jon Kelley, associate director of enterprise systems at the university.

To address these Windows 10 data privacy concerns, the desktop team tweaked some of the operating system's settings, he said.

Like in other organizations, Kelley and his team were also concerned about the more consumer-focused aspects of Windows 10, such as the Cortana digital assistant and the Windows app store being available to enterprise users. To make sure the Windows 10 migration was strictly business, the university adopted the Long-Term Servicing Branch, which is available for Windows 10 Enterprise and doesn't include the Windows Store, Cortana or Edge browser.