Microsoft Store app management capabilities expected to arrive this year — Redmondmag.com

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Microsoft Store app management capabilities expected to arrive this year

Microsoft on Thursday described its Microsoft Store plans on Windows and how its app delivery system will work with the various management tools used by organizations.

By “Microsoft Store on Windows”, the ad appears to refer to the Microsoft Store app used to download and update apps. This app works with the “new Microsoft Store”, a Microsoft-managed app repository that was described as launching in October.

The new Microsoft Store app repository stands out for its ability to host other (non-Microsoft) app repositories, such as Amazon and Epic Games app stores. It can also host Android apps, as well as older Win32 apps (Windows 7-era). The new Microsoft Store supports various application frameworks, namely .NET, Universal Windows Platform, Xamarin, Electron, React Native, Java, and Progressive Web Apps.

Microsoft Store plans
Thursday’s announcement promised that the Microsoft Store app repository will allow “full access to find and deploy all apps available to you through the Microsoft Store on Windows.” Microsoft plans to release these search and deploy features in “the second half of this calendar year (subject to change)”.

The announcement also outlined plans to enable so-called “private repositories” in the Microsoft Store as well. These repositories could provide things like internal business apps, as well as apps created by a developer for a specific company. However, additions to private repositories are currently underway, with expectations for an “early 2023” release.

Microsoft Store and app management tools
Essentially, organizations are getting a somewhat new way to distribute apps to end users. The process involves the Microsoft Store app repository to host the apps, the Microsoft Store app on Windows to download the apps, various management tools, and a so-called company portal app to distribute the apps to end users.

The free Company Portal app is used by organizations for actual discovery and installation of authorized Microsoft Store apps in their organizations. End users can use the Company Portal app to install apps themselves. Devices must be enrolled to use the Company Portal app, per Microsoft’s instructions. Microsoft Store Experiences FAQ, dated July 28.

Microsoft’s announcement on Thursday mainly described the Microsoft Store app’s integration with Microsoft Endpoint Manager, which is Microsoft’s suite of subscription-based management tools that includes Configuration Manager and Microsoft Intune. It’s the Intune mobile management solution that’s really used with the Microsoft Store app, but it’s also possible for IT pros to use a third-party (non-Microsoft) mobile management solution with the Microsoft app Store.

Microsoft also previously said that organizations can manage Microsoft Store apps and updates through its Microsoft Store. Windows Package Manager command-line tool, a free alternative to using a commercial mobile management solution.

The FAQ offered a somewhat confusing description of using the Windows Package Manager with the Company Portal application, as follows:

An Intune license is required to take advantage of the new functionality and continue to deploy Store apps directly to user and device groups. The Windows Package Manager platform is openly available to enable the creation of custom applications and application installation websites.

It is unclear whether this statement above means Windows Package Manager is an optimal choice for organizations or not. However, the FAQ contains many helpful answers for IT pros dealing with Microsoft’s upcoming changes to managing application delivery.

The Microsoft Store plans are somewhat acute for IT pros, as they will lose the ability to use the current Microsoft Store for Business and Microsoft Store for Education solutions to distribute apps to end users. Use of these Microsoft Store app repositories will end starting in the first quarter of 2023, Microsoft previously announced.