Windows 11 Pro lets the music play on

“Phishing attacks are greatly reduced”

Tonez was a DJ for two decades before transitioning to IT. As he says, “I’m a nerd at heart and I’m stoked to see my two worlds come together.” But when he puts on his IT hat, there’s no question where his priorities lie. “For me, security is and always will be number one, and Windows 11 Pro takes a real weight off my shoulders.” Tonez likes the fact that layers of security are enabled out-of-the-box, including hardware-backed protection like TPM 2.0. He loves that passwordless sign-in with Windows Hello for Business “doesn’t impede the user’s workflow.” And he favors a proactive approach to threats. “It’s much easier to catch before it happens than trying to chase after that problem.” So he uses enhanced phishing protection with Microsoft Defender SmartScreen to stay ahead of credential theft, noting, “It’s integrated into the OS; it’s ready to go. Having that coverage definitely helps minimize my sleepless nights. Well, apart from my 18-month-old baby.” 

“Being a one-man IT team, minimizing user requests is really important” 

As IT Support Analyst, Tonez single-handedly supports nearly 50 employees. So anything about Windows 11 Pro that reduces support requests is welcome—like automated updates with 40% smaller downloads.(1) As he says, “Updates happen automatically—the scans all happen automatically. Everything is covered in one package, which makes life easy for employees and for me as an IT professional. A staff member can come in, plug a device in, and it just works. I like that it empowers people to easily manage their own stuff.” When everything works seamlessly, helpdesk calls can drop significantly. Another thing that takes the load off Tonez is the new, intuitive design. He notes that “it’s so easy to customize your experience; once you’ve spent an hour on Windows 11 Pro, it feels like you’re using something that’s a part of you.” He smiles, “It’s gonna sound a bit cliché, but you feel happy using it.” 

“I love finding solutions for people that make their lives easier” 

While Windows 11 Pro makes Tonez’ life easier at work, he loves doing the same thing for the people around him. As he says, “I really enjoy helping people. I’ve been around the music industry for the better part of my life, so I have a lot of passion for what we do, knowing that I’m around some amazingly talented people. Supporting people in doing what they do best, that’s what wakes me up in the morning. When the staff are able to do their jobs effectively, then I’m doing my job effectively.” That commitment doesn’t just stop at the office. Tonez dedicates every Sunday morning toward helping a promising young DJ duo and their crew. They call him “a dead-set legend.” But as he says, “I love seeing the smiles on people’s faces when you’ve solved something for them. I think that’s really nice.” 

“I'm constantly switching between left brain and right brain”

As Group Marketing Director for TMRW Music Group, Karen Bell says her workday is anything but predictable. “In the course of a day, we’ll be working on creative tasks like assets for a tour rollout, or a music video for an artist. Then we’ll pivot into the performance metrics of a song or a deep dive on audience consumption data. My Windows 11 Pro device really helps me switch back and forth between left and right brain.” Karen benefits from 99.7% app compatibility(2) and the performance to get projects out the door faster. She notes, “I use multiple screens. I’ll have 15 apps open, five spreadsheets, so many different tools and files. And I need everything to work from the get-go.” Features like seamless redocking and snap layouts enable her to work without interruption: “Being able to pick up my device and work from anywhere at a moment’s notice, it’s just part of daily life for us.” 

“I’m probably the world’s biggest proponent of Microsoft Teams”

TMRW Music started using Microsoft Teams to increase collaboration and teamwork—in the nick of time. As Karen explains: “We were really lucky that we got on board with Teams ahead of COVID. So, the second we went into lockdown, we were just action stations—we moved straight into our new daily work life.” In the post-pandemic world, the company is using Microsoft Teams to take advantage of the smart videoconferencing features in Windows 11 Pro, like intelligent noise canceling and background blur, and the ability to share files directly from the taskbar. Seamless collaboration has become part of how TMRW Music operates: “A number of our staff members are interstate, we work with external agencies, and we use Teams for all of that: planning releases, events and tours, a quick chat on the fly with multiple team members. I actually don’t know what I’d do without it now,” she laughs, “Teams has really improved not just mine, but the whole team’s ability to communicate seamlessly.”

“Togetherness is what makes dance music so special”

Like Tonez, Karen has a genuine passion for electronic dance music. As she explains, “There’s a sense of tribalism when you’re at a club or a 20,000-person festival, a ritualistic moment of everyone getting down to this beat. What’s unique about dance music is the way it brings people together.” At TMRW Music, Windows 11 Pro helps keep the beat going—but it also helps when the beat takes a different direction. As Karen says, “We’ve always been able to quickly pivot whenever there’s been yet another change in music consumption or formats or new platforms. We’ve always been able to quickly get on board with that next iteration of how music is being consumed. We need agility and adaptability, and Windows 11 Pro just keeps in lockstep with us and the needs of our team.”

TMRW Music Group is using Windows 11 Pro devices to help them bring electronic dance music, events, and festivals to a national audience. Their remote team members are now able to work without interruptions or slowdowns, while keeping their artists’ unreleased music and sensitive data safe. 

1. Microsoft Windows IT Pro Blog, How Microsoft reduced Windows 11 update size by 40%, October 2021.

2. App Assure program data.