The added consistency is supposed to help IT departments plan deployments Credit: Martyn Williams Microsoft is offering IT pros some new guidance on when they can expect major feature updates for Windows 10, Office 365’s client applications, and System Center Configuration Manager. Office and Windows are slated to receive two major patches per year, one in March and the other in September. SCCM will be updated in time with those releases to facilitate deployments. That means the next major update to Windows 10, codenamed Redstone 3, is due out in September. On top of that, Microsoft confirmed that each feature release of Windows 10 will be supported for 18 months after it is first made generally available. The move is supposed to provide additional consistency for large customers who want to plan out deployments around Microsoft’s major update plans. IT administrators will be able to know roughly when the tech titan will finalize its major releases and then build their deployment plans around that. Companies who keep their users on the Current Branch for Business deployment ring will still see those feature updates delayed by roughly four months after Microsoft makes them generally available. Users who want access to the latest and greatest features right away can get access to new functionality in the months between releases, however. Over the past couple years, Microsoft has launched and refined Insider Programs for Office 365 and Windows 10 that give users early access to new builds in exchange for some reduced application stability. Those programs aren’t meant for most users, but for people who want to be on the cutting edge (like tech journalists!) can use them to stay up on the latest features. IT teams can also use the Insider Program as a way to stay abreast of new functionality that may eventually impact their deployments. IT pros who want more clarity from Microsoft about the company’s update schedule plans can join a question-and-answer session the company has scheduled for next week. Related content news Hitachi Vantara launches unified storage platform Virtual Storage Platform One provides on-premises and cloud storage of both structured and unstructured data. By Andy Patrizio Apr 26, 2024 2 mins Enterprise Storage Data Center analysis Extreme demos AI-based network assistant Extreme AI Expert can answer network questions, troubleshoot operations, and create alerts for conditions such as network degradation or Wi-Fi dead spots. By Michael Cooney Apr 25, 2024 4 mins Network Management Software news Cradlepoint unveils 5G SASE platform for mobile, distributed environments NetCloud SASE integrates cellular SD-WAN and security capabilities into a cloud-based platform to secure and mitigate risk across managed and unmanaged devices. By Denise Dubie Apr 24, 2024 3 mins 5G SASE SD-WAN analysis IBM drops $6.4B for HashiCorp and its multicloud automation technology HashiCorp's automation technology will fit into IBM’s Red Hat, watsonx, data security, IT automation and consulting businesses. By Michael Cooney Apr 24, 2024 3 mins Data Center Automation Network Management Software Cloud Computing PODCASTS VIDEOS RESOURCES EVENTS NEWSLETTERS Newsletter Promo Module Test Description for newsletter promo module. Please enter a valid email address Subscribe